The drum maker from Mozambique
If Africa had a musical soundtrack, then it would certainly feature the Djembe, the traditional African drum. Djongue is a professional drummer from the city of Beira in Mozambique and he shows us how to make a Djembe.
Djongue plays his Djembe drum
If Africa had a musical soundtrack, then it would certainly feature the Djembe, the traditional African drum. Djongue is a professional drummer from the city of Beira in Mozambique. He plays in bands and has taught himself how to make the Djembe. To construct the drum he needs wood, a goat's skin, three iron rings, a piece of cloth and a strong rope.
Wood for the drum
Djongue gets the wood he needs from Alberto, a carpenter who specializes in making Piloes, a traditional corn mortar. Because the shape of the Djembe is similar to that of a Piloes, Djongue can also use them to make his drums. Using an axe, the carpenter crafts raw pieces of wood into the shape required for the drum's body.
The carpenter from the bush
Alberto, the carpenter, lives in the village of Macuacua, about 80 kilometers (49 miles) outside of Beira, in the state of Sofala. His workshop can be found under a tree. Alberto and Djongue negotiate for a while, before agreeing on a price for three wooden drum barrels and a delivery date in two weeks time.
At the slaughterhouse
The covering and the drum's surface is made from goat skin. Djongue buys these at a slaughterhouse in Beira. There, a whole goat costs between 20-35 euros ($27-$47). Goat's skin really has no value in Mozambique, so Djongue only pays about 30 euro cents for it. He cleans it and once the iron rings have been made, he will stretch over it the drum frame.
Iron rings for the covering
At a locksmiths and auto repair shop on the outskirts of Beira, Mozambique's second largest city, Djongue orders the iron rings needed for the Djembe. These will hold the stretched goat skin over the frame of the drum.
At the locksmiths
The workshop is equipped with a welding machine and various metal working tools. Djongue must buy the raw materials for the iron rings either at the market or at a shop specializing in building materials.
Hard welding work
The three metal rings that are needed for each drum have to be custom made. The steel, which is 10 millimeters (0.39 inches) thick, has to be bent into shape. If the ring is too big, a piece has to be cut out of it. If it is too small, a piece must be grafted into it. This process is repeated until all three iron rings fit perfectly.
At the market
Djongue buys the rope for drum at the Mercado de Praia Nova market on the outskirts of Beira's city center. He haggles with the vendor and eventually buys 10 meters for about 4.50 euros.
Preparing the goat skin
Djongue has now collected all the materials he needs to make the Djembe. Now he just has to put it all together. But, it's not as easy as it sounds. The goat's skin is gently stretched over the Djembe and left to dry out for a week.
Gently does it
The hair on the goat's skin must be removed before the Djembe can be played. With a piece of glass, Djongue gently scrapes the surface until it is smooth. He must be careful, because the skin is thin and the piece of glass is sharp.
The correct tension
Djongue now needs to make sure the goat's skin is tight enough and the drum is finished. He has built a small supply and distribution network for Djembes in Beira. A woman customer from Europe is going to pay 130 Euro for this drum. Djongue has also sold her an hour's tuition on the drum as well.