A musical instrument travels around the world: Jenbe playing in Bamako, West Africa, and beyond

Jenbe drum ensemble music has appeared in a variety of contexts, namely in local family and communal celebrations, at state-organized folklore ensembl es in West Africa, and as West African percussion music in the industrializ ed countries. These contexts of jenbe playing emerged one after the other, partly developing out of one another. However, they did not supersede each other nor leave the other contexts unaffected. This article studies the rec iprocal effects of local, national, and international utilization of the je nbe, illustrated by changes in instrument-making in Bamako, the capital of the Republic of Mali. It argues that only the feedback of local, national, and international jenbe playing has allowed its artistic and professional v itality in urban West Africa to grow.