Young Brunette Girl With Djembe Drums Reveals On The Balcony Terrace

Most djembes from Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Senegal are still hand carved from traditional species of wood, using traditional tools and methods. In the 1990s, djembes started being produced elsewhere, such as in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Bali, often using modern machinery and substitute species of wood, such as tweneboa (Cordia platythyrsa) or mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni). However, these woods, being softer and less dense, are not as suitable as the traditional woods. A number of western percussion instrument manufacturers also produce djembe-like instruments, often with fibreglass bodies, synthetic skins, and a key tuning system. This reflects the growing popularity of the djembe; however, the sound of these drums is considered inferior and no djembefola of note plays one of these instruments.
• Drum circles
In the mid-1990s, the djembe began to supplant other instruments, such as the conga and bongo, as the most popular instrument in drum circles, and entered the western mainstream.