A few weeks ago, I woke up and strangely said to myself “I wanna be a GREAT djembe player.” If you ask people I play with, they will tell you, “Oh, she’s pretty good!” However, when I watch amazing players, I’m talking the people who perform or some of the masters, I think to myself, “THAT! I wanna do that.” So, due to free will and some measure of support, I look forward to embarking on this journey of “greatness.”

As a disclaimer, I would like to make something very clear. I am not on a quest to be a djembefola. At least that is not something I want to claim. Frankly, I don’t think I can, even if I tried.

You see, there is something about drums and percussion, be it from East or South Asia, the Middle East, Traditional Western kits, or African drums that speaks to my spirit. My love for djembe, I think, comes from its accessibility in this current moment of my life.

My drumming journey began in college. During those years, I was part of two amazing ensemblés: Yanvalou, a drum dance ensemble focused on music of the African diaspora, namely Ghana and Haiti, and Rambax, an amazing exploration of the Sabar drum and Mbalax music from Senegal, West Africa. 

My djembe journey started in 2021. I had heard that there was an African Drum teacher in the Albany area and decided to check out a session. Although it was challenging to play with my hands instead of the sticks I was used to in Senegalese and Ghanaian drumming, I was hooked. From there, I bought my first djembe, met lots of people in the community who played, performed at various venues, took classes from visiting master teachers (djembefolas), and practiced every chance I got. 

Although it is a journey I have enjoyed, the truth is that it is not easy. There are plenty of barriers to entry, and it is only sheer will, grace, and a lot of luck that has kept me going. Some of the challenges are:

1. The whole process is EXPENSIVE. From buying a djembe, taking classes, traveling to retreats, or going to Africa. It costs a pretty penny to really immerse yourself in the process.
   
2. Two, good teachers are hard to find. I have had the chance of playing with some really great teachers, and others who are not so great. Furthermore, it can be challenging to find a teacher who can meet all your needs as a student and be well aligned with you.
   
3. Three, djembe and most African music is a group activity. You can learn and improve on your own, but to really feel it, you need to be part of a solid community. I have been fortunate to find a great community of people, but we play infrequently, or sometimes it’s hard to find a suitable location to play.

Despite these challenges, I don’t regret a thing, it has been the joy of a lifetime to grow with this instrument, and the doundouns as well.

When I think about what will make me a GREAT and not just a good djembe player, a few criteria come to mind as things I will center in my newfound journey of learning and how I will measure my progress. 

1. Technique – I want to have proper handing movements so it’s easier to go from one note to the next and avoid fatigue on one side. I also want my tones and slaps to be crisp and clear. I hope to play faster and harder too.
   
2. Retention – Anyone I’ve ever played will tell you, I’m HORRIBLE at remembering rhythms on the spot by name. Typically, I need a moment to recall.
   
3. Soloing – One of the hardest things (in my opinion) to do is solo. Over the years I’ve gotten different strategies: just play, play slower but on tune, hit the drum fast and hard, listen to the sangban and play to that. 

I want to end this by saying, playing djembe and percussion is for everyone: young, old, black, white, Muslim, Christian, gay, straight, man, woman…Whatever and whoever you are, there is room for you in the circle, but being part of it also requires you to open it up just a little to let the next person in. 

If you would love to learn how to play the djembe, please reach out. I may not be a good teacher for you, but maybe we can connect you to some teachers and workshops in your area. We can talk about how to start: tips on buying a djembe, looking up classes/tutorials online, maybe you can follow along on my learning journey and get a few nuggets here and there. I hope to have more conversations with people I trust to make the learning journey more accessible.

Again, this is a journey. I’m not claiming to be some type of djembe expert. Actually, I wanna hear from the djembe experts. If you or someone you know has played djembe for a long time or is a djembefola, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

As for my offering, here is one of my favorite djembe players, Melissa Hie. She really inspires me. I was supposed to go to the Wula Drum Retreat when she was teaching a few years ago, but something came up.

Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Zilpa