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More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Setting Up

Junjuns,

Mine,

Boo's,

and Others's.


My Junjun Setup

 

What You See

when I am ready to play.  I came up with this solution several years ago using a sturdy luggage dolly (two-wheel cart) on which to lash three junjuns.  The dundunba travels on the bottom.  The sangba and the kenkeni (kesereni) remain sturdily lashed to the trolley in their traveling positions, but the kenkeni can be rotated in its lashing so that the attached bells nestle between the kenkeni and songba for travel, or they sit on top as shown here for playing. 

The dundunba now hangs under the black hand hold with more bells and frying pans attach above it ready for playing.  All three drums are in easy playing reach in this setup. 

It takes as little as ninety seconds to go from playing to travel or travel to playing positions.
Front or Top
depending on how you look at it.  The junjun family is lashed to a luggage trolley (a light, folding hand cart).
Back or Bottom
I grab the black hand hold and push or pull, as needed.  Wherever I go, there I am.
Ready to Travel
with the shekere in the white bag and sticks, bells, toys, sundries, notions, and comestibles in the gray bag.
What I See
when I am ready to play.  Cow/sheep bells stay fastened to kesereni and dundunba.  Large and small agogos and frying pans come out of the gray bag to mount atop dundunba.
In the Driver's Seat
The little black square with white tab (lower right) is the cockpit console (Casio calc wrist watch).  Everything is in easy reach.  Boo Kunta is researching a mounting method for Sterno, so I can cook even when I am not playing Brazilian friteria.

Boo's Junjun Setup

 
Found Objects
My i'net friend Boo (Lynn Walsh) says, "I have not found the 'perfect transportable stand' as yet--so I put together some found objects I procured while walking our dog at night.

It's a light metal chair with laundry/grocery cart wheels inserted through the back legs!"
Versatility
"I removed the seat and use bungie cord to hold the drums on the chair while in transit. If I wish to break up the set, I just lay the attached nylon straps loosely over the back of the chair (see Found Objects and On the Go close-ups) and pick up whichever one I want to walk around and play with. Also, sangban is fat enough that it can be turned upright and rests on chair's vacant seat, which has some foam padding on the bars. We welded little additional metal 'feet' on front of chair so it's level and ready to play."
Portability
"It's great for walking, attaches to the very back of my bike rack, and if done cleverly, I can also get a djembe mounted upside down on top of the bike rack with more bungies. I also tried it out on the subways and it's not much more trouble then a toting a kid and a large stroller which I had a few years experience with. 

So far, I'm quite happy with it, the drums even live on it while at home."
On the Go
"I hope that you like these pictures. I didn't get the one with the kid on roller blades with the dog in a baby-carrying sack strapped on--and then me with this rig tied to the back of my bike, but, hey . . . .

We now saved enough money from making our own drum trailer, to buy another second-hand bike!" Thanks to the Gods/Goddesses of Found Objects, owners of my favorite store (the garbage) where the  favorite price is FREE, if you bring your imagination coupon."

Other Junjun Setups
One Folding Chair
Most drummers can grasp the obvious: Two junjuns are easily set up on a folding or armless chair with the help of some bungie cords or a light tie line.  Notice the plain block of wood (for playing cascara and bell patterns quietly) on the right side of the sangba. 
Two Folding Chairs
This places the drum higher, but it is more difficult to secure a second drum on the first.
A Folding Stand
Bob Geyer, another Dancing Spirit Drummer designed and built this stand out of 1-1/4 inch square clear pine.  It opens and closes easily, and it is light, but it is one more thing to carry.

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Comments or questions?  Please write me, Chris Johansen, at johansen@main.nc.us (or just click my address).  I created this page 1998 April 20 and last changed it 1998 June 3. There have been several  visits since 1998 April 20.