Soungalo Djembe Kan

[michi]

A Djembe Kan by Soungalo:



Never mind the mind-blowing djembe playing--it's only what you'd expect from the man

But check out the size of the bloody djembe. Soungalo was a big man, and I reckon the width of his hands would fit about four times across that thing. That's got to be the biggest djembe I've ever seen...

Cheers,

Michi.

[Dugafola]

this is on the Soungalo Live DVD as an extra and is also an audio track on l'art du djembe...fyi...not you michi...everyone else.

[Djembe-nerd]

But check out the size of the bloody djembe.

Also in one of the Mamady Dvd, where MK, FK and SC are practicsing for the show, SC has the biggest djembe.

I read or heard somewhere Ladji also used a big djembe.

[Dugafola]

i think adama drame has used a huge jembe in the past.

also, supposedly the djembe used in the Mali Tradition Volume 1 was around 16" diameter. i'll check the liner notes again...but the picture of Yamadu Doumbia on the old, original cover shows him with a really big drum. all 3 'folas on that disc used the same big drum.

[bubudi]

reminds me a bit of my main mali shell. previous owner was bamba dembele, lead soloist/artistic director of djoliba percussions. i think a lot of malians favour bigger diameter drums.

fadouba used large diameter drums. he had massive hands, though. a friend of mine has a 15" shell which adama drame used to play. all the pics i've seen of drame show big drums.

[Michel]

In my djembémaster's studio there is a huge djembé, which is kinda sacred for him. He is of Soninké background. And in the festival of Ségou last year I saw the Troupe de Kayes, which is Khassonké, soloing together with a jeli-dunun on dansa on a big, low pitched drum. I think large diameter drums come from north-west Mande area.

[bops]

If you watch the other clip from this session, you can see that this drum is played for accompaniment. Really fills out the sound. Soungalo's solo drum is a little smaller.