Join us for traditional and original West African music by Mamadou Diabate and Percussion Mania during this special visit to the Claremont Creative Center. Admission is by sliding scale donation: you choose your ticket price. Students free. If you have issues with registering via Eventbrite please contact [email protected] and we can add you manually.

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The balafon as a solo-instrument opens the door to West African melodies for European and North American listeners. The Balafon performed on in the concert demonstrates the different ways of African music. Some pieces are traditional pieces from Burkina Faso, whichhave been played for many many years. Others are original compositions by Mamadou, which are influenced also by his life in Europe. With incredible virtuosity Mamadou playes wonderful melodies with rhythmic finesse, completed with the sound of his voice. The sticks move with such great speed your eyes can barely follow. And if you can not see you would not know that Mamadou is standing alone on stage, because of the sound you would think that there are 3 musicians playing…

Mamadou Diabate was born into a traditional musician family (Sambla people) in Burkina Faso (West Africa), with a long tradition of practising the profession of story telling and music making. At the age of 5 he started his professional training with his father Penegue Diabate, who in his days was considered the best balafon player far beyond the bordes of the sambla culture. At 8 he began with his apprenticeship years with renowned balafonists of neighboring peoples. In 1988 and 1998 he won the first prize of the “National Culture Week” of Burkina Faso. He currently lives in Austria. With his group Percussion Mania he won the Austrian World Music Award (2011) and the Grand Prix of the “Triangle du Balafon” Competition in Mali (2012). For his virtuosity, he was there also honored with the “Prix Alkaly Camara de la virtuosité”.

In 2016 he was made Knight of the National Order (Chevalier de l’Ordre National) of Burkina Faso.

In 2019 he received the “Best International Artist” award of Burkina Faso.

Up to now (2022) he has released 14 CDs with his own compositions and 2 others with authentic music of the Sambla and Tusia peoples (both world premiere).

In Burkina Faso, he had built a primary school where poor children are taught free of charge. (www.sababu.info)