AZDRUMANDDANCE.ORG - Promoting West African Drumming and Dancing in Arizona

Fode Bangoura

Fode is a professional drummer (djembe-fola) and teacher from Guinea, West Africa. He has played music since he was a small boy studying with the greatest teachers and performers in West Africa. In 1993 he joined one of the internationally known dance companies from his country "Les Merveilles de Guinee" under the leadership of Kemoko Sano. This dance company

provided Fode with the opportunities allowing him to travel throughout West Africa, Europe, Canada, and the United States. Fode moved to the United States with his company "Les Merveilles de Guinee" in 1998 and currently lives in New York City, where he teaches at several prestigious dance centers including Alvin Ailey Dance Center among others. He has performed at Disney World in Florida, and was featured on MTV during a program about the role of music in black history. He has also performed with the legendary jazz musician Roswell Rudd on his Mali Cool project.In addition to performing with numerous dance companies, attending workshops and dance conferences, Fode teaches sangban, dundun, and djembe classes to kids and adults alike.

Facinet visited Arizona in 2005 together with Youssouf Koumbassa and Facinet Bangoura