Arthur Hull - Author of Drum Circle Spirit":
" Thione Diop is young for an African teaching traditional drumming in America, but because the Diop family has passed ancient wisdom and living history from generation to generation, Thione is a very, very old young man. Thione represents the legacy of the Diop drumming lineage with clarity, deep humility, and reverence.

The Hands in Motion Production staff and Thione Diop has created one of the most approachable DVD presentations for learning traditional hand drumming that I have experienced.

In the "Rhythms of Senegal" drumming lessons, you are immersed into the playing group in such a way that you can have an overview of all the others hands on their instruments while having a clear model of the specific part that you're learning."

Tyler L Richart
"This DVD is awesome! Thione is one of the best djembe players in the world, and we are fortunate to have such a well thought out product to teach us some of his traditional music.

The dvd has much to offer different styles of learners. It is easy to navigate the menu options, to learn individual parts, and to see how all of the parts connect and interact. The sound quality is good, and I really like the players eye view. The karaoke style notation is very helpful. It is an easy way to not get lost in the rhythm. It's also nice that the rhythms play in a loop, making it easy to practice the parts together with a master. The solos that Thione plays are amazing!!!

This is a great product for any serious student of the djembe and dununs. The rhythms are easy to learn in this format, and all of the rhythms are funky and danceable. These rhythms are definitely ones that you would want to play at parties, performances, and festivals. I highly recommend this product, and it is at a great price. Imagine the cost of paying a master drummer to come into your house for hours and hours of private lessons! "

"I received the Thione Diop DVD and after looking quickly through all the tracks I settled down to working through the first rhythm. It really is excellent and this is definitely a very effective learning tool."

"I did watch the DVD. It's fabulous. I could sit and watch the drumming
segments all day. (Simba heard the drumming and came down to watch. He sat
through the whole thing. Must have to do with his African name or
something.)"

Here are the features that you get on the DVD:

• Watch and learn as Thione plays the rhythms Aconcon, Diba, Djan, Kotoba, and Wango. All djembes and dununs were provided by Drumskull Drums and they look and sound awesome! Recording was done in a professional studio.
  
• This is the first DVD of it's kind to have a karaoke style notation. Follow the notes as they are played. Pick up wherever the rhythm is and never be lost again.
  
• Easy menu navigation using your remote. Each rhythm has an intuitive menu to get to the part you want to learn. Over 70 different videos and over 240 audio tracks to choose from. Each part plays in a loop so you can keep practicing the same part without touching the remote.
  
• Two djembe accompaniments per rhythm. Dunun rhythms have separate parts for the dununba, sangban, and kenkeni. Each part has SLOW and FAST versions.
  
• Ensemble videos include all djembe and dunun parts playing the rhythm. Thione solos to some of the fast rhythms.
  
• The "Rhythm Info" section is of Thione talking about the rhythm's origin and when it is played. Information of when to play the part in relation to the break is also included. All parts have player's view and front view. This is an excellent way to learn technique.
  
• Four audio tracks per part. Play the part alone, or with the other instruments. Each instrument is mixed for separation so you can hear the relationships. Sounds great with headphones and stereo TV sets.
  
• With this DVD you can instantly access ANY of the parts. Searching the VHS tape is eliminated and is a thing of the past! DVD is superior to VHS in terms of resolution and durability. DVD can be played back thousands of times without degradation.