Mamady Keita

Mamady continues to teach at his school in San Diego alongside his wife Monette Marino-Keïta. Together they travel the world carrying out his mission to preserve the tradition and the music of the djembe. Visit www.mamadykeita.com for his calendar of Events/Workshops. Visit www.ttmusa.org for information on all of Mamady’s Tam Tam Mandingue schools or to purchase products by Mamady Keïta.

DJELI MOUSSA DIABATE
Djeli Moussa Dioubate was one of the finest dancers with the National Ballets of Guinea (Africa) and was artistic director for National Ballet Silimbo of Senegal for many years. He is a master dancer, drummer and musician and has toured Africa, Europe, Asia and the U.S.A. He also performed on Broadway (New York City), at Yale Repertory Theater and at Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Moussa is the son of the Chief of the Djelis, El Hadj Komba Ansou Diabate of Conakry, Guinea in West Africa. El Hadj Komba Ansou Diabate for more than 35 years was a founding member of the National Instrumental Ensemble and composer of the Guinea National Anthem.

Moussa has trained and toured with the National Ballet Djoliba and the National Theatre of Dakar’s Ballet Silimbo. A former lead dancer for the Troupe Federale de Conakry III National Ballet of Guinea, Moussa has been a dancer all his life.

Moussa came to the United States teaching traditional performing arts and worked on Broadway in George C. Wolfe’s production of The Tempest and worked as assistant choreographer and consultant for Savion Glover's hit show, “Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk.”

This project is funded in part by the City of McKinney through the City of McKinney Arts Commission

MAMADOUBA “MOHAMED” CAMARA
Mamadouba "Mohamed" Camara is an amazing Drummer, Balafonist, Percussionist, Performer, Dancer, Teacher & Arranger of Traditional Music from Guinea, West Africa.

Mohamed is an important cultural ambassador of the traditional music & culture of Guinea, West Africa. He continues to teach Master Drum & Dance classes, and he delivers dynamic, explosive performances dedicated to the expression of the African art.

He has drummed and danced in many well-known African ensembles including:

• African band Fatala under the direction of Fode Konte.
  
• played traditional Manding music with the Ensemble Mandingnara directed by Djeli Mamadou Kande.
  
• performed in Ballets Merveilles de Guinea Guinea, directed by Kemoko Sano.
  
• toured Europe with Bembeya Jazz International which is known to be Guineas first International orchestra and recorded an album with Bembeya Jazz and Sekou Bambino Diabate.
  
• performed with a traditional Guinean music group named Wassa with Mercery Camara.
  
• selected to be a member of Percussions de Guinea, the prestigious national drum troupe.
  
• He formed Club Niga, a music school for children which believes in creating: New Inspirations for the Genius Artistic. There, he trained many young students in all aspects of drumming & percussion.
  
• As a member of Koteba Ensemble, he played djembe, balafon, bote, and krin.
  
• toured the United States in collaboration with the Ron Brown Dance Company Koteba Ensemble.

JEAN-CLAUDE LESSOU
Jean-Claude (“JC”) was born and raised in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He began dancing professionally at age 15, and performed with the Dante Theatre Company for five years before touring the U.S. as principal dancer with Ballet Jolem. 

He regularly performs and teaches at dance camps and festivals throughout the U.S. He produced a special event for children at the Kennedy Center, performing masked dances from his own village. During the past 10 years, he taught at Lisangua Ya Bato Dance and Drum Camp in Woodstock, New York and worked with students and faculty at Goddard College, Saint Michael’s College, Middlebury College and Norwich University in Vermont. 

For the past three years, he has choreographed and taught classes at “Africa in the Ozarks,” a West African dance camp in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He was the also the lead choreographer for the Lannaya West African Drum and Dance Ensemble in Austin. Today, he regularly works with students and professional companies around Austin to choreograph dance and drum performances.