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I was first intimately introduced to djembe when I had my exposure to Songco in Bukidnon. There, a particular tribe of Talaandig struggles to preserve their vanishing culture in the face of modernization and amidst the vast plantations of banana and pineapple encroaching into their ancestral domain. Nothing is really idyllic with the surroundings and interesting with their behavior and lifestyle. But their art and music stand out. They have astounding soil paintings, wood carvings, ornaments and an array of ethnic instruments on exhibit and sale. Familiar to me are bamboo flutes and percussion such as djembes, ashikos, bongos and “tambol” in different sizes and design. It was one afternoon when I joined a jam session on percussion. Truly a captivating moment, a memorable one, to have had a good sense of rhythm and sound. The tapping, banging and chanting produced a sonorous sound that kept listeners glued to the performers and lost in the rhythm. It was one real experience to say that the performers and the instruments have become one to produce music. I have experienced music in its primordial form and it is a very personal one. Now, I understand how the African tribes and Rastafarians can go on for days in their festivities. They live the music and music to them is an expression of joy and pain in life. Djembe is a very popular instrument in Europe and Orient, especially in China, Korea and Japan. Unfortunately, it does not appeal so much to Filipinos. I do not know why we remain ignorant to this wonderful instrument: Is it because we are more exposed to modern instruments and western type of music or just not familiar with it? During the drum corps competitions and popular festivals such as Sinulog, Dinagyang and Maskara, we can hardly notice djembes among the instruments. Most percussion are drums ‘n’ stick. This is understandable if you have tried djembe; you will know why it is a very difficult instrument to play. A seasoned djembe player once told me that I cannot learn djembe until I have bursting emotion and bursting veins in my fingers. Indeed, I have rushed several times to the fridge to put my finger on ice. One can play other instruments for hours without suffering any pain or injury but not with djembe. That is why it is a very especial instrument because you can only obtain ultimate pleasure in playing it when you are rapt into some kind of extraordinary experience and onto another level of reality or consciousness – a kind of a spiritual experience to last playing for hours even days with not much rest.