Transformation of Hands Percussion Practice in Contemporary Global Music: Djembe and Conga in the Context of Modern Performance

Abstract

In recent decades, hand percussion instruments such as the djembe and conga have undergone significant transformations within the context of global musical practice. Instruments that were originally deeply rooted in the musical traditions of West Africa and the Caribbean are now increasingly present in various forms of contemporary music, including popular music, jazz, world music, and diverse cross-cultural musical practices. This phenomenon occurs as a result of cultural exchange processes driven by globalization and the expansion of the global music industry. This article aims to examine how hands percussion practices change in function and meaning when they move from their original cultural contexts into modern global musical systems. Using an ethnomusicological approach, this study combines literature analysis, observation of performance practices, and reflection on the author’s musical experience as a percussion practitioner. The results show that djembe and conga not only undergo technical adaptations within modern musical structures, but also experience transformations in social function, sound aesthetics, and the ways musicians interpret rhythmic practice in performance. By referring to the concepts of soundscape (Feld), bi-musicality (Hood), and the perspective of music as a cultural practice (Nettl), this article argues that the transformation of hands percussion in contemporary music is part of an ongoing process of cultural negotiation within the global music system.