Two of my favorite possessions are drums. One is a talking drum that used to belong to a friend of mine, a renowned griot in The Gambia. I made a trade to get it. What I offered: a bed, a thermos, and a new drum form. What I got: the drum and memories of Ebou playing it at naming ceremonies and other village gatherings. The other is similar to the djembe drum, although smaller. I acquired this one from a dance group in Nigeria. This first video shows how the djembe drum is made. The second one is of the talking drum being played. The pitch of the drum changes depending on how tightly the player is squeezing the strings between his side and inside arm.

Filed under: Learning, Stories, Gambia, Video