Category: Blog
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Hand Drumming In The Modern Age
In the Afro Cuban conga drum world and in the traditional based West African hand drumming and performance world there is a huge obsession with speed, rolls and “impressive” licks. This is what I call performance oriented drumming. It is created to impress and to entertain others. It has a certain and strong “wow factor”.… Read More »
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Get Rid Of Ring In Your Old Conga Drums
Get rid of the ring! Did you know that simply replacing the old or stock head on your conga drum with a professional level skin from Manito Percussion can completely eliminate the ring and improve the sound of your drums 100%? The skin plays a very important role in your sound and performance. Using these… Read More »
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What is a hand drum worth?
I am curious why a finely made hand crafted musical instrument like a hand carved djembe drum or artisan made conga drum or bongo should be looked at any differently then a Martin guitar in terms of value or price? I understand anything sold is market driven but I do believe it goes beyond this. No… Read More »
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New Wula Drums Are Available Now!
Wula Drum headed by legendary drummer Michael Markus has a dedicated team of drum builders in Guinea, West Africa. They work very hard every season to provide the highest-quality instruments using the best materials. Their djembes are sourced from the best hardwoods in Guinea: Lengue, Khadi, Acajou, Doukie, Koula Koula, as well as Melina Wood for… Read More »
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Ignorance is Bliss, From Drum Circle to Traditional Drumming
Ignorance is bliss Many of my friends and students who used to love and were super rock stars at the drum circles got bored there and started to learn traditional drumming. They got involved and into the west african djembe rhythms but now are having a hard time returning to the drum circle. They are… Read More »
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Djembe Bara, “Unity Of The Drum”! What is drumming really about?
What is drumming really about? Of course our beloved traditional hand drumming is about musicality, technique, history, culture, education, spirituality, devotion,self expression, creativity, love and I am sure I missed a few things. “Anke Dje Anke Be” means come to gather in peace in the Melinke language of the Mali Empire (the Bambara say anka… Read More »
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Now And Then, All Styles Relate To The One!
Then And Now~ Let’s Get It Together! When I first started drumming in the 70’s (for those of us not born into or of the drum culture), there was one general drummers informational grid or network, that is to say one large drumming platform or base of information that was available to the general public.… Read More »
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Playing 5 Sets of Some of the Best Congas Ever Made
I am feeling very blessed and happy to have these drums to play and show you! Here today we have some of the nicest conga drums ever made. I made a simple demo video of myself playing these drums so you can get a feel for the all these different and wonderful drums. Of… Read More »
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MP Djembes Are Back! New Djembes Are Now Available In Limited Quanities!
I am now selling world class, professional and very beautiful djembes with amazing sound! I have djembes in 13″ and 14″ sizes from Guinea, West Africa featuring cow skin. These drums look and sound fantastic, please check out the sound demos. These drums are being designed by me to my exact specifications. I have a… Read More »
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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 »
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It’s All About The Groove! Groove Consciousness In Hand Drumming
Groove consciousness. I believe we all need more groove consciousness. Goove is good. Groove is groovy. What is a groove and why does it make us happy, why does it make us want to dance? To me, a groove is an energetic wave of music that picks me up and takes me with it. Its… Read More »
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Peeing Blood Playing Djembe or Congas: “Percussion Hemoglobinuria”
I am not a medical doctor nor do I pretend to be a scientist. I can however, tell you my personal experience about the experience of peeing blood after playing, what’s been told to me and also what I have read. Then it is up to you to do what you have to do. It’s called… Read More »