The Malinke Djembe Drumming Tradition
from Hamana returns to Chicago!

Nansedy Keita and Sayon Camara performing at a post-Karim festival
in Sangbarala, a village in the Hamana region of Guinea. (Winter 2000-1)

Introducing NANSEDY KEITA
Second Soloist in the Famoudou Konate Ensemble
Famoudou Konate's Nephew
with SAYON CAMARA
Djembe Soloist and Famoudou Konate Apprentice

AFRICAN DRUMMING WORKSHOPS
Friday-Sunday, November 29, 30, December 1, 2002

PREVIEW PERFORMANCES
Wednesday & Thursday night, December 4 & 5, 2002

FULL-LENGTH CONCERT
Saturday night, December 7, 2002

Master Drummer Famoudou Konate will return to the U.S. in 2003, but for 2002, we've got the next best thing: Famoudou's nephew and the Second Soloist in his ensemble, Nansedy Keita--accompanied by his friend and fellow Konate apprentice, Sayon Camara.

If you own Famoudou's Buda CDs, you've heard Nansedy's blazing solos and Sayon's rock-solid accompaniment. If you've been to Famoudou's camp in Guinea, you've experienced Nansedy and Sayon's incredible talents up close. And if you've been to Mamady Keita's or Ibro Konate's camps, you may have seen them in performance with Mamady and Famoudou, or with other groups. They represent the best of Malinke tradition, while holding their own with the best of the city-born and ballet-trained drummers in Conakry.

Both Nansedy and Sayon are firmly rooted in the Malinke djembe tradition from Guinea's Hamana region, the heartland of Malinke culture and home of the Dundunba family of rhythms. Nansedy was born, raised, and learned the djembe tradition in Famoudou's native village, Sangbarala. Sayon is from Kouroussa, the largest town in the region.

They're fantastic drummers and great people. Please give them a warm Chicago welcome (this will be their first experience of winter) by coming to their workshops and performances!

NANSEDY KEITA BIOGRAPHY

Nansedy Keita is an outstanding professional performer on the djembe, dunduns (bass drums) and other traditional percussion instruments of the Malinke people of Guinea, West Africa. As a djembe soloist, he is remarkable for his speed, technique, creativity and confident stage presence--as well as his dedication to the traditional Malinke instrumentation and repertoire.

He is the nephew of the great Malinke Master Drummer Famoudou Konate, and was born and raised in Famoudou's native village, Sangbarala, in the Hamana region of Guinea. Hamana is the birthplace of the djembe cultural tradition which is now studied and performed all over the world.

For the last 5 years, he has lived and worked in Conakry, Guinea as an apprentice to Famoudou. He is the Second Soloist in Famoudou's performing ensemble Hamana Foli Kan, and received his first international exposure in summer of 2002 on Famoudou's European concert tour. He has performed on two of Famoudou's CDs as Second Soloist and accompanist ("Guinee: Percussions et Chants Malinke", 1998 and "Hamana Foli Kan", 2001).

In Conakry, Guinea, Nansedy leads his own traditional, professional percussion ensemble (including Sayon Camara as Second Soloist and accompanist) which performs at events throughout the city. He has also been teaching Malinke percussion, with the assistance of Sayon, to drumming students from Europe and the U.S. who travel to Guinea during the winter months to learn traditional African music.

SAYON CAMARA BIOGRAPHY

Sayon Camara is a professional djembe drummer and instructor who is skilled in the percussive tradition of the Malinke people of Guinea, West Africa. He was born in Kouroussa, a city in the Hamana region of Guinea, and thus shares Nansedy Keita's grounding in the Malinke musical tradition. He is a talented djembe soloist, and is known for the joyous, positive energy he projects while performing.

For the past 3 years, he has been an apprentice to Master Drummer Famoudou Konate in Conakry, Guinea, along with Nansedy. Sayon performed on Famoudou's CDs "Guinee: Percussions et Chants Malinke" (1998) and "Hamana Foli Kan" (2001) as an accompanist.

Sayon is a member of the traditional ensemble led by Nansedy Keita in Conakry, performing as Second Soloist and accompanist at festivals and concerts. He also assists Nansedy in teaching workshops in Africa for European and American percussion students. His trip to the U.S. in 2002 is his first travel experience outside of Guinea.