West African Drumming

Learn to play the many parts of djembe, doundoun, songbas and kenkenes with Vado Diomande, life-long drummer, drum-maker and repairer.

In a drum workshop, you will have a performance opportunity after your weeks of learning rhythms and accompaniments. You will experience how to combine the drum elements with dance elements, and how to signal the changes dancers will make from one step to another. You will navigate the thrilling changes in following the lead djembe and its signals. As your learning deepens, you will move up to more complex rhythm lines, and more syncopated dance rhythms. Drum classes have students at many levels of proficiency, with accompaniment lines to Kookoo, Bademalon, Temate, Katana, Bolohi, N'Goron and more, challenging learning at all levels. You will experience the weaving together of the tapestry of sound and rhythm with ever-increasing complexity that is so thrilling about West African drum traditions.

Instructor Bio(s):

Vado has danced since the age of four, learning the dance and drum traditions of his Mahouka people. At an early age, he was initiated into becoming the keeper of the sacred mask dance on stilts, Gue-Pelou. This distinction brought him to the Ballet National de Cote d'Ivoire, where he became a principal dancer for more than 15 years. Vado learned over 60 ethnic dance and drumming traditions from the Ivory Coast and other West African countries. His repertoire elevated his career to eventually choreographing and touring extensively throughout Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia. In 1989 he established L'Ensemble Kokiegna d'Abidjan, which has resided in New York City as the Kotchegna Dance Company since 1994. In Vado’s native language Mahou, ’kotchegna’ means messenger. His troupe’s goal is to inspire joy and understanding through the power of dance and drum, promoting the exchange of culture worldwide. He continues to strengthen his experience as a choreographer, artistic director, teacher and performer. He also takes part in many educational programs for children in New York City schools and beyond. For more information, go to www.kotchegna.com.

Host or Publisher Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance