"How to change the djembe skin" resource

I found an interesting resource this week: Djembe Kutak. It's a Croatian site I haven't noticed before. I guess I'll have to dig deeper into their scene. It is interesting to see how a subculture like this can develop with just a little help of a bunch of individuals.

This page offers some good material on djembe (mostly). I guess you'll not be able to understand it since the page is not in English, but the part about changing the skin is so full of pictures that you don't even need to read. I'm sure that even people with certain experience will find some good ideas there.

If you don't speak Croatian, follow these two steps:
1. Click on "Hardver" on the left side















2. Click on the links on the right to go through the many steps in changing the skin. At the beginning there is a lot of interesting theory, but if you're looking for a quick info, start in the middle.

Funky Morning recordings

I forgot to post about the recordings of the funk band I play with. Here's one of the two songs that were recorded last month: Guru. The djembe can be heard in the background even if the sound of it is not even near the original. I guess the wrong microphones have been used.


This picture was taken on a performance in a former Yugoslav bunker - today it hosts student parties with an inimitable touch. See the communist star in the back and someone who holds alcoholic drink in front:).

Die Stimme des Balafon / La voix du balafon

I bought this book some time ago (Die Stimme des Balafon / La voix du balafon). It seems to be one of the few didactical books for balafon. I found it an indispensable resource of learning ... That's of course only if you don't have a master around. There are around 10 peaces, each has 2 melodies and/or a solo phrase. Most peaces have some lyrics that are translated to French and German. There's also a companinon CD with all the tracks plus the melodies played with each hand separately.



I miss some more solo phrases, breaks, intros and the like, though. It is essential for someone who is learning how to play, and without it this is just a kind of a "realbook" - it gives the esential structure of the melody but leaves the structure of the song to individual interpretation.

In the beginning of the book there is an introduction with some details about the playing technique and stuff, but I miss some more. An advanced edition would be appreciated!

Stick bounce

For the last months I have been playing the balafon extensively. I needed quite a few weeks to get the feeling of how the playing sticks should bounce. Although I have been playing the balafon for some time now, I certainly haven't reached a state of such a subtle feeling until now. I now consider this as one of the basis of balafon playing (from the technique perspective). In case you don't know what am I talking about, try to search for some basic snare drum lessons. It is somewhat amusing that I got to learn this by improvising and not by learning a new song.