A log drum, often played alongside Balafon, Kora, djembes and dunun in contemporary West African Ballets.
♪ Guinea Krin are hand carved from dense khadi timber, the densest wood of West Africa ♪ The craftsmanship of this distinctive drum is as functional as it is beautiful ♪ With crisp tonal qualities and several distinct notes this medium sized Krin is a high volume instrument ideal for any ensemble.
Bring in the new year on our 15th Rhythm Power Tour!
🌴 Tour Dates: 29th December 2023 – 25th January 2024
🌴 Location: the idyllic Volta Region of Ghana
🌴 Rates: from AUD $4200, depending on room choice
Renowned percussionist, educator and tour guide Simon Fraser has been making annual trips to West Africa since 1997.
Some of the best drum and dance tuition available in the region will be on offer along a unique cultural experience curated by Simon. There will be festivals & excursions, shopping and live entertainment, all adding to an unforgettable and memorable experience.
🇬🇭🪘🎵
For more information, simply get in touch with us or click to this page.
A wooden keyed percussive idiophone of West Africa, the Balafon is a Manding name, but variations exist across West Africa.
An idiophone is an instrument which creates sound by vibrating.
🎵 Hand made by master artisans from individually tuned Khadi hardwood keys, cow hide and calabash.
🎵 The keys of the Balafon are tuned to each other in diatonic scale
🎵 It is the wood which set these bala apart – Khadi is premier wood used in making the world’s best Bala.
🎵 Below the key bed are calabash gourds which serve as resonators
🎵 Each gourd has a small hole with very thin paper (traditionally a thin membrane) over it, which creates the buzzing resonance that is so characteristic of West African music.
We’ve seen the transformative nature of drumming first hand in our classes & workshops.
Drumming empowers, energises, and teaches skills that students can be proud of: It’s what keeps us inspired. 💫
Popular formats:
♪ Single sessions
♪ 4 week – full term Programmes
♪ Staff team builders
♪ Whole school events, fetes and more
Our classes include a mix of drumming, dancing and singing, but we’re always adaptable and can tailor our session to your request. 🪘
Drumming is a form of improvisation that encourages experimentation and creativity.
💡 When your team is encouraged to experiment,
they are more open to innovative ideas and solutions 💡
Our Unifier Workshopfosters teamwork and collaboration among employees, laying a solid foundation for trust and creativity. Outcomes: Team bonding & enhanced cooperation Length: 30 – 60 minutes
Dunun (also known as dundun and doundoun) are the bass drums of the West African ensemble, named by the Mandé blacksmiths.
The drums were developed alongside the djembe in the Mande drum ensemble. Dunun patterns are the heart of a rhythm – while the djembe and hand drum parts are often interchangeable, the dunun pattern is unique.
A set comprises of these 3 drums:
🪘Kenkeni – smallest and highest pitch drum
🪘Sangban – middle sized and pitched drum
🪘Dununba – largest and deepest pitched drum
We stock a huge range of duns, from light weight mini & stumpy duns which are perfect for kids and school programs right up to pro-level hardwood duns from across the West African region.
Studies show that children who play instruments have increased aptitude.
Drumming stimulates the learning centres of the brain, assisting in the development of motor skills, coordination & concentration – as well as encouraging creativity and being great fun.
Start the little muso in your life off on their musical journey with one of our many great packs for purchase through African Drumming.
The act of drumming can release endorphins and dopamine in the brain, leading to feelings of pleasure and happiness 🪘🧠
Book your spot in our ‘Drumming for Wellness’ online course on Saturday 3rd of June, or if you can’t make it then, our next class is on Saturday 5th November.
10am-12pm (AEST): Drumming for Social Connectivity 1pm-3pm (AEST): Drumming for Mindfulness
Drumming for Social Connectivity Drumming is a powerful vehicle for encouraging skill development around a range of social skills.
Drumming for Mindfulness Drumming can be an incredible meditative tool, allowing participants to focus on the beats, the drum, or their hands, and truly experience themselves in the “here & now”, while promoting awareness of feelings, thoughts and behaviour.
We have a great line up of teachers in a pristine location, with workshops for all levels, communal Bonfire Jams, and great vibes!
– Classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels
– Welcoming Ceremony with Valanga
– Morning Yoga warm up!
– Classes in Dunun and Djembe
– Legendary Bonfire Jams.
– Set in the beautiful Great Otway national park
They are easy to pick up and play, making them excellent for teaching and improvisation.
🎵 Tones from these instruments are created through the vibrating tongue of steel.
🎵 When a tongue is quickly and lightly struck with the finger or mallet, it vibrates, creating sound waves.
🎵 We recommend playing the instrument with your fingers or mallets.
🎵 All Happy drums include mallets and a padded carrying case.
Become a certified African Drumming Facilitator with us!
Our Teacher Training Courses give you the road-ready skills and resources to run successful drumming sessions for all age groups.
🪘 No prior musical experience necessary
🪘 Available on demand anywhere in Australia and online via Zoom.
🪘 Courses are aligned with the Australian Government Schools Curriculum
Whether you’ve never played a drum before or you’re a drumming rockstar looking for a new challenge, everyone is welcome in our Community Classes.
Our classes run in 6 week cycles and our 3rd class cycle for the year kicks off at the start of May:
🪘Beginners Djembe – Starts at 6:15pm on Monday 1st of May
🪘Intermediate Djembe – Starts at 8pm on Monday 1st of May
🪘Middle Eastern Percussion – Starts at 6:30pm on Tuesday 2nd of May
Enduro Djembe is an uninterrupted journey designed to improve your listening skills and strengthen your sounds, stamina and solo repertoire. We begin with technique and build into a steady groove, layering solo phrases until the final crescendo one hour later.
🪘 Both online and in-person with our Director, Simon, as your teacher.
🪘 Catered for Intermediate and Advanced level students.
🪘 Enduro kicks off at 6:30pm on Monday April 24th.
Every day we share your videos with our community of over 500,000 followers across our social media accounts and we love doing it!
It’s just one way that we can continue to celebrate West African drumming and culture.
Sometimes these videos go viral with millions of views and thousand of re-shares.
We now have a new submission form which makes it easier for you submit your videos for us to hopefully share.
So if you have an impressive video of djembe drumming, dunun drummers, percussionists, African dancing, West African culture, conga & bongo players, African singing or drum making, then we want to see it!
The more creative and vibrant, the better.
Simply click on the link at the bottom of this post, enter as much information as you can about your video and then we will do the rest.
Hopefully we will be able to share your video across our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram & TikTok).