DJEMBE TUNING

A novice takes on an artisanal trade

An episode from the series ARTISANS REBOOT

Synopsis

Singapore’s traditional artisans have all but vanished.

Yet, the city has seen other non-traditional craftsmen coming into the scene like the ones doing djembe tuning. The djembe is an African drum carved out of a single block of wood. It came to Singapore when the country was experimenting with world music.

Djembe tuning has become Sonny Wee’s trade. He does it by hand and it’s a painful job. Sonny is the only one of his kind. Without fresh blood, the ancient skill may vanish. This is when a sales engineer, Muhammad Hafez, tries to make a difference.