African Dance and Drum Traditions

Sponsored by the UNC Asheville’s Humanities Program and National Endowment for the Humanities.

LEAF musician and educator Adama Dembele will lead a performance team of students, showcasing the role and importance of drums and dance in the ancient and present day tradition of his home country of Cote d’Ivoire. Adama Dembele is a master djembéfola (djembe player) from Ivory Coast, West Africa. Born into a family of musicians, his family has been playing the djembe for 33 generations and his native home was known as “the house where the djembe is played” or Djembeso. He has toured several continents and major cities all over the US with large acts such as Toubab Crew and Afromotive. As a LEAF musician and TAPAS educator, he leads residencies, performances and workshops in the Asheville area, teaching the sacred art of West African drumming and authentic rhythms from Ivory Coast, Mali and Guinea. Currently, he leads a Drum and Dance Ensemble at UNCA. His band, Zansa, founded in 2011, combines traditional and modern styles from West Africa, celebrating African drum and dance in music venues all over Asheville.