Dramane Koné (surname also spelled Koné) is a

master drummer In African drumming, the title of master drummer (alternatively called the lead drummer or mother drummer) is given to a drummer who is well known by other masters for their high skill and knowledge. It is a title passed down from a master to their ...

and

griot A griot (; ; Manding languages, Manding: or (in N'Ko script, N'Ko: , or in French spelling); also spelt Djali; or / ; ) is a West African historian, storyteller, praise singer, poet, and/or musician. Griots are masters of communicatin ...

from

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...

. He is best known for his appearance (studying

balafon The balafon (pronounced , or, by analogy with ''xylophone'' etc., ) is a gourd-resonated xylophone, a type of struck idiophone. It is closely associated with the neighbouring Mandé peoples, Mandé, Bwaba Bobo people, Bobo, Senufo people, Seno ...

at age 4) in the Taali Laafi Rosselini documentary film ''Great Great Grandparents Music'', which featured vignettes of Dramane Kone's griot family life in west Africa. He specializes in the goblet-shaped hand drum called ''

djembe A djembe or jembe ( ; from Maninka language, Malinke ''jembe'' , N'Ko script, N'Ko: ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe ...

''. He is a member of the Dioula ethnic group. Koné began a musical group, Ballet Djelia Kadi, in 2001.

Early life

Dramane Kone was born in the capital city of

Ouagadougou Ouagadougou or Wagadugu (, , , ) is the capital city of Burkina Faso, and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic centre of the nation. It is also the List of cities in Burkina Faso#Largest cities, country's largest city, wi ...

, in central

. He began studying music at the age of three under Dougoutigui Kone, elder ''djembefola'' (master djembe player) of Ouagadougou. Koné was educated in the ancient drumming traditions of west Africa, and was initiated into the history and music of the Manding (also spelled Mandingue) people. His later musical education included private studies with a number of village elders, masters and

s. His father is the musical griot/master drummer Dougoutigui Koné. After their appearances in the Rosselini film, his father moved the family to and from Mali, west Africa.

Career

Koné won national contests starting in 1996. The Rosselini film was released in 1997, and in 1998 Dramane went on to perform as djembefola (djembe drummer) with the National Ballet of Burkina Faso (he also plays

Dunun Dunun (; plural dunun) (also spelled dundun or doundoun) is the generic name for a family of West African drums that have developed alongside the ''djembe'' in the Mande drum ensemble. A dunun is a rope-tuned cylindrical drum with a rawhid ...

Balafon The balafon (pronounced , or, by analogy with ''xylophone'' etc., ) is a gourd-resonated xylophone, a type of struck idiophone. It is closely associated with the neighbouring Mandé peoples, Mandé, Bwaba Bobo people, Bobo, Senufo people, Seno ...

and Ngoni) accompanying dancers in the ballet and was then promoted to lead djembefola in the NBBF before migrating to the U.S. in 1999. Koné traveled widely in western Europe in 1997-1998. In November 2009, he taught a public masterclass on djembe and dunun at the Toronto Centre for the Arts sponsored by the Burkina Faso consulate and a private association of Burkina Faso. He performed with Djelia Kadi in Los Angeles California. He is also the brother of griot and master drummer

Mamadou Koné Mamadou Koné (born 25 December 1991) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a forward. Club career Born in Bingerville, Koné was a youth product of local ES Bingerville. He moved to Racing de Santander in 2010 at the age of 18 for ...

(d. 2012), and the two Koné brothers and their father played together in various traditional and popular music ensembles in Burkina Faso and elsewhere. Koné moved to the United States in 1999. He resides in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

References

External links

Dramane Kone official siteDavid Hilal's YouTube.com channelDramane Kone's Facebook page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kone, Dramane Living people African drummers Burkinabe musicians Master drummers Burkinabe emigrants 21st-century drummers 21st-century Burkinabe people Year of birth missing (living people)

Early life

Career

See also

References

External links