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Bamako, MALI |
Djembe Hotel in Mali
Testimonials from previous guests:
"A hospitable and homely place to stay!"
"I stayed at the Djembe Hotel in January 2008 and had a phenomenally good time.
"I was a guest at the Djembe Hotel in Jan/Feb 2009.
"My stay at the Djembe Hotel was good. I felt safe, the location was convenient
to banks and stores, and the food was GOOD!
"Djembe hotel is a place with kind people and good food. Sega Cisse is a true
master with heart. For an older djembe player like myself, integrity is the
truest quality in a master teacher."
"My experience at the Djembe Hotel was exactly what I was hoping for!
"I lived in Mali for three years and a good part of this time was spent at
Jeremy’s house in Bamako. I cannot emphasize enough how good Jeremy is at
understanding and communicating the subtleties of Malian culture. As I saw in
countless occasions with many other visitors, he is an extremely kind and caring
person who will bend over backward to make your trip to Mali enjoyable. In
addition, staying with Jeremy conveniently locates you in the house of one of
the best cooks in the entire city of Bamako – his wife, Teywa. Her food is
legendary; simply ask anyone who has stayed with them before.
"Staying at the Djembe Hotel with Jeremy and Tewa and their
family was the perfect place to study deeply the art of African drumming and
feel at home and comfortable in the wildness of Mali. The Djembe Hotel provides
excellent food, knowledge, friendship and the best djembe and dunun players in
Bamako. It was a wonderful introduction to the culture for me. I highly
recommend the Djembe Hotel for travelers of all kinds and musicians looking for
amazing roots to West African traditional music."
"Staying at the Djembe hotel was the best experience I've ever had. Dancing and
drumming all day with GREAT master teachers and two child prodigy drummers,
delicious authentic meals by Tewa, chatting till late night with friendly
open-minded Djembe hotel owner, Jeremy, exploring ceremonies in the village and
the Malian clubs. I feel Djembe hotel is my other home and would like to go back
there now, at any minute! Miss you all!"
"Djembe Hotel, the place to be. Great atmosphere, good food and very nice
people. Your stay will always be too short. Jeremy and family, thanks to you all
for the great experience."
"A glorious place for musicans and adventurous minds alike, the
Djembe Hotel offers more experience and reliability than any tour group or major
hotel in the world. I seriously believe that Jeremy, his family, and friends are
the key to introducing Bamako to the world as a global city for great music and
culture. They have built a great haven for strong bonds and long lasting
friendships. I do plan on returning many times over again."
"The name the djembe hotel is misleading in the best possible way. The djembe
family would be more accurate. as soon as you arrive the kids scramble over and
show you all there best yoga moves and teach all their favourite games which
will ensure you dehydration and complete heat exhaustion within minutes of
arriving, then without hesitation they grab up there drums and play you into
your Bamako experience.
"The Djembe Hotel in Bamako, Mali is a super place to stay. I was there for 3
weeks in Nov./Dec 2009. This is a great alternative to staying in a "real" hotel
as you are staying in rooms that are in the courtyard in Jeremy and Tewah's
home. They make you feel like a part of the family. You have complete freedom to
walk around the neighborhood, take short trips to downtown markets, museums,
etc., take day trips or longer if you wish. Jeremy arranged for us to go to
various ceremonies with drumming and dancing throughout the city. The
hospitality, food and drum lessons are all super! It was a great experience and
a fun time! Africa is an amazing place to visit. I will return!"
"Jeremys place is very much to recommend, if you want to spend some wonderful
weeks in Bamako. It's a safe place, where you can feel at home and if you want
to study, it is offering very good conditions!! Internet, practice-room, various
teachers ... it's a big informationpool and just a lovely place because of
Jeremy's family!!
"Arriving in Mali in August 08, I was planning to only spend a few days in
Bamako to go further North to discover the malian culture. Instead of this, I
spent half of my stay in Bamako at the Hotel Djembe! Why? You will meet there
great and open minded people such as Jeremy and its family, its friends such as
Matche or Banu.... All of them are willing to share with you their passion for
Malian music, danse, people, history, traditions... Tewah is preparing great
cooking from Sierra Leone, Matche and other great teachers will try to teach you
Djembe, you will discover Malian traditions & stories with Banu, while Jeremy
will introduce you to Malian people organizing traditional ceremonies... It is
for me an unforgettable stay.
"The Djembe Hotel is more than simply a place to stay while learning the
intricacies and nuances of drumming. Jeremy Chevrier has created an extension of
himself by infusing The Hotel’s surroundings with a celebratory passion for
culture, music, people, food, family and good old-fashioned conversation. On my
visit to The Djembe hotel, I shared a meal with visitors from 4 different
continents and we all departed one another feeling as though we had experienced
a once-in-a-lifetime event. You will not only learn while at the Djembe Hotel,
you will 'experience' and grow in ways unimaginable if you were to stay anywhere
else."
"I travelled to Mali last Christmas on my own and I was a bit apprehensive about
the whole thing. However Jeremy and his family made me feel very comfortable and
welcome. The house is alive with music, talent and friendship. I loved learning
drums and dancing in this environment, with people who knew, understood and
really respected African rhythms. I had a great time there. I don´t think it was
my last trip to Mali nor was it my last visit to the Djembe hotel."
“As a professional drummer I had a great interest in travelling to West Africa.
Mali and the ‘Djembe Hotel’ had been highly recommended to me whilst in
Australia. I was extremely happy with my time spent at the Djembe hotel and
Jeremy, Tewa, Isaiah and Abdoulay were great hosts. Jeremy was very helpful with
all sorts of practical information and organising the lessons, Tewa was very
friendly and kind and a great cook, and the boys were great fun to play with and
awesome and inspiring little drummers too. We really enjoyed going to see the
traditional ceremonies, Bamako’s great music scene and all hanging out together.
The Malian drum, dance and singing teachers that are available were really great
and the lessons were of a high standard. My girlfriend and I were there together
for some weeks and would thoroughly recommend staying at the ‘Djembe Hotel’ for
anyone really interested in learning about Malian culture and West African drum,
dance and music.”
"I stayed at the Djembe Hotel for many weeks the last time
I was in Mali (2008-2009). I had a great time, met some fabulous people and
loved the food that Tewah cooked up. Jeremy organises some very talented
teachers, giving you the option to make your own choices regarding teachers' and
times. You pay the teachers' themselves, thereby avoiding any hassles that can
occur when studying in Africa. There are always weddings and ceremonies you can
attend, depending on your energy and interest level at the time. The Djembe
Hotel is not far from the town centre and very close to some fabulous night
spots where you can listen and dance to some of Mali's most talented musicians
and believe me, they are special!! Enjoy your time in Mali!"
"If you are looking for an opportunity to study African music without having to
use a lot of time searching for a qualified teacher and people you can trust and
communicate with easily without French skills, look no further. Jeremy has it
all. A warmhearted family to stay with, interesting guests from all over the
world, great food, and connections to all the teachers and events you need in
Bamako. You can just forget all the arrangements and concentrate on exploring
the African culture and having a nice time with the lovely people." My name is Jeremy Chevrier. I founded RootsyRecords.com, and currently live in Bamako, Mali. We are not a "hotel" in the standard sense of the word. We are a mixed African and American family who live in Bamako for the love of Malian culture and life. We speak a mix of languages in our home - mostly we speak English, Bamana, French and Krio. You will be staying in our home with our family. My wife Tewah is an excellent cook (ask anyone who knows her). If you stay with us, we provide delicious traditional African meals daily (with an occasional meal with a western influence). We have wifi internet access throughout our home so please feel free to bring your laptop with wireless card. You can also use our house laptop to access the net. We have showers, sink and a modern WC. We are a friendly and down to earth family. You can feel comfortable in our home and experience what it is like living with an African family in Bamako, Mali. I also know many artists in Bamako and can provide dance classes, drum classes, English speaking guides, local business people, and many other things here in Mali. I have been studying traditional djembe drumming for the past 15 years and can facilitate your cultural experience here in many ways. I am personally available for review of drum class material and jam sessions. Our home is geared towards the more independent traveler. The Djembe Hotel is also geared towards djembe players who really want to dive deeply into their studies on a serious level. It doesn't matter whether you are a beginner or advanced - you will learn alot here. The Djembe Hotel is a life changing experience for many who come. We can also arrange village side trips upon request. We try and give you freedom to arrange and customize your trip the way you like. We are not like the standard package tour/ tourist style group trip. You pay food/lodging etc. separate from your classes. You pay your teacher directly for each class you take. Our pricing is very straightforward and fair: 15.000 CFA Daily (about $30 US depending on exchange) - Includes:
5.000 CFA per person is the usual price for an hour and half class of any kind.
*** ALL PAYMENTS FOR LODGING IN THE DJEMBE HOTEL MUST BE MADE IN FCFA (NOT DOLLARS OR EUROS) WEEKLY EVERY FRIDAY. *** ALL TAXI/TRANSPORT FEES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN PRICING. IF WE NEED TO TAKE A TAXI TO A CEREMONY FOR EXAMPLE THE FARE WILL BE COVERED BY YOU. ALSO IF YOU WANT TO GO OUT IN EVENINGS TO CLUB/BAR ETC TO SEE LIVE MUSIC YOU WILL HAVE TO COVER COST OF TAXI. *** ALL SIDE TRIPS TO VILLAGES ETC. ARE EXTRA COST. If you are interested please email me at rootsyrecords@yahoo.com to make reservations. In addition, please let me know as far in advance as possible when you might be coming for planning purposes. During months of December and January it can get quite busy here. We look forward to seeing you! Thanks and best wishes, Jeremy Chevrier
Click Here for Djembe Hotel Slide Show Video
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