Remembering Your Ancestral Fire

By teaching djembe, M. Taylor, a biracial American male, has learned how others learn and understand. He has become a better communicator and more in tune with the fleeting nature of awareness. Whether or not you want to play djembe, this book will teach you the importance of practice-musical, spiritual, or otherwise-how to be in the present, and how to transcend who you are to become who the village needs you to be. Djembe is an incredible teacher. What might it teach you? IT IS OFTEN SAID WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY, THE TEACHER WILL COME. That is how Taylor found answers about who he was, partially not knowing he sought them. The teachers came in the form of the West African djembe, a goblet-shaped drum, it's rich culture, music and dance, and the culture-bearers who bestowed upon Taylor its secrets, tradition, and life's rhythm. In Remembering Your Ancestral Fire, Taylor shares how he first became fascinated by the djembe, his struggles and adventures in learning it, and how it led him to an incredible career as a promoter of West African music that has brought him to six continents and led him to teaching others of all ages and backgrounds. Through this fascinating, personal, musical, and spiritual journey, Taylor shares stories about: Life before the West African djembe entered his life Why djembe entered his life His numerous trips to Africa The role of ancestors (his and others) in his life trajectory His unique perspective from being biracial The stories we tell ourselves that limit our perception