LA FAMILLE DEMBELÉ
Souleymane Dembele
He was born in Djibasso Kossi, Burkina Faso, into a family of griots. He learns to play various traditional Mandingue instruments, such as the tama, the balafon, and in particular the doumdoum. He performs at traditional festivals, weddings, funerals, etc. between Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ivory Coast. In 1995 he was invited to participate in the Festival dei Popoli in Florence together with some members of the Famille Dembelé. In '96 he returned to Italy to participate again in other traditional music events, he joined the group Griot Metropolitain and the same year he recorded a CD together with three members of the family, which was released on the Amiata Records label. In Italy he also carries out an educational activity, working in elementary and middle schools to introduce students to an inside look at African culture. In 2000 he joined the Shionkama company. In 2002, together with Nahi, he founded the Giguywassa company. Yacouba Dembele Born in '76 in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Coming from a griot family, he began his artistic journey in '89 and '90 in the Ivory Coast, where, together with family members, he played the flute on the occasion of traditional festivals. He participates in the activities of several theater and music companies in Abidjan (such as Corasse directed by the famous director Mory Traore); he undertakes tours in various African countries: Togo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mali, Mauritania. In '98 with the Djoleme company he went to Senegal for an internship, then to Holland to participate in the "Limbour Fesival" which also took him to Germany, Belgium and France. With the contemporary dance company Shola he went to Canada where he participated in the "Nuit d'Afrique" festival and to Belgium in '99. In the same year he took part in the tour of the Ensemble Koteba d'Abidjan company in France, Martinique and the United States. In 2000, after having been in Martinique and Ile de la Reunion, he participated in "expo universelle" in Germany, later arriving in Italy joining the Shionkama company. He continues his activity as a musician here by collaborating with various cultural associations such as Tubabu in Milan and Giguywassa in Florence. Brahma Dembele Brahima Dembelé was born on the border between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, West Africa, in 1970. He belongs to the caste of "griots", traditional musicians and storytellers. He was born into a large family in which many members are still musically active and particularly appreciated in a vast region. From a very young age he learned to play the balafon from his father, to sing from his mother, to play the kora from his uncle and various percussion instruments from other family members. At the age of 15 he decided to dedicate himself to studying the djembe, the solo dance drum, going to live for many months in the home-school of a percussion master. At the age of 16 he was already appreciated as a soloist and sought after on the occasion of social and religious ceremonies and celebrations. In 1987 he won the competition organized by the Ministry of Art and Culture of the Ivory Coast and in 1988 he joined the corps of percussionists of the National Ballet of the Ivory Coast, where he worked until 1992, participating in festivals and tours in many African and European countries. . In 1992 he worked in the traditional African music group "Marahouet" where he enjoyed great success as a djembe soloist. In 1993, during an Italian tour of the "Marahouet" group, he began collaborating with Italian and foreign musicians, both maintaining traditional African rhythms and inserting them into new fusions with jazz, Latin, ethnic, new age, ambient music, etc., in shows and CDs. In 1993 he joined the percussion research group “Fuentes”, with Ettore Bonafé, Paolo Casu and Sergio Gistri, with whom he recorded the CD “Garam Masala” in 1996. In 1994 he founded the group "Griot Metropolitain", a traditional African ensemble resident in Italy, with which he offers a show of traditional dances, songs and music taken from the cultural heritage of different African ethnic groups which participates in the most important international music festivals in Italy . Since 1994 he has collaborated with the Jazz Orchestra made up of teachers from the CAM School of Music in Florence directed by Alessandro Di Puccio. In 1995 he collaborated with the ethno-ambient group "Ch'i", with which he recorded two CDs. In 1995, on the occasion of the XX edition of the Musica dei Popoli Festival, in collaboration with the Flog Center, he organized a tour of his family, the Famille Dembelé, with whom he recorded the CD “Aira yo, La danse des jeunes griots” for the Amiata Records label. In 1998, on the occasion of the XXI edition of the Musica dei Popoli Festival, he organized a tour of the trio Les Fréres Dembelé, together with his cousin and his thirteen-year-old brother, both percussionists. In 1996 the group "Griots Metropolitain" collaborated with the jazz pianist and accordionist Antonello Salis, working on improvisation and the fusion of rhythms and melodies apparently distant from each other. In 1997-8 he was hired by the Teatro delle Briciole Theater Company of Parma, with which he worked in the show "Adocchiclosed", with tours in Italy and France, participating in numerous national and international theater festivals (Marseille, Rome, Bagnacavallo and others). In 1998 he obtained the professional qualification of Intercultural Operator from the Tuscany Region (FI8FF290, law 945/78). From 1994 to 2003 he worked as a cultural mediator in various schools in the municipalities of Bologna, Florence, Prato, Empoli and others, in particular in the municipalities of Pontassieve, Pelago and Rufina in collaboration with the Cultural Association Library of Peace. From 1994 to 2003 he held concert lessons, courses, percussion and dance workshops for adults and children at music schools and cultural associations in various Italian municipalities. In 2000 he joined the Shionkama company. In 2004 he joined the Giguywassa Company of traditional West African music and dance.