A gateway to 16,000 articles, multimedia, a new dictionary, and our world atlas. This site offers a charming introduction to a staple percussion instrument of West Africa, the djembe, by way of an abstract of a new book and CD by Serge Blanc. The drum's construction, performance technique, and standard rhythmic patterns are all touched upon in brief. There is also a list of the table of contents of the book for those seeking more from this particular author. An introduction to the African djembe and its sound and rhythms.
Photos illustrate hand technique.
Sound samples of several rhythms. Click on the small black sketch of the djembe for the sound files.