I have such deep respect for the music of the djembe and dununs, and the people and culture from which it came and continues to emerge from. The intention of this site is to pay homage to all the teachers I have ever had, and especially to Mamady Keita and Famoudou Konaté who continually stressed that ‘we’ (non-West Africans) are also responsible for keeping this music preserved and evolving. This was as Mamady and Famoudou observed that it was disappearing from traditional West African village life.

This website is a summary of all that I have learnt and come to know as accepted knowledge about a traditional music that has been evolving over 800-900 years... (!!) My chief go-to educator is Mamady Keita as he was, in my mind, a pioneer. He published numerous resources and stood up and proclaimed, ‘This is what (insert rhythm name) is'. This is how you play it. These are the djembe parts, the call, the duns, the bell patterns, etc’. For us as students, it was a great service and offering as it has meant we can all speak a more common djembe and dunun language.

Teachers I have been learning from for many years have followed Mamady and begun to teach his versions as the definitive ones. This makes the job of educators and students easier.

If you go somewhere and someone from West Africa is telling you that a rhythm is played differently to how you have learnt it - they are right! Listen to them, learn some variations and remember where you learnt it and where it is from.

NOOOOO!!! Go and get one, a good one. If you don’t know of one near you, contact Simone and she will point you in the right direction.

This is a very good question. Firstly, this music comes from an aural tradition. This music only began to be noted and accessible to a global audience in the last 50 years. It was traditional carried through ancestral lineages and communities and transmitted in this way. Secondly, there are many versions of rhythms dependant on cultural and regional differences in West Arica. In addition, humans are creative.

Why might I personally have taught (and continue to teach) variations? Often it is to make the music more accessible for students, sometimes it is because I learnt a variation/version somewhere and enjoy it so I share it. The content on this site is commonly accepted versions of traditional rhythms.

Learn to be flexible and discerning. If you hear/are taught something different, learn it. Then do some research about whether it is something that is accepted as traditional, or if it is has been created by someone with integrity and wisdom, or created out of ignorance (made up because someone couldn’t be bothered doing their homework).

Know which is which. I hope this site helps you do that.

Yes! If you cancel your membership, your membership will expire up until the end of the monthly period for which you have paid.

I have no idea how to do that. Best cancel your account and get your buddy to sign-up separately.

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If you have any other membership questions or queries, contact Simone.