Popular class teaches students West African drumming and culture
McDaniel students are learning to groove on the djembe drum in the course West African Drumming Culture, taught by Paco Samb, senior adjunct lecturer and Senegalese griot. Through drums songs and dance, they learn about the history and culture of West Africa.
Seated in a circle with hand-made djembes, 15 students drum in sync to create a powerful beat that you can feel resonating in your rib cage. Within moments, the students build to a rhythm that you can’t help but tap your foot to.
By the end of the course, the students will be ready to perform in an ensemble performance at 7 p.m. on April 27, 2023, in Naganna Forum.
Leading the drummers is Senior Adjunct Lecturer Pape Demba “Paco” Samb, who goes into an intricate solo that makes one of his students say, “Now you’re just showing off!”
Samb, who teaches West African Drumming Culture, is a Senegalese griot of the Wolof people. Griots are the keeper of arts and oral tradition in West Africa, and the title of griot is connected to heritage, passed down through family lines. No one would hold a party without hiring a griot to perform, Samb says.
Samb grew up in a large family in Senegal, and everyone specialized in playing musical instruments, dancing, and singing. Their songs and stories are passed down from their ancestors, and each one has a unique meaning and purpose: prayer, celebration, good farming, and more.
“When I give my students new songs, I tell them the story of each song. There is always a meaning,” Samb says. “They learn lot of things about Africa, my village, and my culture.”
Playing a drum is new to many of Samb’s students, so his teaching philosophy is about making sure they enjoy learning. “I always give my students respect and listen to them. I tell them, ‘If you have a question, ask me,’ and I say, ‘I don’t mind if you make a lot of mistakes. But if you make a mistake, I will help you fix it.’”
Samb on the djembe while a student plays the dundun.
In preparation for an ensemble performance on April 27, students in Samb’s class are learning four songs, including a multi-part song called "Macaru." While the songs are very technical, with a lot of counting, “it’s not difficult because I always have them groove and follow the sounds,” Samb says.
The djembe has only three sounds: bass, tone, and slap. Those three sounds can be used to create more than 200 rhythms through speed and pattern. The djembe is accompanied by a dundun, which adds bass. “Djembe and dundun are family; they always go together. You can create good groove without the dundun only when you’re a pro,” says Samb.
Samb began teaching at McDaniel in 2017, but he has been a professional musician for over two decades. He was working as a musician in Gambia when he was invited to tour with a band in the U.S. He remembers arriving at JFK Airport on Nov. 11, 2013, and stepping outside into a winter storm.
In addition to teaching at McDaniel, he performs with his own ensemble, Super Ngewel, and teaches music workshops at organizations like the Boys and Girls Club.
He also stays connected to his roots. When he returns to visit Senegal and Gambia, he installs water pumps and electricity in local villages to give back to his communities. “Each trip, I can help one house,” he says.
On April 27, the ensembles will perform the pieces “Kuku,” “Macaru,” “Mengani,” and “Lambaa.”
McDaniel students, too, learn a sense of community in West African Drumming Culture. Samb encourages them to work together to practice their drumming in between lessons, and he values their happiness.
“When I perform, my performance is tough, because if people come to see me, I want to show them new things. But class is different,” Samb says. “You cannot go on without being happy. You have to be happy first. You cannot teach people who are unhappy. That’s why I always take care of my students and help them first.”
McDaniel students comprising the two drum ensembles performing at 7 p.m. on April 27, 2023, are Kyra Banks, Jack Buckley, Mandy Butz, Thomas Fagiolo, Wyatt Farace, Ashley Farrington, Jade Ferguson, Nick Foley, Breanna Johnson, Jaylen Kelley, Ricki Lebowitz, Kahleel Lee, Matthew Malhenzie, Zach Micklos, Allie Morris, Sung Yoon Park, Dalton Pearl, Monte Prinz, Cindy Rivera, Joseph Roberts, Jane Smart, David Smoot, Amanda Sponaugle, Teja Squire, Paul Steinert, Naomi Tamirate, Danae Tates, Connor Uhrig, Nicco Vargas, and Riley Wolfensberger.
