Adama Dramé

Master percussionist Adama Drame is a sixth-generation Djeli griot from the Malinke region of West Africa. Following in his father's footsteps, Drame became a djembe-playing griot -- a revered village storyteller/historian, who recites his people's important events -- wars, family histories, seasons, and hunts -- to the rhythms of the djembe drum. A griot's performance can last beyond a full night, and mistakes in tempo or phrasing are not tolerated. Once Drame decided to become a griot, he and his father practiced extensively, and he joined his father's group at the age of ...