Membranophones: Storytelling

Musicians passed down music through memorizing and storytelling. The djembe’s history is a good example of music passed down through oral tradition. Rural communities, especially nomadic tribes who moved frequently, may not have had books or writing materials readily available.

The djembe is used to accompany storytellers and dances. Dance plays a very important part in the rituals of life for many African groups. Births, marriages, funerals, even the planting and harvest seasons would be celebrated using drums such as the djembe.

A griot is an african storyteller. They tell stories through spoken word as well as song. The audio file below has a griot telling a story accompanied by Kora and djembe musicians.

Listen to a story:

Audio Attribution
Description: Storyteller, Kora, and djembe player from Gambia, Africa
Source: Freesound - Reinsamba