Dramane Konaté - Touman

Dramane Konaté hails from Burkina Faso,  the “country of honest men,” where he first breathed life into a djembe, making it beat like a heart to the rhythm of the world. With his album Touman (Disques Nuits d’Afrique), this born traveller and undisputed djembe virtuoso plunges us into a West African universe, creating the perfect listening experience for a musical interlude, with twelve songs thrumming with rich emotion and rhythms. Dramane Konaté touts Touman as “an album that celebrates the present while honouring the past, reminding us that the essence of life is best lived when we allow it to play out in its own time.”

LISTE DES PISTES

1. Touman

2. Madan

3. Kankele Tigui
   

4. Doundounse

5. Koukou Samogo Don

6. Maya

7. Soko

8. Demin

9. Guinée Faré

10. Foly

11. Djembé Kan

12. Unité Africaine
    

BIOGRAPHY

Born on the Ivory Coast, the Burkinabe Dramane Konaté is a traveller at heart. His Mandingue-inspired music draws on the primeval roots of the djembe and African celebrations of life. As a child, he discovered the power of rhythm through his maternal grandmother, who defied a long-standing custom by taking up the sacred “dundun,” a drum traditionally played by men. Konaté was captivated by its rhythms and he set off to conquer the world with his own musical companion, the djembe. During the 1990s, he focused on honing his drumming skills while working with various companies and choreographers, such as Denté, Djolem, Ivoire Danse and Bonogò. In Bamako, he teamed up with singer Ami Sacko and her husband, the renowned ngoni player, Bassekou Kouyatè. As a solo artist, he soon gained a following beyond Africa’s borders, across Europe and here in Quebec, especially in Montreal, where he discovered a fertile artistic landscape. On stage, he performs solo as well as with his group Faso Foly.

Motivated by a desire help others learn, Konaté has earned a solid reputation as a drum and African dance teacher. As an ambassador of his legendary musical art and with an eye to the future, he embraces the new generations of young Africans seeking new horizons, ready for adventure on a global scale. On his album Touman, his virtuosity as percussionist is on full display as he is joined by other talented musicians and vocalists, including his brother Kabey Konaté on “Unité africaine,” a hymn to harmony.