West African Djembe Drumming

Masterclass

with Senegalese Griot Mohamed Gueye

In this masterclass Mohamed teaches how to play the djembe and dunun drums, describing why and when the music is played in this rich heritage, and guides the viewer through scenic shots of Senegal and it’s capital city, Dakar, Mohamed’s home town.

WATCH THE TRAILER:

This masterclass is differentiated to be suitable for groups of children aged between 7-14 years old.

Learning outcomes

Playing, singing and listening skills:

  • learn a traditional piece of djembe & dunun drumming from Senegal taught in a traditional way by a Senegalese griot

  • learn specific West African drumming techniques

  • learn to play syncopated patterns

  • develop listening skills

  • develop ensemble playing

Musicianship skills:

  • develop copy-back skills

  • learn skills to improve improvisation

Knowledge & understanding (including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development):

  • learn about Senegalese geography and culture

  • learn about the role of drumming and dance in Senegalese society

  • understand the importance of the griot within Senegalese communities

What’s Included?

The masterclass videos:

  • Documentary focusing on Senegalese culture, topography and history

  • Online masterclass with Mohamed Gueye broken down into chapters

  • Composition activities

Leaders Pack:

  • Teaching Suggestions

  • Assessment Guidance and Templates

  • Video playlists inspiration: further clips of masters playing & cultural clips

  • Guidance on using the resource with Arts Award qualifications

Bonus materials:

  • Recording of a 90-minute Training Webinar with Mohamed Gueye and Mike Simpson on how to teacher djembe in the classroom

Senegalese Griot, Mohamed Gueye

Mohamed Gueye is a West African percussionist based in London. Born into a large griot family of drummers from Dakar in Senegal, Mohamed learnt the Sabar and Djembe drum with his family from the age of 5 and has been playing professionally since the age of 15. Passed down to him by his ancestors, Mohamed has a detailed understanding of Sabar rhythms and the history of Senegalese culture. Alongside this Mohamed has had a long love affair with the Djembe drum and is highly sought after for his explosive performances and patient teaching. He has performed at festivals across the UK including Womad, African Drum Village, Drum Camp, Africa Oye and BEATS Cornwall with African stars such as Baaba Maal, Carlou D, Aida Samb and Africa Express.

Leadership Requirements:

No prior musical leadership skills are needed as all practical musical activities are led by the Inspire-Works facilitator in the videos. Many of the suggested activities in the Leaders Pack can be participant-led.

Access and Participation requirements:

  • This resource plays in the internet browser. No software is needed to be downloaded.

  • We recommend connecting your computer to a large screen in the classroom so the participants can see the videos clearly.

  • We also recommend using speakers loud enough to be heard over your group playing drums.

  • Each participant will need a ‘hand-drum’ drum to play (such as a djembe, single conga, timbal or tubano). Also required (but not essential): 3 lower sounding drums played with a single stick (such as a tom-tom or bass drum) and 3 bells (cowbells or agogo bells played with thin metal triangle stick). The Leader’s Pack further explains which drums to use and which commonly found classroom instruments make good substitutions.

Cost

One-time fee of £35 GBP

No additional fees are charged and no subscriptions are required.

West African Drumming Masterclass

Need to pay via invoice? No problem! Please complete this form: