Djembe Drums & Skins

I am proud that this past year I was able to purchase 30 new djembes for Path To Rhythm Group Drumming Programs. I had been doing research and talking to many different people about what kind of drums they use for their events. My good friend and drumming biz mentor, Jana Broder of Drum Magic, pointed me to Shorty Palmer at Djembe Drums & Skins. I had met Shorty and his lovely wife Sandy back in 2008 at the Drum Circle Facilitator’s Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC, and I was impressed with the passion that they have for the work that they do.

Shorty Palmer of Djembe Drums & Skins

I called Shorty and he picked up his phone after the second ring. “Hello, this is Shorty”.

“Hi Shorty, my name is Adam Issadore, I’m calling you from New York. Jana the Drum Lady said that you had some Ghana Djembes in stock and for sale.”

“Yes, I have a bunch of those just in. How many were you looking for?”, said Shorty.

The conversation continued, and Shorty was friendly and helpful. 10 minutes later I had 30 hand made Djembes from Ghana being shipped to me UPS via Shorty in Tennessee. I was also able to reserve a Dun Dun that he would be using as a demo model at a Djembe Drums & Skins booth at a festival for a few weeks. He assured me that the drum would be in good condition and he would sell it to me for a discount because it would be slightly worn from playing.

A few days later I drove to the UPS center to pick up my six boxes. I was so excited I could hardly wait. I was not disappointed! The drums are beautiful. Wood. Hand carved. Black twine and strong goat skin heads. They sounded excellent right out of the box. Another impressive feature was a handle is woven in to the twine, so the drum is easy to pick up. This way I am able to hold three drums in each hand.

A few weeks later I was able to purchase the Dun Dun and another djembe that Shorty refers to as an Ivory Coast drum. I wanted a djembe for myself, something that I could wear with a strap when I teach and lead groups. I explained to Shorty what my needs were for a drum, and he guided me to this particular Djembe that he had in mind. He said that he had just re-skinned the drum, and it sounded amazing.

This time the drums were delivered straight to my house. When I opened the boxes, I could not believe how beautiful the drums were! And as Shorty said, the djembe did sound amazing! It added a whole new element to my playing. I love playing this drum. It cranks. The highs are killer, and the bass tone is impressive. The dun dun sounds great too. It is road worthy and it was played by my assistant at over 70 different sessions, and it rocked. This drum is loud and powerful, yet has a deep, resonant, and earthy tone.

I whole heartily recommend buying drums from Shorty and Djembe Drums & Skins. I judge that Shorty loves what he does, and he is a master at his craft. Thank you Shorty for being you, and for making it possible for me and others to play these wonderful drums from Africa.

Contact Info for Shorty and Djembe Drums & Skins:

Website: www.goatskins.com Facebook Page: Djembe Drums & Skins