Keur Djembe (house of drums in Wolof) was created by Ibrahima Diokhane in 1998. However, it was many years in the making before its' creation. As a child, growing up in a poor family in Africa, he used to make drums out of old tin cans and sell them to tourists. His natural talent and skill would prove useful when he immigrated from Senegal, West Africa to New York City in the early 1980s. He had many jobs from taxi driver, baker, printing press operator, to street vendor.
As a street vendor, Ibrahima always had a djembe drum with him. People would always inquire about his drum, whether it was for sale or if he could repair them. Eventually he started to bring djembes back from Senegal whenever he went. Slowly the djembes began to take over his vending table until one day he only sold and repaired djembes. He came to be known as the “drum man” who vended on 7th Avenue in Park Slope outside of the Key Food supermarket. The bathroom in his apartment became his workshop and his apartment was also a showroom. Finally in 1998, Ibrahima was able to open Keur Djembe in a store front below where he lived.
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Keur Djembe (house of drums in Wolof) was created by Ibrahima Diokhane in 1998. However, it was many years in the making before its' creation. As a child, growing up in a poor family in Africa, he used to make drums out of old tin cans and sell them to tourists. His natural talent and skill would prove useful when he immigrated from Senegal, West Africa to New York City in the early 1980s. He had many jobs from taxi driver, baker, printing press operator, to street vendor.
As a street vendor, Ibrahima always had a djembe drum with him. People would always inquire about his drum, whether it was for sale or if he could repair them. Eventually he started to bring djembes back from Senegal whenever he went. Slowly the djembes began to take over his vending table until one day he only sold and repaired djembes. He came to be known as the “drum man” who vended on 7th Avenue in Park Slope outside of the Key Food supermarket. The bathroom in his apartment became his workshop and his apartment was also a showroom. Finally in 1998, Ibrahima was able to open Keur Djembe in a store front below where he lived.
Ibrahima works with professional handicraft artists in Senegal who hand craft his shells to his specifications. With his team Ibrahima is able to make high quality djembes with the best wood, quality nylon cord, solid steel metal rings, and clean thin goat skins. He spends months at a time in Senegal making djembes and getting supplies together which are shipped to his store front and workshop in Brooklyn, NY.
On warm summer days you will find passerbys sitting in front of the store jamming with Ibrahima. You never know what rhythms you will hear. Other times he is making drums in his workshop or teaching. Ibrahima is a licensed vendor with the NYC board of education supplying many of the drums are children are playing at schools. Drums classes are also held on site. Visit our drum class page for more information. Come by and feel the rythym at Keur Djembe.
HOURS: Open Everyday noon-8pm usually.
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