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Mahiri Edwards
Director, African Drum Ensemble
Musicology & Ethnomusicology Division
Mahiri-Fadjimba Keita has been drumming for two decades. He began in children's theatre playing traditional Malian rhythms, as well as various other forms of music as a lead drummer at the age of 8 in Trenton, New Jersey. He participated in his first international tour at the age of 14, performing with the Maimouna Keita School of West African Dance Children's and Adult Company (New York) at the Sorano Theater in Dakar, Senegal. Mahiri has studied Mandingue drumming extensively with master musicians and historians of Mandingue and other West African traditions including Mamady Keita (Guinea), Famoudou Konatae (Guinea), Fadouba Oulare (Guinea), Djimo Kouyate (Senegal), Olukose Wiles and Aidoo Holmes (United States). He has toured international and nationally as a lead drummer with several professional performing companies including Mamady Keita's production tour "Sewakan", Memory of African Culture Performing Company, Wo'se African Dance Theatre, Maimouna Keita School of West African Dance, Inc., Afrikan Jazz Gospel Funk band, "JuJu Nation", Kono Youth Ensemble, Dono Drum & Dance Ensemble, and Camp Viva "Family with AIDS" project. His latest project, in which he is the artistic and musical director, is a dynamic professional performing company, Farafina Kan - the sound of Africa. Mahiri has several recording credits including the "Mogobalu", recording by Mamady Keita, "Drummers Path", "Magpie Give Light", and "Black Notes".
As a Graduate of Tam Tam Mandingue (TTM), a school of percussion founded by Mamady Keita, Mahiri-Fadjimba Keita is the first appointed Director of all Tam Tam Mandingue institutes in the United States. As Director of TTM, he coordinates and manages annual workshop tours throughout the US and Guinea, West Africa. He also conducts instructional classes for people of all ages on an on-going basis to educate students on the history and technique specific to the Mandingue culture in order to preserve the original form of the Mandingue Djembe Orchestra.
