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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

The New MP Signature series Eco Pro Djembes are now available at X8drums.com in USA and WRP in London soon!

The NEW MP Eco Pro 12" Wood Djembe is now ready to ship to you!

Michael Pluznick has been recording with a variety of musicians with great pleasure and success for over 25 years. He has collaborated with Todd Rundgren, Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart ( both of The Grateful Dead),Clarence Clemmons (Bruce Springsteen), Raul Rico (Santana) and Jim Chappell, among others. Designed and manufactured in Bali, Michael worked closely with master carvers and artisans to create a djembe drum that he believes rivals most high-end African made drums in sound, look and definitely 100% in quality. One of the major upgrades to this drum is additional carving on the inside of the drum which creates a larger “choke” or opening for the sound to exit from. The choke should always be larger then your fist size when placed in the opening. He also added a bicycle tire to the bottom of the drum to protect your floors, other peoples floors, to stop the drum from whacking and splitting and to make it easier to hold when you are drumming sitting down. Once you try a drum with a tire on the bottom you will want one on whatever drum you are playing. Legally Harvested Wood Michael’s goal in making this signature drum was to try and design an “eco” drum from “good wood” and also to make a drum that looks, sounds and feels like the best west African drums at a price of almost half their cost. The trees used in manufacturing these drums are replanted and it is regulated and observed closely. The wood that these drums use cost twice as much as the “smuggled” and illegal wood, but to Michael it is worth the cost to try to at least be conscious about it. Kiln Dried The Eco Pro djembes are kiln dried and tested for humidity and moisture. This prevents long term problems with the shell cracking or changing shape over time. The Sound Please watch the videos and see for yourself. These drums have full rich tone, deep bass and a snappy high with slaps that really “POP”! The larger 13″ drum is really remarkable in that it covers so much ground. You can use it as a solo drum, accompaniment drum or anywhere in between. Because of the remarkable strength of the wood and roping methods you can pull these drums as tight as you want. They won’t warp like some lighter drums do. The smaller drum at 12″ is still a nice size, relatively light in weight and has remarkable presence and projection of sound. Despite being a screamer on the high end (if you crank it up) [...]

How to play Sorsonete (soresonere) on three Dunun (doundoun)

begginer drumming at a fun jam session

Michael Pluznick shows a technique for playing the Guinee (Guinea) west african drumming and rhythm pattern Soresonere (Soresonete) on three drums or dununs (dounouns) at Rumpuree dance studio in Bangkok, Thailand during a West African djembe drum and dunun workshop and drum class. This style of playing dununs (aka djundjuns or dounouns) is called “ballet style” and refers to  the Afrcan dance  and performing groups in West Africa called Ballets. In the Ballets [...]

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

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Two balaphones large and small from Guinea West Africa

Komoko Sano\’s compound in Guinea

This was taken at the late great legendary Komoko Sano\’s compound in Merveilles section of Conakry, Guinea, West Africa. Taken with Nikon D90 digital camera

Didadee drummers from the village visit Bamako for our

Didadee drummers from the village visit Bamako for our recording session and play amazing music!

Mali

Didadee drummers from the village visit Bamako for our recording session and play amazing music!

Mali Young Guns session

from the \”Young Guns\” CD field recording with Siaka Doumbia nad crew

MP in Mali

Michael Pluznick playing at wedding celebration outside of Bamako in Mali west Africa

Baby naming party

Siaka Doumbia and Young Guns crew perform live at a baby naming ceremony

drum carver

Our drum carver works hard all day in the sun and het on our new djembe drums in Bamako Mali West Africa

mali, djembe, west african, west africa, world music, ethnic music, village drumming, didadee, bobo, djembe, master drummer, djembe fola

Mali young guns djembe drumming recording session photo

Mali Wedding

MC the young master drummer plays dunun at Mali wedding party

mali wedding ceremony

more wedding photos and shots from Mali West Africa

Grand Master Djembe Fola Aruna

Grand Master Djembe Fola Aruna Sidibe listens to himself play on a recording \”Old Masters\” (available on earthcds.com) for the first time in Mali West Africa

Brulye Mali champion

Master drummer and my second teacher is named Brulye. He was Mali (Bamako city), champion of djembe drumming

Didadee

Didadee drummers from the village at a recordng session for Mali Music available on earthcds.com

Didadee village drummers

Didadee (Didadi) music from the village!

Aruna Sidibe, Grand master djembe fola

My djembe master is Aruna Sidibe 83 years old in Mali from the Music of Mali: Old Masters CD on erathcds.com

Bobo drummers in Mali

Bobo drummers in Mali play the gourd drums, bara bendre,

Bo Bo balaphone

Bobo musicians in Mali play the balaphone,

Bo Bo drummers in Mali

Bobo drummers in Mali play the gourd drums, bara bendre,

Yagbe Onilu in Mali

Bobo drummers in Mali play the gourd drums, bara bendre,

drum carver in Mali makes djembe drums for us

Drum carver outside of Bamako Mali making a beautiful djembe drum

Komoko Sano's daughter

Komoko Sano's other daughter

at Komoko Sanos compound in Guinea, West Africa

Michael P in Amsterdam fest

Amsterdam drum festival with Nick Ostis

Michael P in Amsterdam fest

Amsterdam drum festival with Nick Ostis

Amsterdam drum festival with Nick Ostis

Amsterdam drum festival with Nick Ostis

;
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.

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!

Epic international drum jam on Khao San Road Bangkok, Thailand

Last night there was an epic drum jam on Khao San Road in Bangkok, Thailand. There were drummers from all across the globe! We got permission to play right in front of the police station because “King”, the local police chief is a big fan of Eddie Tamba our Liberian master of ceremonies and djembe fola.

Eddie Tamba of Liberia represents on Khao San Road Bangkok, Thailand

The drum jam had originally started [...]

All about my recordings and experience in Mali, West Africa

On my first trip to Mali my friend from Maui, Hawaii  and executive producer Paul Chandler introduced me to my new drum teachers Aruna Sidibe, Brulye and Siaka Doumbia who he had been working with on several projects and also been studying with them as well.

Aruna and Brulye in drum gear

I stayed in Mali almost three months studying with them, going to various playing events such as wedding celebrations, ceremonies, social [...]