Djembe
The djembe (pronounced ZHEM-bey) is one of the best-known African drums. It originally came from West Africa. It is shaped like a large goblet and played with the bare hands. The drum's body is carved from a hollowed trunk. The drum head is made of goatskin.
Djembe Media
Mali Empire c. 1350 AD
Les Ballets Africains in Bonn, Germany, 1962
Djembe and konkoni ensemble in the village of Nafadié, 85km northwest of Bamako, Mali, recorded January 2008.
Spiral pattern on the inside of a well-carved djembe (djalla wood). The spine of the skin is clearly visible through the hole in the waist.
Traditional djembe used by the Kono people from the Nzérékoré region in Forest Guinea. (From the collection of Musée de l'Homme, Paris, added to the collection in 1938.)
Djembe with modern two-ring mounting system
Fibreglass djembe with synthetic skin and lug tuning system
Three completed rows of Mali weave
