Bamako, Mali

Jan.10 – Feb.10, 2020

Commencing in January, 2020, Bassidi will host a drum and dance tour to Bamako, offering music and dance students the chance to study with him and his percussion group, Bwazan, Mali’s leading percussion group. Alongside Bwazan, Bassidi is excited to invite two of Mali’s world-renown djembe players, ‘Petit’ Adama Diarra and Karim Coulibali as part-time teachers on this tour.

This is a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in Mali’s vibrant musical culture and traditions, and to share in the lives of Bassidi’s griot family and wider community who will warmly welcome you.

Students of all levels are invited on this tour, beginners through to professional musicians. Tuition is offered in the djembe, doun doun, balafon, kamaln n’goni, tamani (talking drum), and traditional dance. Students will participate in four hours of intensive study a day, Monday through to Saturday, and are invited to train with Bwazan during their weekly rehearsals, three days a week. Students will extend their musicianship, dexterity and technique of their chosen instrument/s, and will develop a deeper understanding of the authentic traditions and cultural context in which it is played in Mali and the wider region. Students will learn griot rhythms from throughout West Africa, predominantly Mali.

At night and during weekends, students will have opportunities to explore the bustling music scene of Bamako. They are invited to attend music festivals, ceremonies and marriages, and other cultural events in Bamako and surrounding villages. Students are welcome to accompany Bwazan’s on their local and regional performances.

Throughout the tour, students will visit some of Mali’s most well-known historical sites close to Bamako.