Local musician Leah Ivory went on a tour to Ghana, West Africa, in 2006, with her choir and came home with a djembe. That trip transformed her life in more ways than one. Learning about the djembe was one of the ways. Committed to becoming proficient, she had the good fortune of studying with world famous master drummer Mamady Keïta, beginning in 2009 with a workshop in Chicago and continuing through yearly international workshops until his passing in 2021. Leah was certified through the Tam Tam Mandingue Djembe Academy, Mamady’s international school of djembe, in 2017 and remains committed to sharing the language and love of djembe as taught to her by Mamady. In this workshop, participants will play djembes (West African drums) and learn a bit about the cultural and historical context. Leah will teach a traditional rhythm from village life as we build community together. Come and drum!
