Percussions.org

[Jim Banks]

Famoudou Konaté is one of only a handful of Initiated Masters of the Malinke Djembe Tradition. In 40 years of tours and performances as Guinea's leading djembefola, he has elevated the djembe orchestra from its traditional roots to worldwide popularity. Among Guinean drummers, he is universally recognized for his unsurpassed knowledge of the repertoire of the Malinke people, the creators of the djembe and its core tradition.

Famoudou was born in 1940 in Sangbarala, a village in the Hamana region. Hamana is the Malinke heartland in Guinea, and is also the birthplace of the Dundunba family of rhythms which are Famoudou's specialty. A percussive prodigy, he was drumming in community festivals and ceremonies by age eight, and was in demand throughout the region as a djembefola by the age of fourteen.

Recruited into Guinea's Les Ballets Africains in 1959, he was Lead Djembe Drummer for Les Ballets until 1985, performing with astounding virtuosity and creating many of the musical arrangements now common in ballets and performance groups world-wide. Famoudou toured the world performing to acclaim for 26 years, establishing Les Ballets as West Africa's foremost performing company.

Since 1986, he has taught and performed annually in Europe, instilling a generation of European djembe drummers with an extraordinary level of training, while teaching with thoroughness, patience and humor. His pioneering contributions were recognized in 1996 with an Honorary Professorship in African Musical Education and Practice from the Academy of Arts in Berlin.

Famoudou has recorded 3 classic djembe CDs; has co-authored a book on the drum music of the Malinke people; and has been guest soloist on 2 CDs with Mamady Keita. Since leaving Les Ballets, he has directed The Famoudou Konate Ensemble and the groups Hamana Diara and Hamana Dan Ba. He is also a key member of the group Mogobalu (the Masters), alongside dundunfola Daouda Kourouma and djembefola Mamady Keita.

Jim Banks