The History Of African Drums

 Music has always been an important factor in most of our lives. The drum is considered to be the most important musical instrument in Africa. The history of African drumming dates all the way back to the early 13th century. The most famous of the African drum is the djembe. The djembe is shaped like a large goblet and is designed to be played with your bare hands. This drum was used during many celebrations throughout history and time. It was around the 1950’s that the djembe began to surface in other parts of the world.
 A musician who was the founder of a traveling musical group began using the djembe wherever he went. This allowed many other parts of the world to hear and see this amazing instrument. Sometime in the 1960’s one of the members of the traveling group began teaching people in the United States how to play the djembe. Once the world heard the sounds of the djembe, they were indeed hooked. To this date the djembe is the most well-known of the African drums.
Maybe you have heard of the 2nd most well-known of the   African drums, the talking drum. This drum earned its name to the pitch that it emits. The pitch can be altered so that the drum does indeed sound like it is mimicking you. This drum is still widely used today throughout the world but more so in the regions of West Africa. The talking drum, known to some as the dundun, was also used in many celebrations. This drum is much smaller than the djembe and is often worn on the person’s body.
 African drums have definitely had an impact on music. Such famous acts as Paul Simon and The Grateful Dead, among others, have used the djembe. African drums are a unique drum that has its place in music history.

Source: New World Drumming