engleski

Finding jembe - West African percussion in Croatian ethno-music

In the last deacede in Croatia there is a large hybridization of traditional music with a number of performers attempting to revitalize old tunes bringing them back to life with studio technology or new musical styles, but also with new musical instruments. One of the mostly used percussion instrument is jembe (jenbe, djembe). Focus of the paper will be on the musical use of jembe and his role in the bands (using it as a “beat instrument” or as “background sound”), on playing techniques which are quite different from traditional one and on learning processes of that instrument in Croatia. Since there are almost no percussion instruments in Croatian traditional music, I’m also interested why musicians picked that particular instrument to play in revival movement alongside (electric) guitars, flute, violin and (double) bass mostly. Enthusiasm for “African instruments and rhythm” moved even further – so we have today band who promotes “drumming” as “healing from stress and bad mood” using jembe and some homemade percussions (e.g. shakers) on performances on various social occasions. Research is based on observation, some musical analysis but above all on interviews with musicians.

jembe; ethno-music; Croatia

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