This particular drum is from the Ivory Coast, but much of the musical tradition I have studied comes from Mali and Guinea. Jembe music is intimately connected with traditional dance, and the lead drummer often improvises to accent the movements of dancers. For lots more information you can try ethnomusicologist Eric Charry's Web site or the FAQ of the jembe-list electronic mailing list. My wife and my two sons form the nucleus of a jembe ensemble we call N'ka Jembe Badinnou as suggested by the jali Djimo Kouyate. My advice is to keep two mistresses.
Few men have the stamina for more.
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