Petit Mamady Keita Djembekan

[dleufer]

Here is a djembekan by Petit Mamady Keita which I filmed in January 2012 in Conakry. Mamady is one of the slickest players I've ever seen. He has fantastic technique and sound and really really goes for it when he plays. He is most famous for appearing in the film "Djembefola" with his namesake when he was 4 years old. He has, as you can see, turned into a pretty serious djembefola himself.

Small biography:
Mamady comes from the village of Koumana in Hamana. His grandfather was a djembefola but his father disliked music. It was Famoudou Konate who convinced Mamady's father to let him play djembe and Famoudou was his first teacher. After that his mother sent him to live with Mansa Camio in Baro where hew grew up playing djembe for traditional ceremonies. He also spent time in Faranah (his mother's home village) with Fadouba. He then went to Conakry where he played with numerous groups and ballets. He spent just over 2 years living in Brazil where he recorded an album "Djubafedea" with Fanta Konate but has isnce returned to live in Guinea. He currently plays with Les Petits Sorciers (with some of the Oulares).

If anyone wants to contact him for private or group classes in Conakry his number is 00224 66 10 70 58. I highly recommend him as a teacher.

[davidognomo]

great. thanks for that, leufer.

[Dugafola]

how old is he now?

[michi]

how old is he now?

Djembefola was released in 1991. I don't know exactly when it was filmed. (1989 or 1990, anyone know?)

If he was four back then, that would make him about 26 years old now.

Cheers,

Michi.

[Waraba]

Besides enjoying this very, very much, I noticed that he really looks just like he did in the documentary as a very little boy, and he happens to start off this djembekan with sounou, which was the rhythm Mamady taught him in that scene!

[dleufer]

I think he said he was 27

[TNT]

I’m new to Djembe but not drumming, with that said seems he likes to use standard drum rudiments in his playing style. I’ve started with them to teach myself how to break them up on the Djembe to strokes at different places and tones on the drum, with that control imo the sky is the limit. The finger thing has me a little stumped they don’t want to move that fast YET so yesterday I started with single strokes.

[the kid]

It'll generally take about 24 years to get your fingers to move like that..

Could take you even more!

[TNT]

Hey Kid, you forgot to mention couple things……never, and it really don’t matter a whole lot. After you’ve been playing drums for 48 years like I have your reaction time and joints may not move that quickly. They get replaced with experience. In all those years what I found and have seen other drummers struggle with most is playing slow, not letting the spur of the moment and adrenalin get to them.

Not sure where your generalities are derived from, but this kid has some fast fingers in 3 years without a lot of effort……..

videos/very-non-traditional-style-t1737.html

IMO it just depends on how much natural talent and experience you have, and your ability to learn.

[the kid]

Would you know the difference between a kit drummer playing 3 years and a kit drummer playing 30 years?

Would you know the difference between a really experienced djembe player and a kid beating his remo?

The sounds Petit Mamady gets is because his hands are as hard as wood and he's been playing djembe since he was a child. His level of skill is hard to fathom.

[TNT]

Yes to your first question since I been in those shoes, played kit since age 5, now 52.

Not as good as some perhaps, to question #2 , but can definitely respect both a kid that is a kit drummer playing the Djembe that fast and visa versa, and/or a pro playing it as long as I have the kit. Both deserve respect in my book nothing less!

All drummer’s, artist, musicians deserve respect regardless of their differences, how long they have been playing, or where they are from. Don’t underestimate “kids” non-“pros”, some have just not had the breaks in life to be pro, does not mean they are not as good. I am sure there are billions of very talented drummers/ Djembe players in the world that will never be pro.

I had dreams of being pro from the day I was born, when I was 18 I could not survive and feed my family on the money I could make even tho I was one of the best drummers in LA, CA, so it became a hobby to my career and still is.

Give me few months my fingers will be as good as my hands and feet. We will see, really liking the Djembe so far, I miced my remo with some delay and reverb really woke it up imo.

Everyone has an opinion, mine is that in the two videos I have watched so far the remo kid and this guy I like the remo kid.

[BobF]

Where's the remo kid video??

[TNT]

I put a link to his video 5 post up my 6th post to the site. I probably lost all respect from traditional Djembe players, but I admire this guy's speed with his fingers and raw talent, non-traditional approach. Lol, I called him The Remo Kid based on The Kids last post and I'm not even sure thats a remo he plays.

PS: Charlotte, nice town.