Robert J. Damm is the Professor of Music at Mississippi State University. In the Fall of 2011, Damm travelled to Mali to study the music and culture of Mali. Throughout this time, he studied the djembe (drum) and balafon (marimaba) intensively with Bassidi Koné.

Damm interviewed Koné concerning his musical background and his knowledge of the djmebe. Sekou Camara served as a translator and informant for this interview. This interview, named ‘The Jembe in Mali: Bassidi and Maraka‘, was published in Percussive Notes (USA), in January 2013 (see below).

The Jembe in Mali: Bassidi and Maraka
An Interview