Michael Taylor’s studies with many djembe masters, especially Mamady Keita and Famoudou Konate, began in 1995. His six- month study tours to Guinea, West Africa, provided the framework for his certifications in djembe, the Tam Tam Mandingue Teaching Certificate (2005) and the Tam Tam Mandingue Diploma (2006). He has been on performance tours with Mamady Keita to Japan and West Africa, has performed with Yoyo Ma, Vinx, Omou Sangare, Jali, and Kora Master Morikeba Kouyate, toured Ireland with the Youth Choral Theatre of Chicago, and performed for Babatunde Olatunji. Hand Drum He has authored 3 instructional videos, FUNdamentals recorded 3 CDs of original music, and has played on Michael Taylor numerous recording projects. A brief overview of the Djembe

The djembe is a goblet-shaped drum with a body made out of a single, carved log and goat skin tensioned in place by rope. The djembe is said to have been first carved by the Numu (the caste of blacksmiths) in the 13th century in the old Malian Empire of West Africa. Before the djembe existed in this area at this time, it is said that the rhythms were created by the women, as they clapped with their hands and sang the songs with their voices. My teachers tell me that, after the djembe was first carved, it was the women who asked the men to play the rhythms the women had created, on the djembe.

Traditional djembe rhythms are played for all manner of purposes in villages in the area of the Old Malian Empire, for agriculture, rites of passage, for castes, for women/girls, fetish makers, for resolv- ing disputes between young men, for masks, etc. or just for celebration. Since djembe was created far before colonization in Africa, it is not from a country. However, there are parts of several countries that overlap the area of the Old Malian Empire, they are: Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Senegal. Specifically, djembe culture can be found to be concentrated in Upper (northeast) Guinea, Lower (southwest) Mali, northwest Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and the Tambakunda region of Eastern Senegal. (see map on page 2)

Playing djembe is as much about hand movements as sound. When one plays djembe, it is impor- tant that your handing (hand movement/logic) is consistent with handing of the Mande; this is part of upholding the tradition of djembe. Sound is most important as well and it is something that may not come quickly. Clear bass, tone and slap are essential to playing djembe music clearly and correctly. In learning djembe, the hand movements will come far before the sound; one must be patient with ones sound on djembe, knowing that you aren’t really playing the rhythm until you can clearly play the sound of the parts.

Also, it is extremely important to uphold the oral tradition of djembe while learning it and teaching it, being mindful to always include: the rhythm name, what ethnic group played/plays this rhythm, why this rhythm is/was played, what is the geographic area where it arose and any other details relevant to the particular rhythm.

Djembe is played in ensemble with dununs, the low, cylindrical, two-headed, cow skin bass drums. Depending on the area, there may be no dununs, one, two, three, with bells or no bells, played on their side with a bell on top or upright with no bells. For our purposes, we will be using a 3 dunun set - the dununba (the lowest voice), the songban (middle voice) and the kenkeni (high voice).