Djembe

The djembe is an ancient instrument that dates back to the 13th century. It originated in the ancient Mali Empire (also known as the Mandinka Empire), which included present-day Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Gambia, and Côte d'Ivoire.

The first peoples of this empire believed to have played the djembe were the Malinke, Bambara, and Soninke. Originally, the instrument was called “dimmé,” which means “drum” in Soninke, a language still spoken in Mali. It later evolved into “djimbé” and, around 1970, became the word djembe we use today.

While no official source confirms this theory, the djembe is said to have been created by repurposing a mortar—essentially a bowl used with a pestle for grinding plants—and stretching a skin over the top.

At first, this African drum was mainly played at celebrations, such as births and weddings, to accompany dance. It then spread to other continents in the 1980s with the rise of African dance companies, which helped share African culture abroad.

Much like the cabasa, another musical instrument, the body of the djembe has been crafted from a wide variety of woods throughout history—most often, whichever wood was readily available nearby. Traditionally, however, the most commonly used woods are iroko, mahogany, acacia, cola, and lengue. To help you choose the wood for your djembe, we recommend reading this article carefully.

The drumhead can be made from animal skin (goat, antelope, sheep, calf, etc.) or synthetic material (ABS plastic or PVC). While wood and animal skin are preferred for a traditional djembe, plastic materials offer durability, low maintenance, lighter weight, and the advantage of involving no animals in the production of this African instrument. If animal welfare is important to you, discover our 100% vegan djembe, which requires no animal-derived materials, and read our article to help you choose the drumhead for your future djembe.

A djembe player is called a djembéfola. In the Malinke language of West Africa, the suffix “fola,” added right after the word djembe, works a bit like adding “-ist” in English (as in “guitarist”).

So it’s more accurate to say “djembéfola” rather than “djembétiste.” That said, the term is usually reserved for players with a high level of mastery, not beginners.

A good-quality solid-wood djembe will cost between NZ$300 and several hundred New Zealand dollars. Some antique models can even be worth several thousand New Zealand dollars, but these are more like works of art or museum pieces than percussion instruments you would regularly play with your hands.

Synthetic djembes also cost slightly less than their solid-wood counterparts. For a better understanding of the topic, read our article on djembe prices. You’ll then have everything you need to find a model at the right price.

Overall, the djembe requires relatively little technique, as there are only three or four different types of strokes. As a result, the hand positioning for these strokes can be learned very quickly. What primarily sets percussionists apart is how they combine these strokes to create the rhythm of the piece they are playing. The djembe is therefore accessible to everyone, and it’s not uncommon to achieve very good results after just a few hours of practice. This instrument is highly recommended for beginners, and no knowledge of music theory is required to play it.

The only challenge for beginners is learning to tune the instrument, as this involves tightening the rope that uses steel rings to secure the skin to the head and shell of the instrument. Replacing the skin is also a delicate process, particularly when it comes to choosing the right rope for the djembe. However, this is only necessary after several years of playing, and the task can be entrusted to a professional.