Mamady Keïta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mamady Keïta
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| Born | August 1950 Balandougou, Guinea
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| Nationality | Guinean |
| Occupation | Djembefola |
Mamady Keïta, born in August 1950 in Balandougou, Guinea, is a famous master drummer from West Africa. He is known for playing the djembe, a special hand drum shaped like a goblet. Mamady Keïta also started a drumming school called Tam Tam Mandingue. He belongs to the Manding group and is even related to the ancient king Sundiata Keita, who united the Mali Empire.
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Growing Up with Drums
Mamady Keïta was born in a small village called Balandougou in Guinea, close to the country of Mali. By the age of five, he was already playing the djembe drum in all the village ceremonies and festivals. He learned how to make different sounds like tones, slaps, and bass notes.
His real training began at age seven. He learned from Karinkadjan Kondé, an older master djembefola (djembe player) from Balandugu. Mamady learned the history and music of his Malinke people. When he was twelve, he joined the first regional ballet group in Siguiri.
Becoming a National Star
At that time, Guinea was led by Sékou Touré. He really wanted to show off Guinean culture through music and dance. There were competitions to find the best artists in the country.
In 1964, when Mamady Keïta was fourteen, he was chosen to join Le Ballet National Djoliba. This was a special national ballet group meant to show the world Guinea's amazing culture. Out of fifty drummers, he was one of only five who stayed with the group after nine months of training.
In 1965, he became the main solo drummer for Ballet Djoliba. Later, in 1979, he became its artistic director, guiding the group's performances. He stayed with Ballet Djoliba until 1986.
Sharing Djembe Music with the World
In 1988, Mamady Keïta moved to Belgium. There, he performed and taught others how to play the djembe. In 1991, he opened his first Tam Tam Mandingue drumming school in Brussels.
After that, he opened more schools in Europe, North America, and Asia. Each school is run by a director who Mamady Keïta personally approved for their drumming and teaching skills.
Mamady Keïta has performed with his group Sewa Kan and recorded many music CDs. He also travels the world, teaching workshops in different countries. He even holds an annual drumming camp in Africa. He has created many teaching materials, including books, CDs, and DVDs, to help people learn the djembe.
Today, he lives in Monterrey, Mexico.
Images for kids
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Mamady Keïta, a master of the djembe drum.
