djembe

See also: djembé and djembê

English

A street musician playing a djembe in Mexico City, 2010

Alternative forms

• djembé, jembe, jenbe, djimbe, jimbe, dyinbe

Etymology

From French djembé, from Mandinka jembe which derives from the Bambara language, "djé" is the verb for "gather" and "bé" translates as "peace." As a result, "Anke djé, anke bé" which translates to "everyone gather together in peace" and defines the drum's purpose.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛmbeɪ/

Noun

djembe (plural djembes)

1. (music) A large, rope-tuned, skin-covered drum played with the bare hands, used in West African and some fusion music.
   • 2007, Karin Gaynell Patterson, Expressions of Africa in Los Angeles Public Performance, 1781—1994‎^[1], page 133:

     There are three principal types of traditional drums in Guinean Sousou culture: the djembe, the dundun, and the tama. The djembe is a single-headed goblet-shaped drum with a relatively high-pitched tone.

   • 2009, Tamara Dean, Composition for Computer Musicians‎^[2], page 51:

     The djembe is one of the best-known and popular African drums, particular with those in the West who are interested in learning a drumming tradition.

   • 2010, Randy Raine-Reusch, Play the World: The 101 World Instrument Primer‎^[3], page 91:

     The djembe has become the most recognizable drum from West Africa, with a history that can be traced to the twelfth century Mali Empire and the Mandinka people.

   • 2012, Michi Henning, Djembe Construction: A Comprehensive Guide, page 13:

     Very few djembes are perfectly round. Most are slightly egg- or triangle-shaped. Lack of roundness is not a problem for sound: many such djembes sound excellent.

Translations

a large drum played with the hands

• Bambara: jenbe
• Catalan: djembé m
• Dutch: djembé (nl) m or f
• French: djembé (fr) m
• German: Djembé f
• Japanese: ジャンベ (janbe)
• Portuguese: djembê m
• Swedish: djembe (sv)