Featured CD

Preview the new CD
"Rise Up" by Barabajaba.

Featured Product

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

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

oldside1

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 late 70′s and very few instructors as well. It was prior to the internet and consumer cmcorders were still [...]

Amazing female dancer at West African Dununba drum and dance celebration at Kemoko Sano's compound

The late great Komoko Sano

Very athletic and amazing dancers solo and perform at a “dununba” community drum and dance celebration. Dununba  refers to “strong mans dance” as it was originaly called and used as. This djembe drum and west african dance party takes place at my friend and teachers house, the late, great and legendary master dancer, drummer and choreographer Kenoko Sano of Ballettes Africans fame.

Djembe meets DJ on Koh Samui w/DJ Steve, Bobby P on guitar and MP on Djembe

West African Djembe and DJ in Thailand on Koh Samui Island

A good time was had by all in this meeting of electronica and west african drumming at the BBC club and restaurant on Koh Samui Island, Thailand with DJ Steve , Bobby Parrs on guitar and Michael Pluznick on djembe drums, timbales and conga drums, too. Part one.

Mali Grand Masters!!! Djembe class with Brulye and Aruna: Mendiani

Aruna Sidibe and Brulye, my two teachers in Mali West Africa

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 african dance class. These guys and their students really play djembe well! Very inspiring drumming!

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.

Real Guinea West Africa music on the streets of Thailand ! pt2.

Traditional West African Instruments being played at the best drum jam on Khao San Rd. in Bangkok Thailand by Musicians from Guinea, Liberia and around the world (japan, USA, etc): Gongoma, Balon,Djembe & Dunun in Thailand. Check out the songs and dance, too at this Khao San Road drum jam.

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 african dance class. These guys and their students really play djembe well! Very inspiring drumming!

Female African Dancers Drum and Solo w/ djembe master Bolokada

http://www.myspace.com/rhythmsofbarab…

Female West African dancers from Guinea West Afrcan and Oakland California drum and solo with Master drummer (djembe fola) Bolokada Conde performs with his group Les Percussions Melenke in Bolinas, California. The first piece with dancers is “Mane”, from Guinea West Africa.

Dununba #1 “HD” Djembe drum and dance party in Conakry, Guinea

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sdoumbiacrew

#1 in a series: This is my best quality High Definition video yet! If your computer is fast enough, press the HD button, You can still watch it in regular format as well! This video was shot at a Dununba (aka dundunba) community celebration and dnace party I attended in Conakry, Guinea West Africa while I was studying with the late great Komoko Sano at his compound. I am installing it in [...]

“How to Play Djembe”, Djembe class: Mali “Sunu” Djembe Solo tech. recital by MP

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

Part number one Watch me, (Michael Pluznick) struggle in the deep Mali West African heat trying to remember..and recite djembe solo technjique for my master djembe teacher, “Old Master” Aruna Sidibe… everything Aruna has taught me in the prior 2 and 1/2 months of djembe class for this one piece! I pull it off, but just barely!! To see how it is really played go to my other SUNU djembe and african [...]

Africa, Barabajaba and more..your questions answered!

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

I have received so much mail asking who was who and what was what, I put this video together with answers for you..It has captions and information on whose who and what is what in many of my videos! Please click on the link in blue to take you to the earthcds.com Mali page where you can listen to 4 of my different CD’s for free, or order them there as well. [...]

Didadee Music of Mali part 3 songs and djembe drum

Sumba Togola from Mali West Africa performs live African chants and dance with her amazing group of traditional Didadee musicians and drummers . This is an excerpt from the new CD, “Didadee Music of Mali” available on www.earthcds.com. Enter:mali, enter: didadee

Samba Raggae “BarabaJaba style” Hilo Percussion Fest 08′

http://www.myspace.com/rhythmsofbarab…

Our own special blend of Samba Raggae served up just the way you like it! Live at the Hilo theatre! Drum and dance soiree extraordinaire Michael Pluznick on djembe, Jesse Seymour on surdos, Peter Pitter on jepinique, Boaz Martin on pandeiro, Criag Koland bell, Bo on snare

Konkoba Djembe & African Dance by Bolokada Conde and friends

Bolokada Conde formerly of Les Percussions Du Guinea performs with his new group, “Les Percussions Melenke in Mill Valley, California. We play 3 different Konkoba drum pieces tied together and and west african dancers come out as well in this performance by djembe master Bolokada Conde and students. From left to right:Rafael, Sean Areneda, Michael Pluznick, Mohamed Kouyate, front: Bolokada Conde. Male dancer: Nabe Bangoura

Fantastic Balaphone, djembe & dunun players in Conakry, Guinea

http://www.earthcds.com/africa/west/m…

Babara Bangoura (grren shirt), Abou Camara (white shirt) and friends. Fantastic Balaphone, djembe & dunun players in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa. Rehearsing for a big Spectac. A real “djembe lesson” to watch for all who love to learn djembe or like djembe class! Shot on my study trip to Guinea.

Mali Baby naming celebration West African dance and drum at community gathering

Mali djembe drumming on west african style djembes drums and west african dance at it’s highest level is shown at this baby naming celebration and community drum and dance gathering. “MC” on lead cow skin djembe. Filmed near bamako, Mali west africa, a beautiful jembe jam, showing the best djembe players

“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.

Yankadi Beginners Djembe and Dunun class by Michael Pluznick

Yankadi rhythm from Guinea, West Africa taught in a beginners djembe drum and dunun class in Bangkok, Thailand. Michael shows both traditional and ballet (dununs down) styles of playing.

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.

Mali Mendiani drum and dance demo

This is a new video of Mediani drum, dance and chants made in Bamako Mali West Africa. It sounds almost identical to Guinea (Guinee) style mendiani as well. Dancers and singers (Ami Doumbia left and Malodone right) from the award winning Santogoula community center and local group in the Sabalibougou district of Bamako chant traditional songs and perform traditional based West African dance choreography in Bamako, Mali while accompanied by Aruna, Brulye, Siaka [...]

Best of Michael Pluznick photo collage from Youtube

This video is a compilation of some of the best photos from past Michael Pluznick world music and world jazz videos set to new music by Michael Pluznick and Joel Lindheimer from the  world music / world jazz CD, “Miles Dean” available as a download on CDBaby. This CD features musical collaborators Bill Ortiz on trumpet (from Santana band), Kit Walker (keyboardist with Airto and Flora Purim, and others), Jim Chappel and more!

Spectac (big show) in Conakry Guinea

This video features master drummer Jaques, a unique djembe player  performing with his friends and piers in a West African drum and dance extravaganza!