Primo Series

A Primo hardwood djembe is the first tier of West African hardwood drums, carved from dense timbers such as lenke, djala, dougarra, khadi.
Also included are lighter weight hardwoods like Iroko and Melina
Ghana djembes are carved from medium-density Twenaboa, so they’re lighter, with a strong bass at a lower price.
A Primo gives more projection and a wider tonal range.
Primo and Master shells use the same West African hardwoods, but Master shells are picked for symmetry, structural and aesthetic perfection, and are carved almost entirely from heartwood, the dense inner core of the timber, which gives them their tonal range.  

Hardwood djembe timbers differ in weight, sound, and feel:

• Lenke (Afzelia africana) strikes the balance between density and weight, with great projection and the full tonal range of sound. It is well-suited to bigger drums and often produces powerful bass.
• Khadi (Pterocarpus erinaceus) is the densest and hardest of West African timbers, known for powerful resonance and its signature tiger grain.
• Djala (Khaya senegalensis) is most commonly a rich, dark red when sanded and finished. Its high density gives it strong projection.
• Melina (Gmelina arborea) is a golden hardwood with a great balance of weight and sound, with the brightness of lighter hardwoods like iroko and the punch of denser lenke.
• Iroko (Milicia regia) is a lighter-weight golden hardwood which produces more portable drums, usually carved in a style emphasising crisp tones and slaps.

If you’ll be carrying your drum to classes, iroko and melina are the lighter options.

The djembe has at least 800 years of recorded history, originating from the ancient Mande empire, and the shapes and styles of drums have changed and evolved over the years, even within each country:

• Mali shells are generally renowned for their smooth internal form, which supports bigger bass notes and well-rounded tones.
• Contemporary Guinea shells have a squarer internal ledge, which results in bright tones and slaps.
• Ivory Coast shells have remained consistent across the decades and are recognised for their well-balanced tonal range.
• Burkina djembe shells come in a variety of shapes, and the sound depends on the carver. Overall, they play like a mix of Guinea and Mali.

Choosing a Primo djembe starts with size: when you sit to play, the rim should be a couple of inches above your thigh, and most adults suit an 11.5″ to 14″ head. Then choose the skin. If you’re still building technique, a thin or medium goat skin responds with less effort, while thicker goat and cow skins have more complex tones and suit experienced players with toughened hands.
Every Primo djembe listing includes a video of its bass, tone, and slap.
See the djembe buyer’s guide for the full height chart, or send us your height and budget and we’ll reply with three personalised video picks.

Primo djembes are hand-carved in Guinea, Mali, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso by master carvers African Drumming has sourced from directly since 1998.
In Conakry, Guinea, Abdulai specialises in the external design finishing and carving. Ousmane is one of our long-standing Ivory Coast carvers.
In Burkina Faso, master carver Yecou sources his timber from the Banfora region in the country’s southwest.
Every shell is then skinned, roped, and tuned in the Melbourne workshop.

A Primo djembe is carved from one solid piece of West African hardwood, with extra work on the playing edges and outer shell so they play easily and hold a high finish.
The skin is chosen to balance the timber: Mali goat has a drier, crisper sound and plays in quickly, while Australian goat is thicker and oil-rich, takes longer to play in, and holds up well through changing weather.
Every drum is roped with low-stretch rope in the Mali weave so the tuning holds, and most have a rubber tread around the base cushions the drum and stops it slipping.
Some Primo djembes have hair-on overlap skins, a visual finish that doesn’t change the sound.

A Primo djembe shell is covered by a lifetime structural warranty under normal use.
The natural skin has a 5-month graduated warranty: full repair cover in the first month, then part cover through to five months. Natural skins vary, and a hidden flaw usually shows within five months, which is why the warranty runs to that point.
Damage from misuse or accidents isn’t covered, and the drum warranty page has the full terms.

A Primo djembe ships free worldwide and arrives tuned for the climate it’s headed to, with a free drum care and tuning guide.
It also comes with free lifetime tuning at the St Kilda studio.