Mamady Keita

Mamady Keita was born in 1950 in Balandugu, a village of Wassolon, near the Fé River. After his birth, his mother was curious to know Mamady's destiny, so she went to consult a soothsayer, who said to her: "The child must be left to amuse himself because it is there that he will make a name."

From when he was old enough to crawl, Mamady descended on all pots and pans in order to turn them and beat on them. "My son will therefore be a djembefola" his mother thought, and she had an instrument constructed to his size. Quickly he surprised everyone by his natural gifts and listeners wondered such a small boy could draw such a big sound from a drum.

This story gave him two nicknames: Mamady nan nkama (Mamady-who-was-born-for-that) and Balandugudjina (The devil of Balandugu).

He owed his initiation into the history of the Mandeng and its music to Karinkadjan Kondé, an old djembéfola of his village

At 14, Mamady was hired by the Djoliba National Ballet, where played for 20 years.

When he was 17, the young drummer is seen appearing in a Harry Belafonte movie, African Dance.

In 1979 he became artistic director of the Djobila National Ballet.

In 1992 he founded his own percussion school in Brussels: Tam Tam Mandingue. Today there are 300 students and several branches in Paris, Geneva, Munich, Tokyo and Conakry.

— Courtesy Calabash Music