Grandmasters Tour Wrap-Up

Famoudou Konaté and Mamady Keita have come and gone from Atlanta. But we suspect they’ll be back. 81 drummers from Atlanta, the southeast, and beyond participated in the wonderful workshops with these living legends and a great time was had by all!

DrumRise has so many people to thank to the success of this workshop. The list is long but we hope you’ll read it and spend a few moments with us appreciating what a community effort it was! So with deep gratitude, here goes – in order of events:
Before the Workshop…
Our thanks first to our sponsoring organizations who made possible a tuition assistance fund that helped bring 10 students from Youth Villages to the classes and made it a little easier for several other longtime drummers to participate. The sponsoring organizations are mostly Atlanta-area West African Drum and or Dance organizations, so Atlantans especially – please visit their websites, become facebook friends, and help keep the connections amongst all of the wonderful groups we’ve got in town growing!

Thanks also to Alan Tauber, Mahiri Keita, Diallo Sumbry, and Aiyetoro Kamau who each, at various points in the planning process contributed valuable ideas and advice.

Many of the sponsors also played a HUGE role in showing our teachers and out of town guests the best in southern hospitality. From the moment Mamady and Famoudou arrived they were welcomed by warm friends baring delicious food!

Friday night May 13th – The Masters Arrive
DrumRise (Amy Jackson and Colleen Caffrey) met Mamady, Famoudou, and Jeremy at the airport and made our way back to the Jacksons’ house, where our esteemed guests were greeted at the gate in Susu and French by Sharon and Aly Camara, along with their children Sophie, Bountourabi and Marietou, and Aly’s Aunt Aminata and fellow Guinean – dancer, Marietou Cisse. A million thanks to Sharon and Aminata for a scrumptious taste of home for Mamady and Famoudou’s first night in town.

Saturday May 14th – the “Western Provinces” (aka visiting Douglasville and Youth Villages)
Saturday, we headed to Douglasville so Mamady and Famoudou could visit the students of the therapeutic drumming program at Youth Villages – Inner Harbour, under the direction of Tom Harris. Big thanks to Tom, drumming teacher Sadi Sobhan, Brandon Grant and the rest of the Americorps volunteers and to all of the Inner Harbour Students for the warm welcome and heartfelt presentations by the girls performing group, led by Mary Beyer and Jeen Rooks, the boys performing group, led by Sadi, Johnny Hart and Brandon Grant, and surprise show from the youngest kids, led by John Warrington. We were so proud of the poise the kids and teens exhibited and how beautifully they honored Mamady and Famoudou. Their performances
were outstanding and the spontaneous dancing was fantastic – the icing on the cake!

A huge thank you to Tom, Ursula, and Sada Harris for hosting the fabulous meet-and-greet party that followed for the Grandmasters and the drummers of Atlanta’s “western provinces”. Mamady and Famoudou both expressed to us repeatedly how warm, inviting, and loving everyone was. Fantastic Harris’!!! And a most loving thank you to Jim Couch for his amazing gift of his sweeeeeeeet dunun bells to Mamady and Famoudou. We played them all week!
Sunday May 15th
On Sunday, we rested… and recorded some music to be transcribed for Mamady’s next book of rhythms.

Monday afternoon, May 16th
Setting the Space – Where DID all those dunun come from?
Sadi Sobhan, Brandon Grant, Johnny Hart, and Tom Harris – you rule! These guys made 45 newly tuned dunun with Famoudou’s requested wood blocks magically appear at the Clarkston Community Center. Thank you, friends! And thank you to the therapeutic drumming program at Youth Villages – Inner Harbour.

Meet and Greet Night
Many thanks again to Sharon Camara, and to Lesley Slone, and Gina Morton of Sehwe Village Percussion for providing the main course, salad, and dessert for the opening night gathering! And to all the folks who brought their food gifts to share. Great food + great people = a happy night- and so it was!

The Workshop Begins
Thank you so much to the Clarkston Community Center’s McKenzie Wren, Joan Swaney, and especially Linda Tyson at who helped make their beautiful
venue available for the event and who were so flexible and supportive in so many ways.

Once classes began on Tuesday, we could not have overestimated how important our volunteers and sponsoring groups would be! Each night after the workshops were over, we’d arrive back at the Jackson house after 9pm with two very tired and hungry Guinean djembefolas, a tired and hungry Belgian assistant, and two tired and hungry Atlanta organizers. Did we mention we were all tired and hungry? And each night we were greeted back at the Jacksons’ by a different sponsoring group who had prepared a scrumptious meal for our teachers! And of course, we got in on it too! It was truly a blessing to share such lovingly prepared meals, night after night and the company of different groups of friends – old and new!

Tuesday , May 17th
Manga African Dance was our sponsor for the first night of classes and Christan Carter Poret kicked it off right! Thank you Christan for a delicious meal and thank you Christan and Mark for sharing the evening with us, and for your beautifully talented children, Sean and Meah, whose drumming and dancing (along with that of Sophie Camara) added much joy to an already delightful night. Wonderful. Perfecto! Merci Beaucoup!

Wednesday , May 18th
Cindy Stark Reid, Rulester Davis, Rebekah Carder, Bert Carey, and Valerie Gilbert of ConunDrums provided the delicious, healthy food that night. We couldn’t imagine having done this without our sisters being a part. Many thanks, ladies!

Thursday, May 19th
Chuck Cogliandro (of Kumandi Drums & Healing) and soon-to-be spouse, Kelly Lyn made a feast of scallops, gnocchi, and greens that was absolutely yummy! And so close to their upcoming wedding! Which by the way, was the best wedding ever. Congratulations you two! And thank you!

Friday, May 20th
TTMWS night! The cavalry arrived! Mucho thanks to the crew, Leah Roy, Peggy Danka, Melissa Marley, Bill Scheidt and Robin Bountourabi Leftwich. They cooked, cleaned, grocery shopped, took out trash, transported, translated, played dunun and much more. All amazing… We love and appreciate you all so much!

And… to Julie Moore who graced us with her beautiful Kora playing… there are no words.

Saturday May 21st
Dance Class with Moustapha Bangoura
Huge thanks to Moustapha Bangoura for a beautiful class. To Aiyetoro Kamau for organizing Moustapha’s visit and drumming for dance class and to all the drummers who played, including Atiba Rorie on lead djembe, Mark Poret, Gboyah Nkisi, Sean Poret, Jessie Lehman… and Famoudou Konaté. Thank you!

The Closing Celebration
Julie Moore’s Catering!!!! Wow! Way to make it happen, girl – and all the way from N.C. Fantastic! People have been raving about it! ank you so very much! And to Andy and Shelly Rogers for hosting Julie in their home so she could prepare the food for the Saturday night celebration and be with us for the weekend! Thanks also to Rebecca Vestal- Mashburn for bringing coolers and drinks for Saturday night and to Amy Phillips for assisting in the preparation for the evening’s event.

Sunday, May 22nd
The fabulous women of Giwayan Mata were the final sponsoring group to host a dinner. To Omelika Kuumba, Amamansa Whitten, husband Sekou and family, Rashida Abdullah, Zuri Jordan, Zanaida Bynum-Roberson, Joy Smith, and Olokun Sae’oursoul – thank you all for being here. It was such a pleasure and a gift to have your energy here. Mamady and Famoudou were very happy seeing you all (some of you again ) and sharing your spirit and yummy, healthy delectables. It was a feast to remember!

Monday, May 23rd
Okay Camara family- When are you gonna give out Aminata’s amazing secret “green” sauce recipe. It was a huge hit with Famoudou and Mamady and we too could probably be very happy eating it every day for a very long time!! Thank you!
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A Million Thanks To Our Workshop Volunteers!

Aaron Shiveley and Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters
For real, people – it’s the best coffee in town and Aaron gifted us with those big jugs of it each day because he’s a super nice guy and that’s how he rolls.

Lesley Slone- Thank you for your lovingly crafted badges which gave everyone connection by name and a souvenir to take home! For being Famoudou’s “Walk in Nature” buddy, for helping with pre-event planning and for being an all-around helper in so many ways. We’re lucky to have you on our team!

John Scalici- The Grandmaster’s drum transporter and provider of the wondrous, totally comfortable green cot on which Famoudou rested between classes. Thank you, friend.

Rulester Davis- Who kept the Refreshment Table replenished daily with fruit, water and protein bars. Rock on Sista!

And to the many who staffed our registration and merchandise tables and helped with set up and clean up:
Hope Smith, Betsy Pickren, Brynan Poels, David Baycura, Harriet Alston, Carolyn Grey, Teresa Duren, Susan Westergard, Amy Phillips, Thor Dean, Nigel Zuniga, Eric Choltus, John Warrington, Charles Plant, and Christal Gordon, and Wes Stephens.
We couldn’t have done it without you. THANK YOU ALL!

Thanks Also to Our Vendors
Fatou Sosse Yumgai, Brother Yusef Crowder and Vandora Scott, Mbali – Soul Divine Catering, Sada Catering, Robin Bountourabi Leftwich of Happy Beat Drumming, Khadija Maiga of Cultural Accents in Little 5 Points, Drumstick Tony, and Tom Harris/Honey in the Heart Drum Company.
Also thanks and props to Decatur Screenprint for doing such a great job on our t-shirt design and for being so fantastic to work with!

Extra Special Thanks to Our Photographers
Rebekah Carder and Sean Quinn, the photos are beautiful and the memories you captured are such a gift! Thank you is not enough. But again we say “Thank You” to Rebekah Carder for making our signs and banners, too!

The Jackson Clan- John, Sarah, Nikki, SuGong, and the dachie dogs of Montevallo Circle – thank you all for opening up their hearts and home for the event!

And of course, this list would not possibly be complete without our teachers, Famoudou Konaté and Mamady Keita. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your teaching, your humor, and loving spirits, are a gift and an inspiration to us all.

And to Jeremy Tomasck, for all you do for Mamady and Famoudou as a travel assistant and for all of us, as a teaching assistant – helping to elucidate things from behind the dununba. And likewise to Monette Marino-Keita for your help at the workshop, and for all your patience and guidance leading up to the event. And to Nasira Keita – well, for just being the cutest. We’re so glad you were here.

And finally- to all of the Participants of the Grandmaster Tour 2011 in Atlanta – for BEING there and being who you are! It was a privilege and a pleasure to coordinate this event and to share it with all of you!