The djembe gets its name from a saying in the Bambara language: 'Anke djé, anke bé', meaning 'everyone gather together in peace'. The drum has always been more than just a musical instrument — it is a voice for the community, used to call people together, celebrate events, and accompany dances and ceremonies.
A master djembe player, called a djembéfola, trains for many years. Playing at a professional level requires extraordinary coordination, as different parts of the hand — the fingers, palm and fingertips — each produce a different sound. Many djembéfolas begin learning when they are very young children, sitting beside an elder and listening before they ever touch a drum.
Guinea has produced some of the most celebrated djembe masters in history. Groups like Les Ballets Africains — Guinea's famous national dance and drum company — took Guinean drumming to stages across Europe, North America and beyond, introducing the djembe to the whole world from the 1950s onwards.
Today the djembe is played on every continent. Music teachers use it in schools across Europe, Australia and North America because it is easy to begin learning and very enjoyable to play together in a group. Its roots, however, are firmly in Guinea and the wider Mandé world of West Africa.