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Wood djembe drum, 'Adowa'

Adowa is a fascinating dance performed by the Akan people on traditional occasions. Samuel Coleman recalls its movements through the ordered diamond textures carved into this djembe drum. Using tweneboa wood, Samuel Coleman creates stunning percussion instruments empowered by the magic of West African design. Once the body is ready, dried goatskin is stretched over the top and tightened with iron rod rings wrapped in cotton cloth to prevent rusting. A network of nylon rope further affixes the drumhead to the body. Remarkable resonance and unmatched visual appeal make this drum a perfect acquisition for the beginner and expert alike.

To play, sit on the edge of a chair with ankles crossed, the top of the drum fitting neatly between the knees as the base of the drum rests behind the heels. This way the drum is angled away from the player. Sitting up straight with hands resting on the drum's playing surface, the wrists should become flat and will then be in position to create the standard djembe sounds. Djembes produce three basic sounds: bass, tone, and slap.

BASS: With the hand flat and fingers together, place the hand at the dimension of two fists above the center of the playing surface. Allow the hand to strike and bounce back to the original position above the center.
TONE: This is the high-pitched sound produced by striking the top surface nearest the edge with firmly placed fingers.
SLAP: Strike the playing surface's edge first with the heel of the hand, and then allow the fingers to naturally bounce down towards the drum's center.