We are giving away a prize of 6 adults and 4 children for free entry to our March 18 full moon desert drumming.  Write comments to this blog post about "how you feel about dubai drums and how it has enhanced your life" and we will select the most original as the winner.

The djembe drum is believed to have originated with the Malinke people in the Northeast of Guinea.  The djembe migrated to the Mali empire in the 9th Century and 1,100 years later is not only found all over Africa, but has become popular in many parts of the world.

Traditionally made of carved hardwood and covered in goat skin, the Djembe’s sharp, bright sound and dynamic decorative carvings made it an ideal drum for community drum circles, performances, healing ceremonies, accompanying African dance performances, and, in Africa, for communicating between villages.

The Djembe has become the most popular African drum to be played outside of Africa, spreading around the world to become the hallmark instrument of the worldbeat movement.

how to play the Djembe

There are three basic strokes used on the Djembe: slap, tone and bass which are made by hitting the drum in different ways. When playing any of thee strokes, remember to slightly tip the drum away from you so that the sound can be released from the bottom, if not you get a very flat, lifeless sound from the drum.

To get a bass tone, flatten your hand and strike the drum directly in the center. This should produce a deep, hollow sound. The tone has a higher pitch: cup your hand slightly and hit the edge of the drum with the center joints of your fingers touching the point where the drumskin meets the edge. This slap is the most difficult sound for beginners to make, but gets easier with practice  It is achieved by quickly swiping the area of the drum between the center and the edge with your third, fourth and little fingers, almost like whipping the drum.

One way of achieving nice sounds on your djembe is to imagine that your hand is “a child” and the drum is “a trampoline”.  Have fun bouncing 

Based on a study by the Medical Science Monitor, it was proven that people who play music in their free time have genetic reversals to stress.

Many health organizations have followed this logic by integrating drumming into their curriculum and have reported that it is a healthy way to relax in multiple ways. The more intense a person is while playing, the more aerobic the activity becomes whereby the player reduces stress and burns calories at the same time.

Playing a drumbeat engages the right side of your brain, shifting the pressure from the critical thinking left-brain. So, after an intense day at the office or a stressful week in life, the drum can physiologically relax your mind and refuel for the next day.

In a double blind placebo study by Dr. Barry Bittman, a well known neurologist, it was proven that recreational music, such as community drum circles, boosts the immune system, raises endorphins in the bloodstream (happy hormones) and has a de-stressing effect because of the left brain, right brain balancing, creating a “whole-brain” experience.

One of the things that makes hand drumming so inviting is that it is quite easy for inexperienced players to join a drum circle without the frustration of learning technical skills. When you join a drum circle, your only task is to contribute what you feel comfortable doing and the circle finds a way to embrace it in the melody. This in itself provides stress relief and positive energy for your psyche.

A drum circle creates a sense of acceptance and community, and when people collaborate together in rhythm they can achieve far more together than they can ever achieve alone!

SO GET OUT, JOIN US AND DRUM WITH COMMUNITY – ITS HEALTHY AND CONNECTING!