Inside Darren

Sometime last year, seemingly out of nowhere, I was suddenly besieged with an overwhelming urge to own a hand drum. I believe it started when I was on a weekend retreat with a young adults’ group from Philpott church, and was offered the opportunity to accompany the band on a genuine African djembe for the worship music. I can’t say that my playing was spectacular, and I can’t say that I was ever asked to play again. What I CAN say is that I had a lot of fun smacking the drumskin, and that afterwards, my hands felt like they had been high-fiving an angry gorilla for an hour (I guess I have to build up some “drum smacking tolerance”).

Since then I have had visions of myself, sometimes garbed in hippie-like clothing, sitting on the side of the road at Port Dalhousie, thumping away on a djembe like an African master, singing Bob Dylan songs, and earning the respect and small change of passers-by while collecting donations in a top-hat, or possibly a beret. Playin’ the music of the streets. Capturing the heartbeat of the nation and channeling it through my hands and fingers into the rhythms of the new generation.

So I started checking out prices on djembes, and dropping into music stores to try them out. I decided that I wanted something that is key-tuned (as opposed to using ropes, as traditional djembes do), simply because drums are far easier to tune with keys instead of ropes. I also wanted something in the 12 inch diameter range of things, since they offer the greatest range of sound for a relatively low cost.

After having visited Thorold Music, which is about a half-hour walk from my apartment, I found a djembe that fits all of my criteria, and sounds great to boot. Or to hit, I guess. I don’t know why people say “to boot”. Unless you’re talking about booting something, and this is not a kick drum.

Tomorrow, after work, Larissa and I will jump into our Honda Civic and make the short trek to Thorold Music, where I will pay the required sum of money (along with the necessary taxation amount) and thus come to acquire the drum which I have dreamed about for many a long hour. So prepare yourself - Darren and his djembe will soon be “takin’ it to the streets”. And the rhythm of the new generation will be made manifest, at last.