Tag: djembe fola

  • Bolokada reveals secret of the djembe

    Bolokada reveals secret of the djembe


    Bolokada reveals secret of the djembe It is rare that I am able to share the deepest secrets of the Djembe!  I have shared many songs, rhythms, and stories of my Malinke people, many techniques. Now, I’m excited to share the secrets of playing the djembe and the music with you. This is something I… Read More »

  • Namory Keita Djembe Fola From The Hamanah Region Of Guinea West Africa

    Namory Keita Djembe Fola From The Hamanah Region Of Guinea West Africa


    Namory Keita a Melenke Djembe Fola, (djembe master) from the Hamanah region of Guinea West Africa is living and teaching on the east coast of the USA in New England. I have been spending the last two months studying and performing with Namory and I would like to report that not only is he an… Read More »

  • Who wants to play dununs and what is a djembe solo?

    Who wants to play dununs and what is a djembe solo?


    In all my years playing, studying and teaching West African rhythms and percussion I have always come across an interesting and challenging situation. It is really hard to find people, that is to say djembe players, other fellow percussionists or drum students who want to learn the dunun patterns, individual traditional dunun parts and or… Read More »

  • There are many kinds and types  of djembe and African drum rhythms

    There are many kinds and types of djembe and African drum rhythms


    Let’s face the facts. Until Mamady Keita arrived in the USA we were playing djembe ass backwards. For example, Mandiani was more often then not being played  backwards as Soli, (Donba in Senegal) or visa versa. We were doing the best we could at the time as there was very limited  resources available in the… Read More »

  • LIVE…Master Djembe Drummer Bolokada Conde and Les Percussions Malinke


    Djembe drum master Bolokada Conde and Les Percussions Malinke’s play traditional West African rhythms at a percussion show at La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley, CA in 2006. Bolokada Conde, one of world’s best djembe folas (professional djembe masters) with Master Balafon player Mohamed Kouyate and talented djembe and dunun (djun djun) drummers from SF… Read More »

  • It’s not the drum it’s the drummer


    It’s not the drum it’s the drummer! What makes a drum have that special sound? Is it the wood? The place or country it is from? The goat skin or what the goat ate? Just what is it? About 10 years ago I was at a Mamady Keita workshop trying to pick out a djembe… Read More »

  • Mali and Guinea West Africa trip photos of musicians, dancers and drummers


    [smooth=id:2]; I took these photos on my two trips to Mali and Guinea, West Africa where I studied traditional djembe, drumming, music, culture and African music and dance. Drummers photos feature my teachers Aruna, Brulye and Siaka. Guinea photos at the late great Komoko Sano’s home and compound. Read More »

  • Influential friends, african related drummers and dancers in my world


    [smooth=id:32;height:640; width:640;] Photos of many friends and people I have learned from and studied with including the late Komoko Sano, Bolokada Conde and Karamba Diabate Read More »

  • Grand Master Drummer M’Bemba Bangoura “Djembekan” (solo)


    Master djembe drummer, master of ceremonies and all around fun and good guy M’Bemba Bangoura in a rare performance in his home town and country in Conakry, Guinee, West Africa at a large community drumming event welcoming home many of Guinea West Africa’s wonderful djembe masters and drummers of all ages! Read More »

  • Mali grand masters!!! djembe class with Brulye and Aruna: Mendiani


    Aruna and Brulye teach Michael P Mendiani solo technique at a djembe class at Centre Togola in the Sabalibougou district of Bamako Mali. Drum class and djembe class is held here every day of the week. If you want to study djembe in Mali, this is the place to go for a djembe lesson or… Read More »

  • Mali: sweet Didadi music, drums and beautiful chants!


    http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/mali Didadi is a rhythm that can be used by young people to compete at festivals and celebrations. Didadi can be played for the expected arrival of an important person or at end-of-the-year holidays. Some say it originates from the Bougouni circle , of Mali’s Sikasso region. The didadi is also organized during the end… Read More »

  • Amazing! Dazling Young child djembe SUPER STAR player solos at show : AMAZING!


    http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/arunabrulye An amazing 6 year old child djembe drummer solos at Guinee, West African “Spectac” (big show in Conakry, Guinea). Music similar to this and other similar high quality digitaly recorded audio recordings I did in Mali are now available for sale: http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/mali Read More »

Michael Pluznick