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Wood djembe drum, 'Akomfra and Gye Nyame'

Gye Nyame, a revered Ghanaian symbol meaning, "I fear none except God," lends its sharp, revolving presence to the lower part of this djembe drum by Abraham Owusu Ansah. Seemingly offering its protection, the akomfra, or "king's sword," appears like an X on the opposite side. Using tweneboah wood, Ansah creates stunning percussion instruments empowered by the magic of West African design. Once the body is ready, dried goatskin is stretched over the top and tightened with iron rod rings wrapped in cotton cloth to prevent rusting. A network of nylon rope further affixes the drumhead to the body. Remarkable resonance and unmatched visual appeal make this drum a perfect acquisition for the beginner and expert alike.

To play, sit on the edge of a chair with ankles crossed, the top of the drum fitting neatly between the knees as the base of the drum rests behind the heels. This way the drum is angled away from the player. Sitting up straight with hands resting on the drum's playing surface, the wrists should become flat and will then be in position to create the standard djembe sounds. Djembes produce three basic sounds: bass, tone, and slap.

BASS: With the hand flat and fingers together, place the hand at the dimension of two fists above the center of the playing surface. Allow the hand to strike and bounce back to the original position above the center.
TONE: This is the high-pitched sound produced by striking the top surface nearest the edge with firmly placed fingers.
SLAP: Strike the playing surface's edge first with the heel of the hand, and then allow the fingers to naturally bounce down towards the drum's center.

 

An artisan story card will be included with your purchase.