A Djembe (or jembe, jenbe) is a skin-covered drum played with bare hands, and is a classic African instrument. According to the Malian, the name 'djembe' comes from the saying "Anke djé, anke bé" meaning "everyone gather together in peace". It is a percussion instrument with a frame of a wood or fibreglass covered by a membrane made of rawhide or some other skin-like material. They are commonly about 30 cm in diameter and 60 cm high. (They can also be found in many smaller sizes)

Due to its shape and the density of the wood, there are a wide range of tones that can be produced. The primary notes are generally referred to as "bass", "tone", and "slap", though a variety of other tones can also be produced by advanced players using different parts of the hand and different parts of the drum. The slap has a high and sharp sound, the tone is more round and full, and the bass is low and deep.