Alchemical drumming
with the Djembé

More than just drumming

Marijn De Wit was a co-instructor at the Djansa School of African Percussion and Dance, where he taught for ten years and specialised in West African percussion. He studied intensively for seven years with master percussionist Mamady Keita and also learned from Patrick Huyghe. Over the years, he attended numerous workshops and training sessions in Africa and Belgium with renowned musicians, including Madou Fané, Ibrahima Sarr, Zoumana Dembélé, Sidiki Camara, Sega Sidibé, Souleyman Camara, Ibrahima Diabaté and Babara Bangoura. He also assisted Brahima Coulibaly in teaching African dance.

Playing the djembé

Playing percussion is an accessible and enjoyable way to connect with rhythm, yourself and others. Within a short time, a group can begin to create a flowing, vibrant rhythm together.

The djembé invites you to ground yourself, feel the rhythm in your belly and connect with your own strength. As the different rhythmic patterns come together, you learn to listen, respond and find your place within the group. When everyone tunes in to one another, something greater than the individual contributions begins to emerge: a shared rhythm that brings people together and releases energy.

West African percussion is a physical and engaging practice that offers space to move, express yourself and let go of everyday tension. As the tempo builds, so does the intensity, allowing you to become fully immersed in the experience.

Traditional West African rhythms are often polyrhythmic, with different instruments and accompanying patterns interweaving to create a rich, complete rhythm. Through these sessions, Marijn invites you to explore music not only through your hands, but through your whole body, your breath, your voice and your sense of rhythm.

Drumtherapy

These sessions draw on the principles of Alchemical Drumming, an approach that uses rhythm and collective drumming as a way to explore connection, expression and personal transformation.

Drumming offers an opportunity to release tension, step out of your usual patterns and reconnect with your own energy. The emphasis is not on playing perfectly, but on experiencing rhythm, listening to one another and discovering what can unfold when people make music together.

The principles of Alchemical Drumming are woven into our djembé sessions, while dedicated drumtherapy workshops are also offered separately within our programme.

For more information about Alchemical Drumming, click the button below.

Djembe for everyone

Our djembé sessions follow a pyramid-based approach, allowing both complete beginners and experienced players to participate and develop at their own pace. You don't need any previous musical experience, nor do you need to master an instrument to enjoy these sessions.

Some participants come to deepen their musical skills; others are drawn to the physical, playful and energetic experience of making music together. Moving, singing and playing the djembé in a group can bring a great sense of joy, connection and vitality.

Through the djembé, you are invited to explore your own grounding, feel the rhythm in your body and discover the strength that comes from being both rooted in yourself and connected to others.

You don't need to own a djembé, although having one at home can be useful if you wish to practise between sessions.

Practical Information

• Location: Aartselaar

• Djembé session: 7:00–8:30 pm

• Breathing Sounds: 8:30–10:00 pm

• Price: Please consult our price list.

No instrument is needed. We can provide a djembé for you, but please let us know in advance so we can make sure one is available.

Our djembé sessions can be followed by a Breathing Sounds session: a special, immersive breathing experience that invites you to connect more deeply with your body, breath and inner world.

Djembé & Breathing Sounds — A Combined Journey

Many of our sessions can be combined, and djembé followed by Breathing Sounds is a particularly complementary pairing.

The lively, physical rhythm of the djembé brings us into the body and creates a shared sense of grounding and connection. This provides a supportive starting point for the more inward and subtle experience of Breathing Sounds, where the attention shifts towards the breath, bodily sensations and inner experience.

Together, these practices offer an evening that moves between movement and stillness, energy and relaxation, shared joy and personal exploration. The djembé invites you to express yourself, connect with the group and feel your own strength; Breathing Sounds offers space to slow down and listen more closely to what is happening within you.

It is an invitation to explore yourself on different levels — through rhythm, breath, physical engagement and the experience of being connected to your own nature and to others.