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"Rise Up" by Barabajaba.

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Your First Djembe Rhythm

The Rhythm Reference Project

This is an amazing audio and notation encyclopedia of every djembe and dun dun part for 50 Rhythms!

Tasumakan

How to play African drums: Soko, Djembe and Dununs class

raw shells are beautiful

Soko djembe drum and dunun rhythm from guinea west africa taught by Michael Pluznick for his international crew including friends from Japan, Europe, Mexico, USA and Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand. All around the world people love to play djembe and dununs, too. Soko is now a popular rhythm in Guinee (aka Guinea). Soko is a Malinke (Malenke) rhythm from the Faranah region of Guinee. It used to be played during the month prior [...]

Balinese djembe player solos in Kassa class@ Bali Treasures

Michael P playing with friends on Bali beach

Balinese djembe player *(worker in the Bali Treasures drum and percussion store), solos on a nice Toca djembe in Kassa (from Guinee West Africa) djembe and dunun class@ Bali Treasures retail store in Ubud, Bali , Iidonesia.

Bali Treasures informal djembe and dunun class with Michael P

IMG_0986

Fun little djembe and dunun west african drum class with some fellow lovers of djembe,dununs and west african music. In this video we play the new Toca djembes at the Bali Treasures retail store located in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.

African Djembe class”, “How to play djembe” w/ Mali Master Djembe drummer Aruna Djembe solo (Pt.2)

http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/mali

This is part #2 of my african drum lesson and djembe class deep in the Mali West African heat. I am trying to remember..and recite for my master djembe teacher, “Old Master” Aruna Sidibe… everything Aruna has taught me in the prior 2 and 1/2 months for this one piece! I pull it off, but just barely!! To see how it is really played go to my SUNU post on Youtube! Thanks [...]

How to find the teacher that's right for you

How do you find the drum or dance teacher who is right for you? Why do you even need a teacher? With out help, Djembe playing or conga playing can become repetitive and frustrating. Some of us try to learn on our own, from books, on line videos, DVD’s of Mamady Keita and playing to CD’s or I Tunes.

Drum instructor Michael P on congas @Barabajaba show

Maybe we have a friend who plays [...]

How to Play African Djembe and Dununs: Konowoulen 1 Sangban

How to play  djembe and dunun drums by Michael Pluznick, a student of Bolokda Conde.  West African drumming from Guinea, West Africa. “Dununba”: Konolwoulen 1 sangban part with “movement” (eshauffman)

“Soko” Guinea Djembe Drum and Dunun class in Bangkok

Soko rhythm taught by Michael Pluznick at beginers African djembe drum and dunun class in Bangkok, Thailand. For practicality Michael shows both traditional and non traditional, (i.e. ‘ballet”) styles of dunun playing. Ballet style dunun playing is when you play one, two or more dunun drums on the ground with the heads up rather then playing the dununs sideways.

Mali Suku (Soli) djembe solo technique class

Here is my Mali Suku (Soli) djembe solo technique class with master Aruna Sidibe in Bamako Mali, West Africa. I am reciting  back to my teacher specific djembe phrases or “techniques” which are age old, and played by all drummers who play traditional Mali west african djembe drums.

Senafoli west african drum class

Here is the Malinke rhythm called Senefoli a dance done at harvest time from Guinea, West Africa as taught by Michael Pluznick. “Sene” means farming and “foli” means  rhythm. Djembe solo by Kenji from Japan. Taught at Rumpuree drum and dance school in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bolokada Conde in class

This is from a drum class given by Bolokada Conde star of Les Percussions Du Guinea, in Oakland at the Malonga  Center (formerly know as Alice Arts Center), In this video Bolokada shows the seeming simplicity of drumming.