Living in France for 9 years got me started playing music for percussion ensembles. The cosmopolitan mix of people and especially the long colonial heritage gives France a fascinating musical diversity. It was only natural to become involved in drum and dance. My teacher Jalil Toukja was an advanced student of Mamady Keita (from Guinea) who brought this form of drumming to Europe in the 1980s.
I started teaching music for djembes and dununs, carving drums in a traditional way, and formed Songbong the percussion ensemble. Songbong performs for the weekly dance class and at special events around Dunedin. A djembe is traditionally played with bass drums (dununs) and the different sounds create the interlocking rhythms of the drums. It is the interaction between the different sized drums that makes it sound good.
I was lucky enough to benefit from quality tuition in small groups in France, and I believe it is the best path to rapid progress. While learning to play a basic "djembé d'accompagnement", beginners can open their ears to the complete dance groove of a piece, even if they are not yet ready to play all of the other parts. Trained musicians can expand their repertoire and take on more material such as solos or independence work on bass and bell. In a small group, I can give individual attention to each student, which is usually what they come for.
Even after years of playing and performing it, the power and complexity of this West African dance music has never ceased to move me." David GRACE - Drumming teacher |
