Drissa Kone (born 1960) is a djembe master drummer from

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...

Early life

Drissa Kone was born in 1960 in a village named Kourouba, around south of the capital,

Bamako Bamako ( bm, ߓߡߊ߬ߞߐ߬ ''Bàmakɔ̌'', ff, 𞤄𞤢𞤥𞤢𞤳𞤮 ''Bamako'') is the capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2009 population of 1,810,366 and an estimated 2022 population of 2.81 million. It is located on the Niger Rive ...

. At an early age, and against the will of his parents, he began drumming in his home village. When he was 13 years old he moved to the capital city

, to study under

Yamadu Bani Dunbia Yamadu Bani Dunbia (1917-2002) was a notable djembe master drummer from Bamako, Mali. Although recordings of his playing are scarce, he was well known across Bamako. He recorded his first songs at the age of 78. Biography Dunbia was born in 191 ...

Career

In the 1980s Drissa toured throughout Mali as a popular festival drummer and soloist for numerous ballets. In 1989 he met the artists Ulli Sanou and Gerhard Kero in Mali, who after intensive instruction became well-liked members of his festival music ensemble. In 1991 he went to Europe for the first time to join their music group SANZA, performing at many concerts with them in the following seven years. The recordings ''SANZA live'' and ''SANZA in search of the one'' were made during this time. Later engagements took Drissa to France, Spain, Norway, Germany and Switzerland. In the summer of 2006, he headed a two-week special seminar for professionals at the Codarts University for the Arts in Rotterdam. In 2009 he became an instructor at the Dj.e.m.be- Djembe education moduls beatfactory. In 2011 he was teaching at the international festival Impulstanz in Vienna. He is regarded as a

master drummer In African drumming, the title of master drummer is given to a drummer who is well known by other masters for their high skill and knowledge. It is a title passed down from a master to their pupil, after they have learned all there is to know abou ...

Discography

* 1992 - ''SANZA live'' EX 141-2 * 1994 - ''SANZA in search of the 1'' EX220-2 * 2007 - ''Kurubamako'' EX697-2 beatfactory production * 2007 - appearing also on - Argile - ''Filefola: The Flute Album'' (bibiafrica records) * 2008 - ''The Art of Jenbe Drumming - The Mali Tradition Vol. 2'' (bibiafrica records)

References

African drummers Master drummers Living people 20th-century drummers 20th-century male musicians 21st-century drummers 21st-century male musicians 1960 births {{Africa-musician-stub