MORE ARTISTS
MORE ARTISTS
Bassidi Kone
Born into a griot family, Bassidi has been playing the djembe and balafon from a very young age learning alongside his father. When he teaches his hands tell an ancient story and his smile shares it with the world.
Bassidi Koné is of Bwa ethnicity from the Segou region in Mali. Bassidi has carried on his family’s musical heritage, showing incredible skill in both the balafon and the djembe.
Bassidi Koné, co-founder of the Bwazan Association lives in Mali, West Africa and teaches and performs with Rhythm Culture annually.
Yacou Mbaye
Senegalese master drummer and dancer Yacou Mbaye was born in Dakar, Senegal. He took to dancing at a young age, performing to a crowd of 10,000 people at only 6 years old. Yacou and his sister Mejoure won the highly regarded ‘Oscar de Vacance’ dance and percussion competition in 1997, and again in 2000. Yacou has performed with greats such as Rokia Traore, Alpha Blondy, Angelique Kidjo, Toumani Diabate and Salif Keita. He is a current member of the acclaimed Australian based bands Keyimba, and Chosani Afrique.
Now based in Sydney, Yacou teaches drum and dance classes, designs and delivers workshops, and performs at festivals and corporate events across Australia. Yacou’s vibrant energy and radiant smile is legendary in Austraia’s world music scene.
Kwame Tosuma
Kwame Tosuma. A talented dancer from Ghana, West Africa. Kwame Tosuma brings a unique style to his choreography that is equally informed by traditional West African dance, Afro-contemporary dance and Afrobeat. Kwame combines his knowledge of traditional west African dance with Afro-contemporary and Afrobeat styles to provide workshops with a variety of technique and fitness in both drum and dance.