How traditional djembe drumming can help heal trauma | Francis Agyakwa | TEDxMileHigh
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 พ.ย. 2022
- Growing up in Ghana, Francis Agyakwa witnessed the power of communal drumming rituals firsthand. Now, as a social work researcher, he's investigating how this traditional practice can help people heal from trauma. In this eye-opening talk, Agyakwa explains how drumming can promote increased resilience, energy, creativity, and connection - and why Western scientists should investigate indigenous practices. Francis Agyakwa is a first-generation Ghanaian immigrant, the father of two amazing boys, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work. As a Trauma-Informed Specialist and certified Compassion Fatigue Trainer, he’s held various positions in child welfare, including nine years at the Denver Department of Human Services. His research-based therapeutic program, “Drumming Out Stress,” is deeply rooted in the traditional Ghanaian belief system. He is joined on stage by Aimee Alcorn, Bethany Kammerer, Dawn Crosswhite, Marco DiFerreira, and Marnesia Bryant. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
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I’m a musician who plays many instruments, and has a small recording studio in my home. I have everything I could ever need to make the music I want to make, but I do it alone. I have a couple of djembe drums sitting in the corner and I always wanted to play in a drum circle, but thought that somehow wasn’t for me, that it was kooky and I was somehow above it. Finally one day I googled drum circle in my area and found an open group that meets every Sunday just blocks from my house. I went with trepidation and was absolutely blown away at what an incredible experience it was. I’ve been going every week for six months now, and it has enriched my life beyond words
Where is this drum circle that you attend? We have one every Sunday at Balboa Park here in San Diego California. If you are ever in the San Diego California area I welcome you to come and join us and get the chance to drum with well taught djembefola's. I myself have been Drumming for 39 years 06/03/1984 and I still consider myself a forever student of African drumming. Find a djembefola master and learn everything you can. Use your studio to your advantage and make African rhythms that you have learned and listen to them and practice clarity tone and slap precision tone placements or rhythm patterns so many rhythms that are out there to learn and once you start hearing authentic rhythms from the motherland your mind will want to learn much much more. I want to be your encouragement with that and grow as a djembefola. Many musical blessing may they come your way my djembefola brother.
Hi!, what time do you meet? @@edwardmarcell2494
During the warmer months (which in my part of Australia are quite a few!), we meet down on the esplanade by the beach. There are the regulars, but more importantly are those who randomly join in. Recently we had a middle eastern lady who borrowed a doumbek and gave us a beautiful rendition of their unique rhythms whilst merrily singing along as a crowd danced and clapped. We laughed as we tried to keep a rhythm going on our djembes. A unique experience where cultural differences have no part to play. We are drummers. Our hearts beat as one ❤
indeed. i was mesmerised when i discovered a drum circle by the fountain in central park in manhattan new york and got addicted to join every weekend. This was 1999. I have then moved back home to Turkey and formed the first west african dance and drumming company, and taught African dance with live drumming (paying the drummers from my pocket) at 100s of places, often for free. I have enjoyed; students or participants thanking me for a therapeutic and FUN class; seeing them move free'er and more confident, developing their innate but dormant sense of rhythm.
I know someone who healed his trauma through Djembe. It really does heal!
So true man I started playing in drum circles without having any knowledge of how to play in a group setting or with a djembe in general. But it was crazy how fast I learned and synchronized with the group of drummers, almost a hive mind like experience. And you almost get carried away just letting your soul move your hands on the drum. So powerful
My 5 year old son had ASD, ADHD, ODD, OCD, you name it.. I have 3 djembes in our living room and I've never seen him more focused and calm than when he sits down and tries to match my rhythm... unfortunately life happened and I got lazy and stopped playing with him regularly.
This video is my reminder to make it a priority. Great video thank you
Do it, Godspeed brother!
exactely what i thought 🎉🎉🎉@@PurposePlastics
Thank you so much for sharing this with us… Us African Americans appreciate hearing stories about the motherland and our roots. I have conga’s 🪘🪘 but now I must buy a Djembe.
I have been playing for 4 years. Playing hand drums and percussion instruments have helped me through some very hard times and chronic pain. I hope to share them with the elderly , disabled and those suffering. Thanks for the great work you do
Thank you, Dan C, for your feedback, I am so glad to hear how drumming has helped you get through some tough times. Please keep drumming and reach out if there is any support I can provide.
Best wishes ❤️ & drum your heart away with the beautiful souls That connect with your beautiful soul ❤️ ♥️ 💖 💕 💗 ✨️ ❤️ ♥️ 💖
Dr. Bessel Van Der kolk wrote a book called( the body keeps the score) he runs the trauma clinic in Boston he's been a specialist in trauma for 44 years. I am an abuse Survivor and I have to tell you moving the body doing something musical acting lessons anything to move the body because it does keep the score. This is the only way to heal you are so right. Your philosophy around spirituality vibration culture Etc traditions are absolutely the way the heel you are so right.
As the partner of a drummer who has been doing drum circles for over40 years in Canada’s biggest cities, I can say that witnessing the energy and flow of an upward spiral in a positive drum circle has been transforming spiritually and emotionally! Thank you ancestors of the root chakra healing energy of the drum!
THANK YOU for this… ALL of it. The insight, the advocacy, the testimony, the research, the personal authenticity, the demonstration, the sharing, the wisdom… Thank you. I played djembe for the very first time today (I am a 63 year old African-American woman), and am now even more excited to explore & experience & share the vistas of expression, joy, health, and connection to which playing djembe, alone and with others, will give me access. You have expanded & enhanced my expectations, and made me want to share this with the wounded people in my life. Thank you. 🌹🌹🌹
Thank you for sharing your experience, that is very validating of the work I have doing.
Brilliant ! Thanks for sharing this amazing insight .
Keep drumming
Love
Damn as a percussionist of Bongo drums I felt this talk in my spirit. This brother is brilliant. Drumming indeed always helped me with expressing my emotions. I have never been a good at expressing my emotions verbally. With the drums its like you talkong with your hands,and slapping all the negativity out.Drumming should be mandatory in music class for children. Im planning to start a pronect to teach children Bongo drumming,this gave me so much inspiration.
Rhythm is the original breath of all living things, and the human brain is wired for rhythm.
It's great to use djembe in healing - I've been doing it for many years. Sometimes I use non-traditional djembe and sometimes traditional. My djembe Master, the late Mamady Keïta from Guinea, West Africa, who I represent in his Tam Tam Mandingue Djembe Academy International Schools of djembe, used to always say that it is very important that when you play traditional djembe, that you do it in a way that represents djembe traditions accurately. Again, I will say that I love non-traditional djembe drumming - I employ it deeply in my DRUMeditation (which is like a shaman journey that I created with guidance of the late Dr Malidoma Somé) and the testimonials from participants of DRUMeditations over the years tell stories of healing, ancestral visitations, astral travels, rebirthing and much more. Francis Agyakwa is doing great things with djembe, touching many people; he is exploring his divine gifts using djembe. It's great to use djembe in a healing setting even if you aren't doing traditional djembe. There is no djembe tradition that comes from the area where the country Ghana is. What is presented here is not traditional djembe, but that doesn't mean it's not great and effective. Mamady put me on a mission to be a "messenger of tradition" and I feel that it is my duty to point out that this is not in any way traditional djembe drumming. When I use djembe in a non-traditional way, I would never refer to it as traditional because it is not and I really try to keep my labeling of what I'm doing to not use the word 'traditional' when I'm not doing traditional djembe drumming.
Keep up the great work you are doing Francis Agyakwa!
It is a kind of meditation and medicatie to let go off stress where many People suffer from these days. I have one at home and helps a lot when i need to be calm. Greetings from Belgium. ❤
YOU are amazing and inspiring. I have used this video so much as a homeschool consultant. To help parents and students trust Theo lineage and believe in the drum.
Amazing 👍thank you so much 🙏👋
I feel very happy when hear what are saying. I believe and I can testfied that is true. You encourage me to go ahead
Djembe, congas, bongos, cajons, timbales, standard kit, it makes no difference to me. As long as it’s a drum, it’ll be guaranteed to make me feel better. Drums are the best in the world. I love them. I’m a Christian, and I believe God gave us drums as a way to communicate with Him. And He gave us the ability to play drums and play them well (if not loud). I’m gonna get a lot of hate for saying it, I know, but I don’t care.
Music and rhythm are very therapeutic! It is true.
I know this moves the energy through your body to heal. I love my djembe, and my drumming circle. Let the music flow through your hands. Learn the basics on how to play. You will be amazed.
I agree with learning the basics because once you learn the basics your mind will want to perfect it and advance to a more advance style of playing. I have been drumming for 39 years and I started drumming 06/03/1984 I was 10 years old going on 11 years old. Becoming a djembefola literally saved my life. That was the catalyst for my forever interest to want to learn all the rhythms that I can learn. And hopefully one day teach the youth and those who share the passion and willing to want to learn and become a positive encouraging Djembefola. Music is essential to the spirit soul mind and body. What out mind receives our hands will follow through the movements from the mind to hands is an amazing feeling and when a djembefola practices perfection of how to present the proper tone slap and bass and bring it to rhythmatic form of melody it's amazing what the mind and hands can perform. African drumming is my life and I'll never stop drumming nor stop learning as long as my lung inhale and exhale air and blood flows through my veins. God and thee ancestors blessed me with this djembefola life and I can't let them don't. Keep learning and stay true to thee African teachings nothing else matters because African rhythms is where all other music was birthed from. Traditional cultural music weather from Africa India the middle east the islands ( New Zealand, Hawaii, Samoa, Guam, Tanga, Fiji, and Polynesia) there are traces of lineages around the planet. So if I could be any encouragement for you please never stop learning and let the growth come to you meditate and speak to thee ancestors and ask for their guidance and show your sincerity to them and they will answer your pray of meditation. Blessings on your drumming journey and may your drumming journey travel with you for a life time and absorb through the generations after us.
Outstanding Francis!!!! You are so inspiring and your talk really resonated with my soul🥰
Incredible! Great speaker and very informative. Love it! We need more holistic healthcare and healing!
🎉🎉🎉🎉so proud of Francis❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Francis, you're beautiful man....Great Inspiration.....Namaste :)
I love this
Simply lovely
Wonderful talk thank you so much!
Wow thank youuu!!!
Great stuff!
Thank you so much I would love to purchase my drum and start my
Journey ❤
How's the drumming ?!
Beautiful
So true. 🙏
Very good
Maybe the African American community need to connect to the djembe drum. God knows we need serious healing in our communities!
Very enlightening! Thank you for all you do!
Thank you, Chrystal!
Indian flute is better for me 🥰
Indigenous practices can offer valuable insight into healing. However, more research needs to be conducted.
How do I join this wonderful group
I am currently based in Denver, Colorado, please get in touch with me if I can help you find a group in your state.
@@fransgyakCan I learn to heal using this drum?
🪁🎯🧸♠️♦️🎈🎐🌎🎆✨️⏳️🌤🌠🌈🔥🌊♨️🍓🍍🌻🪷🌹🔮🧿🪄
The djembe is not from Ghana - it is from the Mande people of Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast. The djembe that Francis is playing in this video was made in Ghana but it would be considered to be a "tourist" djembe to anyone who knows anything about the traditional culture and music of the djembe. Why is this important? Because the djembe has a very rich cultural tradition that is completely misrepresented in this video. This video is about the Western appropriation of the djembe for use in drum circles, therapy, etc. I see nothing wrong with that appropriation per se, and it's wonderful that so many people have found value in that use of the djembe - but it is appropriation - it has nothing to do with the traditional music of the djembe in Mande culture, which is completely absent in this video.
THIS IS NOT TRADITIONAL AFRICAN DJEMBE DRUMMING. DJEMBE COMES FROM MALI AND IS NOT PLAYED THIS WAY. SEACRH UP ''Farafina Kan Dance Africa DC 2021" and there is where you'll see traditional African djembe played at its highest level.
do we really need to medicalize everything? playing drums is fun. dancing is fun. can we just leave it at that? jesus
Nearly cried a few times !
Blessings
4 minutes in and already blowing my mind !! Thank you for this !
Keep drumming !