Mamady Keïta

Mamady Keïta was born on August 1, 19501 in Balandougou, a village located in Wassolon (province of Siguiri) near the Fé River, in the Republic of Guinea. Son of a master hunter and master of plants and healer (fida tigi in Malinké). He was introduced to the djembe at the age of seven by Karinkadjan Kondé, djembefola from his village. In 1964, aged fourteen, he was selected to join the National Ballet Djoliba, of which he would later become one of the soloists. He undertakes numerous tours in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States. In 1986, he entered Souleymane Koly's ballet Kotéba in Abidjan. He adopts the nickname of Kargus there to avoid any confusion with Mamady Secret, the other Mamady Keïta of the troupe. In 1987, he participated in the film La Vie Platinée, by Claude Cadiou. In 1988, he settled in Brussels, Belgium. He gives percussion lessons, teaching more particularly Mandinka rhythms, within the school repercussions. There he rubbed shoulders with Zap Mama, then a teacher of African songs and dances. That same year, he also created his new traditional Mandinka music group Sewa Kan, with which he gave several concerts in Europe, notably in France, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany. In 1989 he released an album titled Wassolon. The success of the percussion lessons allows Mamady to invite his brother Mamady Secret from the Koteba ballet to join him in Europe. The latter will become N'Toman Keïta (N'Toman meaning homonymous in Malinké). Mama Adama Camara, from the Djoliba ballet, also joins him in Brussels to provide dance lessons.