The djembe has been an integral part of spiritual and ritualistic life in West Africa for many generations. It was traditionally only played by griots, well respected high-class court musicians, who used it for story-telling: passing on important historical, religious and cultural information to future generations.
The djembe drum is most likely about 400-800 years old. To hear the music of the song, the dance and the drumming along with the villagers clapping and moving in a circle is just amazing. And you may need to make that trek to Africa to experience it in an actual village setting.
Some say the name of the djembe came from the Bamana in Mali, who said "Anke dje, anke be" to call their people together, as the saying translates as "everyone gather together." "Dje" means gather and "be" means everyone, which gave the drum used in these calls to order its name. The Bamanakans' mythology tells of the original djembe, which was made of the hide of a giraffe-zebra hybrid called the giraffe. There are at least a dozen stories of the history of the drum told by many master drummers. 
In today's musical world, the djembe is making its way into the global consciousness. More people than ever listen to world music. Have your own in your house whether for decor or to carry on the age-long tradition of djembe playing.