What Djembe Drums & Skins does

Djembe Drums & Skins (DD&S) is a small, privately held specialty retailer and importer of West African rope-tuned drums, headquartered at 411 Ownby Dr in Sevierville, Tennessee. The company sells complete drums (djembes, dununs, bougarabous, ashikos, krins/log drums, and small percussion), drum skins and hides (African goatskins, cowhides, horsehide rounds), and drum-building supplies — most notably a proprietary drum rope manufactured in the USA to DDS specifications (16-carrier polyester jacket with solid polyester core, 3/16" / 4mm / 5mm sizes, 20+ colors, ~1100 ft/lbs break point), custom cold-rolled steel drum rings, and rope-pulling tools and tables. Shells are sourced from carvers in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, and Guinea and finished in the Tennessee shop, where a small team (DeerHawke Baker, Chris "Foxfire" Bush, Blake Wilson, plus supporting staff) builds custom Stage Performance Series drums and rope-tunes shells to customer specifications.

The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer model anchored by the e-commerce site goatskins.com (with a new djembedrumsandskins.com storefront launched in November 2024), an appointment-only showroom stocked with "hundreds of drums," phone-order wholesale lines, and structured wholesale accounts for verified brick-and-mortar retailers (4-drum minimum), schools, non-profits (501c documentation required), drum teachers, and drum circle facilitators. Pricing is uniformly transactional and unit-based, with custom Ivory Coast builds priced $475–$850 and a Stage Performance Series up to $850. Complementary services include drum repair, drum circle facilitation in Sevier and Knox counties, instructional DVDs and YouTube content, and a free Android Djembe Rope Calculator app.

Ownership transitioned on January 1, 2021 from founders Shorty and Sandy Palmer to three long-time employees with silent partner/investor Timothy Sabin; the company has no institutional venture backing, no disclosed funding rounds, and operates with 1–10 employees. Customer reach is primarily U.S.-based with documented shipments to Canada and the United Kingdom via USPS. The brand has operated continuously since 1996, holds 4.4–4.7/5 product ratings across its catalog, and is embedded in the U.S. drum circle community through Drum Circle Facilitator's Guild participation, Village Music Circles training, and recurring event presence (DCFG Conference, Paralounge, DrumStrong, Dollywood Festival of Nations).

Name

Djembe Drums & Skins

Legal name

Djembe Drums & Skins

Website

https://goatskins.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Djembe Drums & Skins is a Tennessee-based specialty retailer and importer of West African rope-tuned drums, drum skins, and proprietary drum-building supplies, selling direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and through an appointment showroom to individual drummers, schools, drum circle facilitators, non-profits, and retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sevierville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Complete Drums: Sale of fully assembled rope-tuned drums including djembes, dununs, bougarabous, batasan, and congas. Products sourced from West African artisans (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Guinea) and custom built in their shop.
2. Drum Shells and Kits: Sale of unassembled drum shells and kit packages for DIY drum builders. Shells from various West African countries including Guinea, Ghana, Ivory Coast.
3. Custom Drum Building Services: Custom built drums using shells from Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Mali with rope, rings, and accessories selected by customer. Options include double/triple hitches, rubber bottoms, ring wraps, tack work, skin selection, wood variations.
4. Drum Skins and Hides: Sale of goatskins (Ivory Coast, Mali, Pakistan), cowhides (Ivory Coast, South America), and horse hide rounds. Various thicknesses and preparations (haired and hairless).
5. Drum Building Supplies: Professional drum rope (20+ colors, 3 sizes), drum rings (cold rolled steel, custom sizes), rope pulling tools, and accessories.
6. Wholesale/Bulk Sales: Wholesale pricing for verified retail vendors, schools, non-profits, and quantity discounts on drums, skins, and rope for bulk orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Djembe Drums & Skins imports handcrafted rope-tuned African drums (djembes, dununs, bougarabous, ashikos, krins) from artisans in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, and Guinea, and sells them alongside drum skins/hides, proprietary USA-made drum rope, drum rings, rope-pulling tools, djembe cases, and accessories. The company also offers custom shop-built drums, drum repair services, and local drum circle facilitation, with both direct-to-consumer and wholesale sales channels.

Product overview

Djembe Drums & Skins is a physical goods retailer and importer specializing in African rope-tuned drums and drum-building supplies. Their product portfolio is organized around three pillars: (1) complete drums — including Ivory Coast and Ghana djembes, custom shop-built drums, Bougarabous, Dunun/Djun Djun sets, Ashiko drums, and Krins (log drums) — sourced from Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Guinea, and Pakistan; (2) drum-building supplies — premium drum rope (3/16", 4mm, 5mm) made to their specs in the USA, cold-rolled steel drum rings, rope pullers/cleats, pulling tables, and drum shells; and (3) drum skins/hides — African goatskins (Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea, Pakistan), cow hides and rounds (Ivory Coast, South America), and horse hide rounds (South America). The company also offers drum circle facilitation services, drum repairs (in-house and referral network), instructional DVDs/videos, an Android rope-calculator app, and wholesale pricing for schools, nonprofits, and retailers. The majority of business is conducted online and by phone, with a showroom by appointment in Sevierville, TN.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ivory Coast Djembes Fully assembled rope-tuned djembes carved from single log of Iroko wood with goatskin heads. Standard sizes 12.5\"-14\" x 23\"-25\" weigh 15-25 lbs. Sized for American drum circles and performances. Sold to individual drummers, schools, and wholesale retailers.
• Ghana Tweneboa Djembes Rope-tuned djembes made from Tweneboa wood (Cordia platythyrsa), a soft sustainable cedar-type wood. Lightweight and easy to transport, popular as 'fleet' drums for traveling facilitators. Available with black or red rope.
• Custom Built Drums (DD&S Shop Built) Custom-designed drums built to order by the DD&S shop using shells from Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Mali with customer-specified rope colors, skin types, ring wraps, and decorative options. Prices range from $475 (Ivory Coast/Iroko) to $850 (Stage Performance Series).
• Bougarabous Rope-tuned drums from Ivory Coast (Iroko wood, cowhide head, ~$450) and Ghana (Tweneboa wood, $265-$295). Used as bass drums in West African drumming ensembles.
• Dunun / Djun Djun Sets Dunun (also called Djun Djun, Doun Doun) rope-tuned drums from West Africa. Typically sold as a set including kenkeni (smallest), sangban (middle), and dundunba (largest, ~16\" x 24\"). Often include bells (gonkoqui). Available as complete drums or shells.
• Ashiko Drums Ghana-carved ashiko drums made of Tweneboa wood with goatskin head. Example: 12\" x 25\" with navy rope verticals and burgundy rope verticals, priced at $250.
• Krins (Log Drums) Traditional log drums (krins) from Guinea, carved from various West African hardwoods.
• Goatskins and Hides (African) African goatskins sourced from Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea, and Pakistan. Available with hair or hairless, in various thicknesses (thick, medium, medium thin, thinner). Guaranteed at least 22\" round. Also available in 10-packs.
• Cow Hides and Rounds Cowhide rounds sourced from Ivory Coast and South America. Includes South American Kip (yearling calf skins) for conga and djembe heads, cow bellies, and hair-on cow rounds for dunun, Bougarabou, and conga. Processed with black salt (no dehydrated lime).
• Horse Hide Rounds Horse hide rounds sourced from South America, excellent for djembes. Very resilient, produces good high slaps and a good base.
• Premium Drum Rope Professional drum rope made in the USA to DDS specifications; 16-carrier polyester jacket with solid polyester core (no braids) for true static line. Available in 3/16\" (4.7mm), 4mm, and 5mm sizes. Approximately 1100ft/lbs break point. Available in 20+ solid and patterned colors. Order by specific length, 100' hank, 500' spool, or 1000' spool.
• Drum Rings Cold rolled steel drum rings, custom made to size. 1/4\" Cold Rolled Steel rings available welded up to 15\" diameter ($7) or unwelded ($5). Available in 5/16\" and 3/16\" sizes. Custom larger rings available by phone order.
• Rope Pulling Tools and Pulling Tables Hand tools for rope-tuned drum building and maintenance. Includes Single Handed Rope Puller ($20), Two Handed Rope Puller ($30), CL258/CL259 Cleats ($15), Little Dragon Holding Cleat ($25), Seahorse Cleat ($15), Diamond/Vertical Puller ($92, built to order), and Drum Pulling Table ($300, assembly required).
• Djembe Cases and Bags Nylon djembe bags made to Shorty's specs with adjustable backpack-style construction and pocket. Kente patterned cloth djembe bags from Pakistan in 3 sizes, plus ENO Tempo Djembe Cases ($189.99, padded backpack style with harness strap). Also available in red, green, and black nylon.
• Small Percussion and Bells Hand percussion instruments including Gonkoqui bells from Ghana and Guinea, djembe bells, and drum sticks. Includes Djun sticks and bells imported from Ghana and Guinea.
• Conga Heads South American cowhide conga heads cut to customer specs or available as pre-cut rounds. Approximately 1.5mm-2mm thickness with some thicker options available.
• Drum Repairs Drum repair services and referrals to local repair shops across the US and Canada. DD&S repairs djembes and other drums, and maintains a vetted list of independent drum repair professionals by state/country.
• Drum Circle Facilitation Community drum circle facilitation services in Sevier, Knox, and surrounding counties, TN. Led by Sandy Palmer and Margie Sorge, both trained at Arthur Hull's Village Music Circles. Services offered at senior centers, recovery programs, schools, retreats, and community events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rated 4.6/5 based on 87 customer reviews
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tuatha DeaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Celtic/Rock band that has gone international. Djembe Drums & Skins has sponsored Tuatha Dea for years. Band includes their employee Chris 'Foxfire' Bush. Company describes them as 'Pure Appalachian Rock, Celtic Rock and Americana.' Sponsorship includes promotional support and visibility at their performances.
• Drum Circle Facilitator's Guild (DCFG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry organization for drum circle facilitators. Sandy Palmer was on the board of DCFG. DD&S offers DCFG member discounts. Annual conferences provide networking, workshops, and vendor opportunities. Company actively participates in DCFG conferences and events.
• ParaloungeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFamily-friendly music retreat in Central Florida featuring drum workshops, performances, vendors, and drum circles. DD&S has participated for years with booth presence and drum building demonstrations. Event held annually at Camp Kiwanis in Silver Springs, FL.
• DrumStrongminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual drum circle event that raises funds for cancer research. DD&S participates with booth presence, drum building demonstrations, and facilitation support. Sandy Palmer attends annually with drums and equipment.
• DollywoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPigeon Forge, Tennessee theme park. DD&S participated in Festival of Nations event with booth displaying and selling drums and percussion instruments. Shorty demonstrated drum building at booth on weekends.
• Village Music CirclesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrum circle facilitation training organization founded by Arthur Hull. Sandy Palmer and Margie Sorge attended Village Music Circles Training to become certified facilitators. Connection to professional facilitation standards and community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Meinl Percussion: Global percussion brand with a dedicated world-percussion/djembe lineup sold through music retail. Overlaps with DD&S on djembes and hand percussion but at significantly larger scale and broader catalog.
• Remo: Largest US percussion instrument manufacturer offering Bossa Nova, djembes, and world percussion lines alongside drumheads and synthetic drums. Competes in the same hand-drum category but as part of a much broader portfolio with mass-market distribution.
• Latin Percussion (LP): Established percussion brand owned by Roland with congas, bongos, djembes, and a wide range of hand percussion. Competes in the djembe/hand-drum category but is a broad incumbent serving mainstream percussion buyers.
• Tycoon Percussion: Percussion instrument manufacturer offering congas, djembes, and hand percussion worldwide. Comparable in product overlap but at larger manufacturing scale and broader distribution.
• Gon Bops: Latin and world percussion brand offering congas, bongos, and djembes. Overlaps with DD&S in hand-drumming category as a broader percussion incumbent.
• Toca Percussion: Percussion brand offering hand drums, djembes, and world percussion. Comparable in the djembe category as a broader incumbent with mainstream retail distribution.

Others

• Village Music Circles: Drum circle facilitator training organization founded by Arthur Hull, referenced in DD&S's history (Sandy Palmer and Margie Sorge trained here). Operates in the same drum circle ecosystem and shares the same end-user community.
• Strapworks: Custom rope, webbing, and strap manufacturer in Oregon offering made-to-spec cordage products including polyester rope. Comparable as a US-based custom rope manufacturer with similar product-line capabilities to DD&S's proprietary drum rope.

Direct peers

• Africa Heartwood Project: Non-profit social enterprise that imports hand-carved djembes and other African instruments directly from artisans in West Africa for sale to US consumers. Closest comparable to Djembe Drums & Skins in product mix, sourcing model, and customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Djembe-Drums-Skins-58607191678
• Xtwitter.com/DjembeDrumsSkin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Djembe Drums & Skins