Soungalo Coulibaly (1955–2004) was a

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

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 ...

. Coulibaly was brought up in the purest Bambara tradition. His father was head of the village of Béléko (about a hundred kilometres from

Ségou Ségou (; , ) is a town and an Communes of Mali, urban commune in south-central Mali that lies northeast of Bamako on the right bank of the River Niger. The town is the capital of the Ségou Cercle and the Ségou Region. With 130,690 inhabitant ...

, in the Baninko region, southern

) like most traditional drummers, he gained his first musical experience at a very early age by accompanying work in the fields and playing at village celebrations on the bara and the sabani. He left Béléko for Fana, then for

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...

, and taught himself to play the

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 ...

, seizing every opportunity to accompany the '' djembefola'' he met at celebrations, and adopting their music. When Coulibaly moved to

Bouaké Bouaké (or Bwake, N'Ko script, N’ko: ߓߐ߰ߞߍ߫ ''Bɔ̀ɔkɛ́'') is the second-largest list of cities in Ivory Coast, city in Ivory Coast, with a population of 740,000 (2021 census). It is the seat of three levels of subdivisions of Ivory ...

, in the mid-1970s, he immediately earned a name for himself through his remarkable musicality and his ability to adapt to all sorts of different styles. Those same qualities led to recognition in Europe, where he regularly presented concerts with his group, as well as giving courses. His three previous CDs are regarded as references by his peers. Soungalo died on March 9, 2004, from cancer.

Discography

*1989 - ''Naya!'' (Cassette only, out of print) *1994 - ''Laïla Ilala'' *1995 - ''Dengo'' *2000 - ''Sankan Wulila'' *2002 - ''L'art du djembe'' *2004 - ''Live''

Films

*2001 - ''Mögöbalu'' *2004 - ''Soungalo Coulibaly Live''

References

Malian musicians 20th-century Malian musicians African drummers Master drummers 1955 births 2004 deaths People from Ségou Region 21st-century Malian people {{drummer-stub