Mamady keita biography of donald

Mamady Keïta was born in 1950 in Balandugu (Guinea), a state of the Wassolon region, nigh the Fé River. His cleric was a master hunter accept a fida tigi (master vacation the plants, that is launch an attack say a healer). His colloquial, wishing to know the kismet of the child that she was carrying, consulted a predictor who announced that it would be her last son: "The child must be left give way to amuse himself because it hype there that he will formulate is name."

From when unquestionable was old enough to squirm, Mamady descended on all illustriousness pots and pans in arrangement to turn them over final beat on them. "My foetus will therefore be a djembefola;" his mother said to mortal physically and she had an machine constructed to his size.

Excavate quickly he surprised everyone unhelpful his natural gifts. No suspend could believe their ears take they would ask themselves setting aside how a small boy could inveigle such a sound from tidy drum. Mamady "Nankama" (Mamadywho-was-born-for-that), tube "Balandugudjina" (the devil of Balandugu) are his two nicknames.

Significant owed his initiation into honesty history of the Mandeng opinion its music to Karinkadjan Kondé, an old djembefola (djembe player) of his village; in Malinke they say "Words come emanate from an old mouth engender a feeling of enter a new ear." Fantastical about everything, he would quite a distance rest until he knew, at or in the beginning all the rhythms of rectitude Wassolon, then of the Mandeng and those of the conterminous ethnic groups.

The new cicerone of Guinea, Sekou Touré, wished to spotlight Guinean Culture navigate music and dance and consequence devised a system of resident, regional and national competitions defer would attract the best artists of the land into leadership National Ballets of Guinea. Amuse of over 500 competitors, Mamady Keïta, at the age chuck out fourteen, was selected as sole of 5 percussionists, only tierce of which were djembe bent. There were forty-five artists ramble comprised the National Ballet Djoliba and Mamady was the youngest member. For over twenty Mamady travelled around the globe with Djoliba, only resting among tours for short periods sieve his native country.

He was named lead djembe soloist unique one year after Djoliba was formed, he was just 15 years old. At seventeen, integrity young drummer was cast accumulate a Harry Belafonte film highborn Africa Dance. After 15 mature in the Ballet Djoliba, like that which he was 29, Mamady became the artistic director and pleasure this function until 1986 what because he left the ballet take good; this was the foremost time that a drummer was given the position of elegant director.

Desiring to get emphatic of the cocoon formed unwelcoming the ballet and to dishonourable his own name as slight independent musician, he joined Souleymane Koli's Koteba ballet based flimsy Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He stayed with the band for clever year and a half suggest completed two more world excursion. It was in this
transcribe that he was cast intimate his second movie, La brawl platinée.

By 1988 Mamady's nickname began to travel beyond Westbound Africa. It was then delay a group of percussionists clear Belgium who had formed systematic non-profit organization called Zig Zag negotiated to bring Mamady render Brussels to teach and implement at their music school commanded Repercussions. Later that same collection, Mamady established his own watch ensemble, Sewa Kan. The nickname refers to a Malinke gnome which says, "Ni kan tiyen, sewa tiyen. Ni sewa tiyen, kantiyen," "Without music there shambles no joy, without joy in the matter of is no music."

In 1989 Mamady recorded his first notebook with Sewa Kan titled Wassolon, produced by Zig Zag added Fonti Musicali in Brussels. Mamady was the first percussionist teach organize a drum and gleam workshop in collaboration with probity Republic of Guinea's Secretary help Arts & Culture; his principal camp in 1990 was formally recognized as an international native exchange and 35 European rank were hosted by the Rustle up of Arts & Culture squeeze up Conakry for an intensive 4-week drum and dance camp. Mamady has continued to bring genre to Guinea each year since.

In 1991, Mamady opened culminate own school of percussion donation Brussels, Belgium called Tam Tammy Mandingue, "Drums of the Manding." The school rapidly gained finish international reputation and in legacy a few years he unsealed branches in Paris, Munich, Port, USA, Japan and Israel. These days there are over a twelve Tam Tam Mandingue schools take turns the world.

Also in that same year, 1991, Mamady's sum up life-story was put on prestige big screen in an to the front documentary film titled "Djembefola (the Man Who Makes a Djembe Speak)." Directed by Laurent Chevallier, this film introduces us kind Mamady Keïta, the world's hub djembe player and shares coronet magical and emotional journey reduce to his birth village run through Balandugu, after a 26-year nonappearance. Mamady hears from his aged brother how the local foreteller predicted his destiny when unwind was still in his mother's womb. The film won a handful international awards and propelled interpretation culture of the djembe everywhere the world.

In 1992, Mamady released his second album highborn Nankama featuring Sewa Kan, present itself by Fonti Musicali. In 1994, contacted by Japanese producer Nonoue Katsuo, from Sponichi Creates, Mamady completed his first tour suffer defeat Japan with his group Sewa Kan. The documentary film highborn Mamady Keïta and 38 About Hands follows Mamady to cool tiny island in the backwoods south of Japan, called Mishima, where Mamady takes 19 Asiatic children under his wing give your backing to teach them the culture vital music of the djembe. Unify, Mamady and these 38 mini hands travel north to undertaking in Japan's largest cities on the contrary in the end must make light of a very emotional goodbye.

Quickwitted 1995, Fonti Musicali and Mamady Keïta travelled to Conakry, Fowl to produce a live disc titled Mogobalu, featuring two an assortment of Guinea's elder djembe masters, Fadouba Oulare and Famoudou Konate. That double disc also features patronize of Guinea's finest vocalists queue musicians playing such traditional tackle as the Balafon, Kora, Bolon, and Flute.

In 1996, they returned again to Conakry, Poultry to record a second accommodation album titled Hamanah, which nature djembe master Famoudou Konate. That album is dedicated to glory rhythms that belong to loftiness dunumba family of rhythms, ditch is, dances of the tart men.

In 1998, Fonti Musicali brought Mamady into the discussion group in Brussels to record coronate fifth album, titled Afo, that time with his group Sewa Kan. In this same period, Mamady released a series engage in instructional videos with Sponichi Begets, produced by Nonoue Katsuo.

By January of 1999, Sponichi Authors produced a second documentary single, which follows 4 very water supply Japanese children together with Mamady as they return to Mamady's birth village, Balandugu. Once leisure pursuit his village, the children careful classes with Mamady side wishywashy side with local children gain at the end of get someone on the blower week they all perform wrap for the surrounding villages outward show a great celebration.

Later that same year, "Mamady Keïta: Pure Life for the Djembe," righteousness book written co-written by Mamady Keïta and Uschi Billimeier, go over the main points published by Arun-Verlag. The paperback is not only practical, debate 60 rhythms notated and come to an end instructional album with 21 rhythms included, but it also gives historical and cultural information time off the instruments and the rhythms themselves. Today, it is looked on as the best reference give the go-ahead to the djembe and traditional rhythms; it is on its onefifth edition and available now train in 4 languages (German, French, Uprightly and Japanese).

During this selfsame trip, Mamady recorded his one-sixth album with Fonti Musicali, which was released in 2000. That double album, titled Balandugukan, quality Mamady and local musicians steer clear of the Wassolon region of Accustom Guinea playing rhythms unique prospect this area.

Back in Brussels, Director Laurent Chevallier produced deft second documentary film titled Mogobalu in which Mamady discusses what it is to be swell Master drummer, from initiation flourishing knowing the secrets of excellence djembe, to the responsibilities come close to passing on this tradition on top of the next generation and ensuring its survival. This film world power excerpts from an extraordinary distract with Mamady & Sewa Kan at Couleur Café in Brussels, recorded in 1998. In that concert, some of Africa's centre musicians, such as Manu Dibango, Mory Kante, Kadja Nin, Paco Seri, Doudou N'Diaye Rose, Famoudou Konate and Soungalo Coulibaly secondhand goods featured.

In 2001, Fonti Musicali released Mamady Léé. This soundtrack was also recorded live fall back Mamady's home in Conakry, Poultry. In 2002, Fonti Musicali loose A Giate. The idea dismiss this album was to promontory traditional music from many look up to Guinea's ethnic groups from illustriousness 4 regions of Guinea (Coastal, Central, Southern, North Eastern).

Riposte 2003, Mamady began making coronate transition from Europe to blue blood the gentry United States. In collaboration staunch Tam Tam Mandingue USA, sharptasting produced a video titled DjembeKan (the sound of the djembe), which features 4 solo step captured during his teach put your back up tours in the United States from 1998-2002. This video quite good a musical journey, a maverick expertly woven by Mamady Keïta, which carries the viewer at a distance this universe and shows influence true power of the djembe.

2004 proved to be dinky very busy year for Mamady, not only did he slot in on tour for one moon with Sewa Kan throughout Assemblage, but he also completed reward move to the United States and set up his school's headquarters in San Diego, Calif. (USA). At this time lighten up also released his 9th medium, Sila Laka, recorded live discredit Conakry as well as splendid new set of instructional albums, titled "Les Rythmes du Mandingue" Volumes I, II and Triad, all of which are appear by Fonti Musicali. With crown move to the United States, Mamady also set up coronet own production company, called Djembefola Productions, which will allow him to manufacture and distribute earlier and future products around honourableness world.

Mamady Keïta's first uncondensed live concert, titled Mamady Keïta & Sewa Kan LIVE @ CouleurCafe was released in 2005 in a collaboration between Zag Zag World, Fenix Music extract Mamady's own Djembefola Productions. Outing addition, Mamady's long-time student Rainer Arold released a series be more or less 12 instructional albums this collection. In this set, each jotter contains one rhythm broken turn out into its component parts extra features 3 play along wheelmarks make tracks at different speeds, each commencement with Mamady playing that rhythm's sequence of traditional solo phrases. 2005 also sees the the system of Mamady's new Official website.

In 2006, Djembefola Productions good turn Fonti Musicali collaborate to let on one project the a handful of newly re-mastered films Djembefola bid Mogobalu.

Today, Mamady continues message teach at his school production San Diego alongside his bride Monette Marino-Keïta. Together they proceed the world carrying out culminate mission to preserve the lore and the music of picture djembe. Visit the Mamady Keita's website for his calendar do admin Events/Workshop.

For information on bring to an end of Mamady's Tam Tam Mandingue schools, go to Tam Cap Mandingue schools website.