Percussion that continues to be beloved all over the world!??

I am Satoshi Sammy Saito, a percussionist.
This time, I will introduce percussion instruments that continue to be beloved all over the world and make you want to touch & play percussion.

Speaking of percussion instruments originating in Africa that are beloved all over the world, there’s this one!

Djembe

African music has certain rules, and according to those rules, there are ensembles that play multiple djembe at the same time and ensembles that play multiple percussion instruments including the djembe, doumdoum, and bells. The djembe continues to reign as an indispensable instrument. Moreover, unlike other percussion, it is a very loud percussion. This is because the elements necessary for life were originally greater than the elements of entertainment. In the past, houses were not adjacent to each other as in today's big cities, and there was a great distance to the next house. Meanwhile, there were no electronic devices like mobile phones, so in an emergency, percussion instruments such as the djembe were the means of communication. Today, they are widely used all over the world as a traditional folk percussion instrument with excellent tone, sound quality, and design.

Problems that arise because of folk instruments!??

・Problems that may occur depending on the material

The Djembe, a folk instrument, has a body made of wood (balafon, renke, iroko, tueneboa, etc.) and a head made of animal skin (goat, cow, etc.). The wood and leather can be quite a problem. Even if you bought a djembe that you like overseas, there is a problem that it is difficult or may even be impossible to bring it back to Japan. Depending on the country, there are skins and wood that are prohibited from being removed from the country and or brought into the country, or if the wood in the body part is heavy and airlifted, transportation costs may be high, and the head part is affected by dramatic changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature. Because the djembe can't stand these changes, you may need to disassemble it... And that takes a lot of time and effort.

・Maintenance problems due to climate

Africa is a country with a very dry climate. The dry climate is the best environment for percussion, it sounds good, it's easy to tune, and it's easy to maintain.
On the other hand, because of the high humidity and the four seasons, a country like Japan where climate change occurs four times a year requires frequent maintenance, which can be very difficult.

The Djembe that is easy to carry and maintain!??

A djembe that solves the problems mentioned above has been developed by Remo. Here is the djembe

■ REMO/ LREMDJ0014-BE

Manufacturer: REMO
Product name: LREMDJ0014-BE (EARTH BLACK)
Accessories: Tuning key

This djembe developed by Remo comes in various sizes, colors and shapes. The body is made of recycled fiber material processed with plastic, and the head is made of synthetic polyester film. It is constructed so that it will not be easily damaged by humidity or climate changes, and it is durable and will not break unless it is subjected to a severe impact.
The great thing is tuning. The same tuning bolts are the same as those found on drums, and you can easily tune it to your liking with the tuning key, and after tuning, deviations due to temperature changes, humidity, etc. are less likely to occur. Even if the tuning is perfect during rehearsal, often at outdoor festivals in summer, it is common for the tuning to be off; this is unlikely to occur before the actual performance.
In recent years, band men and musicians have more opportunities to perform overseas. Of course, you have to carry your own instruments both domestically and internationally (percussionists have a hard time...). The problem is that the djembe is made of wood and leather. Many percussion instruments are made of wood and leather. However, there is no problem with this Remo djembe. It does not use regulated materials and will not burst or be damaged by sudden changes in air pressure that occur when flying. I actually carried this Remo djembe by plane on many overseas travels, and I was able to carry it without any problems.

But!

This problem happened only once... As mentioned above, it's okay as long as it doesn’t sustain a strong impact. However, in the past there was a case where the djembe was damaged by a strong impact. But that’s also a great part of Remo's djembe that it's easy to solve!

Check out this video for more information!

How is the sound quality?

The sound quality of Remo's djembe is as close to leather djembe as possible in terms of a solid bass,sharp treble,and timbre switching (open slap).The synthetic polyester head allows you to also play a playing style and tone that can only be achieved with this head. However, because the head is the synthetic polyester as mentioned above, it makes a slightly high-toned sound, but it still produces high-quality sound that is more than sufficient. Furthermore, if you want to pursue “the unique warm sound of leather, with a soft sound that does not pierce your ears even if you make high-pitched sounds, and a bass that wraps around you deeply and heavily”, I recommend the leather djembe.

There are advantages and disadvantages to leather djembe and the Remo djembe, but it all depends on what you want. Please consider this information and try various instruments and choose the instrument that suits you best!