Abdoulaye Diakité

Abdoulaye Diakité (December 15, 1950 – January 8, 2018) was an influential djembe master drummer and teacher from Tambacounda, Senegal. He was the lead djembe player of the National Ballet of Senegal for 18 years before emigrating to the United States.

Early life Born in Tambacounda in 1950, Diakité was a member of the Bamana (Bambara) ethnic group, a Mandé group centred in present-day Mali, with significant populations residing in neighboring West African countries.

Diakité began drumming at the age of seven.

At age 16, Diakité played at a festival in Tambacounda that would dramatically change his life. The National Ballet of Senegal was looking for a djembe player who sounded like the djembefola (djembe player) Dugufana Tarawele. There, they discovered Diakité. He subsequently initiated a variety of recordings, performances, and activities including on an episode of Northern Exposure. The largest activity was the Tambacounda West African Drum and Dance Camp, founded in 1996 and held annually for a number of years. The summer camp was the first of its kind and deemed an inspiration to the expansion of West African drumming and dance in the United States.

In October 2008, Diakité was hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning and subsequently faced health-related challenges. A benefit concert featuring Leon Mobley was held on February 20, 2009, in Berkeley, California.

Discography Mandingo Drumming (1992), with Leon Mobley JebeBara: The Bamana Djembe (2001), with Mamadou Sidibe Abdoulaye Diakité Rhythms of the Djembé, Volume 1 (2003) Abdoulaye Diakité Rhythms of the Djembé, Volume 2 (2003) Tambacounda Dunun ni Don (2004) Manden Foli (2005)