I thought it would be nice to come back with some updates on my Djembe Dreams progress. It’s interesting because, as much as I love to play, and I think lots of people are intrigued and want to hear me play, I get really nervous. I can’t decide if it’s because I have a fear of being seen or my crippling perfectionism; either way, I’m working my way up to being more expressive in my playing.

Thankfully, I’ve had some opportunities to play with some friends, attend a drum circle to raise money for Grandmaster Djembefola Moussa Bolokada Conde’s passion project, and play with the Black Theater Troupe of Upstate NY’s performance for Martin Luther King Day Celebrations at the New York State Plaza.

I want to backtrack and talk about Djembefola Bolokada. He is a somewhat tall and slender fellow, very humble and kind. The first time I met him, we didn’t talk a whole lot, but he asked a few questions: where I’m from, how long I’ve been drumming. Then I bought a djembe strap so I could hoist my drum up for performances. Below is a visit from that time.

He was the lead soloist in the group Les Percussions de Guinee for many years, then taught traditional drumming at universities in the US. A few years ago, he started a nonprofit, Bolokada and Friends Village Project, to raise funds for his village, Morowaya. He was also very close to Grandmaster Djembefola Mamady Keïta, who is considered the Godfather of the modern djembe era.

I think it was important to lead with some of this context because, in my studies, I have been using the work of Grandmaster Djembefola Mamady Keïta as the foundation for my learning. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of djembe. Most of it is from Mamady, but I’ve discovered some pretty incredible drummers along the way. Many of them, similar to these two, are masters of the drums. Outside of listening, I have also been reading A Life for the Djembé: Traditional Rhythms of the Malinke by Mamady online on The Internet Archive. You can find a link for it here.

Below is youtube playlist of some of my favorite djembe tracks in this discovery phase. While some are totally new rhythms, some are rhythms I have played several times before and know well; it’s awesome to hear the solos the masters play over them, as well as listen to some of the singing that goes with them.

Otherwise, I have been practicing, but not as much as I want. However, listening and reading have really helped with some of the goals I previously set, such as recognizing different rhythms, understanding what they mean, and when they are ideally played. Over the next few weeks, I’m hoping to share some more progress and how I hope to pursue this goal for the rest of the year.

In today’s offering, I would like to share with you a video I came across of Djembefolas Mamady Keïta and Bolokada Conde improvising on a visit to Quebec City in 2012. The skill and ease with which they play, the respect they have for one another, the way they are exude such joy… It’s incredible.

Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
Zilpa