Hi Djembefola

[batz]

Hi djembefola,

First off thanks, I love this site. I've a learned a lot from the board discussions in the small time I've been reading it. Example: I don't remember what thread it was, but someone made a comment about how a closed-finger tone isn't the best/most efficient since it requires more energy and movement to open-close between slaps and tones. I had always made tones with the fingers closed, but now I've been practicing a good tone sound without closing the fingers so much and it seems to be helping. I find I can move faster between slaps and tones and now without the extra mental energy I was using in forcing that closed movement all the time.

Anyway, a bit about me:
I've been playing djembe for about 5 years, but I'm no where near as good as one should be for that amount of time. I have no formal djembe training or education from classes, but 5 years ago I was traveling and had the good fortune of meeting some drummers who were willing to teach. A few of them had studied with Mamady Keita so I feel I got a good education in the basic rhythms. Nowadays most of my practice comes from listening to the couple Mamady CD's I have: Wassolon - Percussions Malinke, African Drums - Traditional Mandingue Rhytms, Afö, and another unnamed disc which I was given 5 years ago but didn't have album or track names on it! BTW, if anyone has any recommendations of a more instruction-oriented intermediate level CD/DVD from Mamady, I'm looking for something new. I've also been going through the Rhythms of the Month material on this site, which has been great. I've learned some new things about some old rhythms in those discussions.

Oh, and I'm currently in the US but at other times in Central America.

The djembe has taught me that beauty is created in the space between structure and individual freedom. A group of individuals making uncoordinated sounds is chaos. On the other hand, an overbearing structure without individual expression is just a recording without soul. Combining individual expression with structure is so important with the djembe and its African rhythms, and it makes for unmatched artistic beauty, imho.

peace all...

[freefeet]

Hi there and welcome!

[FreekAce]

The djembe has taught me that beauty is created in the space between structure and individual freedom. A group of individuals making uncoordinated sounds is chaos. On the other hand, an overbearing structure without individual expression is just a recording without soul. Combining individual expression with structure is so important with the djembe and its African rhythms, and it makes for unmatched artistic beauty, imho.

peace all...

well said and welcome!

[Paul]

batz wrote:The djembe has taught me that beauty is created in the space between structure and individual freedom. A group of individuals making uncoordinated sounds is chaos. On the other hand, an overbearing structure without individual expression is just a recording without soul. Combining individual expression with structure is so important with the djembe and its African rhythms, and it makes for unmatched artistic beauty, imho.

peace all...



well said and welcome!

Well said indeed... welcome

[mamadada]

- - welcome to an ever growing bunch of old slappers!!! - -this is a great site!- -regards