African Drumming Tuition, Online store for Djembe and West African drums, drumming and instrument advice and guidance
Instrument Makers
Ben has worked closely with the instrument makers since 1992 and travels regularly back and forth to meet and work with them. Ben knows the makers personally and Fair Trade has always been an important priority.
In the following photos you can see the skilled instrument makers who supply many of the instruments we use. You can follow the process of creating a Djembe from raw materials and see how the Xylophone is constructed.
Christopher Doozie’s Xylophone workshop in Mpe-Asem, Accra, Ghana.
Drying of gourds on roof
Box of tuned note.
covered fire pit roasting wood for notes
Xylo compound
Xylo Compound
Basket of gourds selected for assembly
preparing the gourds
Making rope for xylo out of antelope skin
Xylo assembly
Gourds tied into place
Gourds strung
cutting notes
notes ready for stringing
Friend and xylo maker Christopher Doozie
The Late Louis Botchway and son Francis Botchway’s Drum workshop in Madina, Accra, Ghana.
Louis Botchway drum maker and friend died January 2017
Louis and me at Workshop.
Small Tofa Drum Maker and friend died November 2016
