Musical revolution

For centuries, masters of the sacred West African djembe drum have been exclusively male. But in 2002, Mamoudou Conde, managing director of the world-renowned Les Percussions de Guinée, launched a revolutionary “sister” ensemble — Amazones: The Woman Master Drummers of Guinea.

In October, these musical siblings will share a stage for the first time during a special, one-night-only performance at Washington University in St. Louis’s Edison Theatre.

The concert, which kicks-off the 32nd annual Edison Theatre OVATIONS! Series, starts at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23. Tickets are $28; $24 seniors and Washington University faculty and staff; and $18 for students and children.

In addition, at 2 p.m., Amazones will present an all-ages matinee performance as part of the ovations! for young people series. Tickets are $7.

Edison Theatre is located in the Mallinckrodt Student Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd. Tickets are available at the Edison Theatre Box Office and through all MetroTix outlets. For more information, call (314) 935-6543.

Changing Everything

The djembe drum originated several hundred years ago in Guinea and is played throughout West Africa. It is considered a magical, healing instrument that, in the hands of a great djembefola, or master drummer, has the power to transport people into other worlds.

Today, the most celebrated djembefolas are those of Les Percussions de Guinée. Founded in 1987 by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the 15-member ensemble includes seven master drummers chosen from among the best soloists of Guinea’s national companies, as well as traditional dancers and additional musicians playing flute, balafon and kora.

Amazones dates back to 1998, when Conde — a master African sculptor whose World Music Production also manages the Guinean Dance Company, The Djoliba National Ballet (formerly managed by Harry Bellafonte) and the famed Les Ballets Africains — was appointed producer and managing director of Les Percussions.

“Why shouldn’t a woman play the Djembe?” Conde recalls wondering. In Western society, “women had broken through the traditional barriers and had become equal … What was the reason so many other cultures have not followed the obvious lead of equality?”

Conde was inspired by the example of his relative Keita Fodeba, a legendary choreographer whose founding of Les Ballets Africains in 1952 helped reshape the world’s view of West African culture. “I would follow in the footsteps of Keita and do something amazing,” Conde decided. “If I could change Guinea,” birthplace of the djembe, “I could change everything.”

At first, Conde encountered resistance both amongst male drummers and government officials. However, a more receptive audience was soon found in small, traditional villages, where elders offered blessings and positive reinforcement. Soon, Conde was sponsoring master classes for female artists, whom he recruited “from among those living in the most difficult conditions that an African woman has to endure: homeless, jobless and often with children to support. These women were warriors of circumstance.”

In 2000, Conde included two female artists on Les Percussions’ North American tour. The reception, both by the male performers and audiences, was enthusiastic and the numbers of women attending master classes soon doubled. In 2002, seven of the strongest players were selected for Amazones, the name chosen to reflect the group’s courage and skill in overcoming both personal circumstance and cultural taboo.

“A brave new adventure is beginning, a socio-cultural and economic departure from tradition, which is fired by a fervent determination to attain the level of the great djembefolas and to live by the sweat of their own brows,” says Dr. Saidou Dioubate, Guinea’s National Director of Culture and an early supporter of Amazones. “Preconceptions melt away and what is left is a powerful, energetic and grandiose spectacle, which sends to the world its message of peace, optimism and serenity.”

Edison Theatre

Edison Theatre’s OVATIONS! Series serves both Washington University and the St. Louis community by providing the highest caliber national and international artists in music, dance and theater, performing new works as well as innovative interpretations of classical material not otherwise seen in St. Louis. Focusing on presentations that are interdisciplinary, multicultural and/or experimental, Edison Theatre presents work intended to challenge, educate and inspire.

Edison Theatre programs are made possible with support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and the Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis. Additional support is provided by The Heartland Arts Fund, a joint project of Arts Midwest and the Mid-America Arts Alliance.