Famoro Dioubate.
A fundraiser
On November 26 we held a send-off party for Famoro. The fundraiser is still happening! Famoro needs financial support to make the two-month journey and support the many family and fellow musicians around him. So he and Lisa Feder, (co-founders of Manding Grooves) will team up to bring you, the donors, daily video clips from Famoro's life in Guinea. Videos may include Famoro, reuniting with his family; live music scenes in Conakry; mealtime moments; travel to his family's village in Boké; a visit to Famoro's land where he is building a compound to welcome foreigners; and more!
The link to donate is below. I Ni Ke! Thank You! Merci! Gracias! We love you!
Famoro Dioubate is going back to Guinea for a two-month visit, after not having been to his home country in 23 years. During his time living in New York, he has given tremendously to the American-based community, people with whom he has shared his culture through music and more. He has finally become a Green Card holder and now he is free to return to Guinea and return home to Manhattan where his band, Kakande, performs regularly. This is a blessing and we are going to celebrate it!
Famoro Diouabté is recognized as one of West Africa’s most talented and graceful balafon players.
Hailing from Conakry, Guinea, his band, Kakande has been creating contagious Manding Grooves for New York fans for over 15 years. Kakande combines balafon with guitar, bass, drum set, cello, djembe, and vocals.
Concerts and Seminars
Our seminars, workshops and concerts are available in person and online
seminars and classes
Lisa Feder, author of Jeliya at the Crossroads (2021) designs and leads seminars and classes on the role of griots in culture in West Africa and beyond. Each program is tailor-made to suit the university, museum, or sector of society who is interested in learning the essential role of griot music in bringing people together across boundaries.
Click www.lisafeder.com for more information
concerts
We custom-design music concerts in various formations, as solo, duet, acoustic, or dance band to accompany seminars and workshops.
To the right, see Famoro Dioubate in New York City.
music workshops
Our griots offer Manding music workshops in the United States and in France. Through our music workshops, student and professional musicians who play any instrument in the key of C-Major can learn to play looping, polyrhythmic melodies of griot music. We bring workshops to schools and universities.
Kanazoe Diabate of Burkina Faso in Marseille, France, 2020.
Famoro Dioubate, Kakanzoe Diabate, and others lead trips to West Africa every winter hosting Mande music workshops for musicians and students from the US and Europe. Join us! Email Lisa directly for more information at lisa@mandinggrooves.com