: : Great drummers

Keita Mamady

Musicians or bands:

solo, Sewa Kan, ballet national de Guinée "Djoliba", Koteba, Souleman Koly

Biography and commentary:

Born in Guinea in 1951, Mamady Keita is one of the first virtuosos of the djembe to promote his instrument in Europe and recording discs (he now lives in Brussel and makes international tours for a long time). He is also one of the best player of his instrument (he was awarded in 1969, at just 19 years old, as the "best percussionist of Africa" at the Pan African Festival of Algiers). He did a very comprehensive book on Mandingo polyrhythms and their historical and social context in collaboration with a German teacher, Ushi Billmeier ("A Life for the Djembe", Arun, 1999), where he describes sixty traditional Mandingo polyrhythms and plays improvised demonstrations on the enclosed CD. See also his recent educational DVD.

Marc De Douvan, publication in French: January 3, 2006 (for the translation in English: July 12, 2015)

Official website