Retreat Faculty

M'Bemba Bangoura

M’Bemba Bangoura has traveled the world as a performer and teacher of the Djembe drum, and he is revered for his high level of mastery. As a native of Guinea, West Africa, M’Bemba began playing the djembe at the young age of seven. By the age of twenty-one, he was acclaimed as a master drummer and was invited to play for Ballet Djoliba, the national company of Guinea. Since moving to the US in 1992, M’Bemba is an integral part of the entire drum and dance scene nationwide. He has taught hundreds of students, many of who are now teachers themselves. In addition, he has personally created choreography and developed repertoire for dozens of dance companies worldwide.

Working throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, his style is infectious. He has recorded 3 solo albums, and a 2 volumes of DVDS called Wamato: Everybody Look! M’bemba has been a guest artist on dozens of other recording projects, videos, and films. Dedicated to teaching drumming, dancing, and his culture, M’Bemba is one of the world's most prominent ambassadors for Guinean drum and dance.

Youssouf Koumbassa

Youssouf Koumbassa is a former artist of Ballet Djoliba, the National Ballet of Guinea. Born and raised in Guinea, West Africa, Youssouf began dancing at the age of six. Youssouf's father is from the Landuma people and his mother from the Baga/Susu people.

Youssouf has traveled extensively throughout West Africa, Japan, Bangladesh, India, Holland, Hungary, Russia, Korea, Libya, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Since moving to the United States twenty-two years ago, Youssouf has established himself as the pre-eminent teacher of dance from Guinea. He now travels widely throughout the world as a much sought after master teacher at dance conferences, workshops, camps and schools. His classes are attended by a large and loyal following who are appreciative of his mercurial energy and grace.

Youssouf is meticulous in acknowledging the source of this material and insists on a high level of understanding and respect for the form among his students. He travels to Guinea regularly, taking students on dance trips and returns to the United States with the latest developments in contemporary dance so that his teaching is always a mixture of traditional work and the dances that infuse popular culture. He is easy to learn from and suitable for all levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced dancers.

Danys "La Mora" Pérez

Originally from Santiago de Cuba, Danys "La Mora" Pérez is an internationally renowned master of Afro-Cuban folkloric dance. Perez's special expertise as dancer, teacher, dance ethnologist, and choreographer is in the unique styles of her native region of the Oriente province in Eastern Cuba. Oriente attributes its rich cultural heritage to the infusion of Afro-Haitian influences to an already vibrant Afro-Cuban context. Perez began her dance training at an early age with Afro-Cuban and Afro-Haitian dance ensembles. At 13, she was asked to join the renowned national folkloric ballet company, Cutumba, and toured internationally with the company for 18 years. In 1994, she was evaluated and granted the designation of primera bailarina and primera profesora by the National Dance Commission in Cuba, and has taught outside of Cuba - in Italy, Spain, France, Canada, and the United States.

In addition, while she was still dancing with Cutumba, she founded her own dance company, Adiro Omode, for Children ages 4 to 15 in Santiago de Cuba. Adiro Omode has trained some of the internationally acclaimed professional dancers currently working with Cutumba and Folklorico National de Oriente. In 1998, Las Mora was the founder of another dance company, the original Oyu Oro, with professional and amateur dancers which was also based in Santiago de Cuba.

Since her first visit to the States in 1996, she has taught at numerous universities, participated in the legendary Katherine Dunham's East Saint Louis seminars, and performed at the inauguration of the African-American Museum in Detroit.For the past four years, she has been teaching weekly Afro Cuban dance classes at The Alvin Ailey Extension program. She has also attended in several dance programs and workshops outside New York, as a guest instructor and choreographer, including the annual participation to the summer intensive dance program at Humboldt University in California and Tulane University in New Orleans.

She is the founder and artistic director of Oyu Oro, an Afro-Cuban Experimental Dance Ensemble in New York City. Danys "La Mora" Pérez is an international artist who offers a profound contribution not only to the dance world, but to the world of cultural study as a whole.

Quenia Ribeiro

Quenia Ribeiro is a dancer, choreographer and dance instructor from Rio de Janeiro Brazil with over 25 years of experience in the field. Quenia has performed Samba and Afro Brazilian Dance in Greece, Brazil, and throughout the United States. She has been featured in interviews and performances broadcast on PBS, ABC, WPIX, Telemundo and Fox 5 television. As a dance instructor she has been teaching Samba and Afro Brazilian Dance in NYC since 1997. Quenia has worked extensively in the public and private school system with children and teens teaching Brazilian Dance and Creative Movement (in both NYC and Brazil).

Classes with Quenia include elements drawn from her background in Ballet as well as her 10 years of Capoeira training. Currently Quenia Ribeiro choreographs and directs her own Dance Company, “Grupo Ribeiro”. Recently she celebrated a decade of teaching 5 weekly open classes at the Ailey Extension in New York City. Her reputation as an innovative leader in the instruction of Brazilian Dance has been furthered by her series of 4 instructional DVDs that have been marketed worldwide as well as the Idancesamba instructional app available on Itunes.

Oumar Ndiaye

Born in Conakry Africa, he began dancing at age 7 for the Conakry Prefectoral Ballet in where he receives basic training from him. In 1979 he joined the Ballet Africains de Guinee. Learning the acrobatics, theater and percussion of multiple instruments such as the djembe, balafon and dundun.He participated in several pan-African festivals such as Nigerian Artists Festival in 1981, Festival of Arabo-Maroc in 1983, Pan-African Festival of Tripoli in Libya 1985. He plays the main role of different repertoires such as Singui and Wassara, among other tours in Africa.

He is part of the Guinean selection to join the cast of the renowned Ballet Koteba in Ivory Coast for 3 years. He participates in the recording of the film “La vie platine”. Koteba is one of the modern groups most recognized for starting a new style that integrates the dances from different West African countries, theater and pantomime, music. Besides integrates different modern African dance techniques such as the incipient Coipe Decale, Mdombolo, Mbalax being avant-garde in the context of the folk groups of the time. HE forms in traditional and modern dances from the Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso and Senegal, pantomime and acting.

In 1989 he settled in France to pursue his solo career. He participates in various productions theatrical and cinematographic works touring in Europe. In 1990 he won the distinction prize in Costa de Ivory and in France. He trains in acting and modern dances such as jazz and afrojazz. In 1992 Oumar Ndiaye agreed to take over the management of the Takdja group and settled in Quebec, Canada. Under his direction they won the Juno Award for the best album in the World Music and Music categories. from Africa . He selected it in 1998 with the album Diyé. Oumar collaborates with various artists Canada as a musician, choreographer and dancer until today. Collaborations with In 1998 he created his group Tribaa, a dance and percussion company directed by Oumar. They participated in festivals such as Montreal Jazz Festival and Nuit de Afrique, among others.

He creates a dvd method of learning Guinean percussion called Kharabdiya Le Djembe 1 and 2 in 2000.

Since 1992 he has been teaching, giving training and performing in much of Africa, Europe and America. Touring Italy, Switzerland, Finland, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, United States United, Belgium.

He participates in festivals such as: Festival de la Francophonie, Festival DansEncore, Festival Jeh Kulu, African Diaspora Dance and Drum Festival of Florida, Festival des Rythme de Afrique en Sherbrooke, Tam Tam Macadam de Alma, Festival Roots and Konodon in Mexico, Festival Africa He is in charge in Chile, curator of the International Dance Festival in Guinea 2022, among others.

Moussa Traore

Moussa Traore was born and raised in Mali, West Africa. He has been playing the djembe for over forty years. In 1984, after completing a twelve year apprenticeship, he was deemed a Master by his teacher, Sega Cisse.

Moussa has achieved great recognition internationally as an accomplished musician in theater, traditional Malian ceremonies as well as in the African pop scene. Among musicians in Bamako, Moussa is considered to be one of the top djembe players in the country. He is an acclaimed teacher and performer throughout the US, China and Europe and is considered to be a Master in Djembe music composition. He combines traditional Malian rhythms with the feel of jazz improvisation, Latin pulse and his unique vision of what traditional African sound can be. His charismatic teaching and performing inspires people all over the world.

Moussa is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He works with dancers at Harvard University, Brown University, teaches at Roger Williams University and Wheaton College and others. He offers regular community classes and private lessons, leads drum ensembles for West African dance classes, and performs for special events and workshops.

Mangue Sylla

Mangue Sylla was born in Conakry, Guinea in and started playing music at the age of 7. Although he is Susu, he learned the traditional Malinke music on the Sangban from a group of master Malinke drummers. This gave him a great foundation in the music and the ability to progress quickly.

In 1993 Mangue joined the well known ballet troupe Les Merveilles de Guinee. This provided him the opportunity to travel throughout Africa and study under the leadership of the late great Kemoko Sano. In 1998 Mangue moved to the US and keeps a busy schedule, performing and teaching at most major dance conferences nationwide. He also works with numerous organizations including, but not limited to: Alvin Ailey Arts in Ed, Wula Drum and Dance NYC, Drum Cafe, Marylin's Bamdulaye, and Nandy's Sankofa Kuumba Cac (summer program for children).

Famoro Dioubate

born in 1965 in Conakry, Guinea as a Griot (family lineage who keep the history and traditions of the people). He is the grandson of El Hadj Djelli Sory Kouyate, a living legend of the Mandeng Balafon. In Conakry he co-founded "Les Heritiers" with Sekouba Kandia Kouyate and recorded the albums "Kandia Dinke" and "Nyoumekela" with this group. Famoro was the understudy of his grandfather in the Ensemble Instrumental National (National ensemble of Guinea) and routinely performed for the President and visiting foreign dignitaries. He was a member of the famous Mory Kante's orchestra for the performances and recording of the "Traditional Symphonie."

Famaro has made a strong name for himself and moved to the United States in the late nineties. He is in high demand as a free-lance musician, playing everywhere from nightclubs to Carnegie Hall.

Valerie Naranjo

Valerie Naranjo was the 5th woman to be inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame. She has been the percussionist in NBC's SNL Band for 27 years, and has drummed with such artists as Mick Jagger, Paul Simon, Airto Moreira, Zakir Hussein, David Byrne, Philip Glass, and Paul Winter. In 1988 the ban on women players was lifted, so Valerie participated in the Ghanaian Kobine Festival, for which she won a first prize in 1996. In 1994 she performed and taught with djembe icon Adama Drame. Valerie was Drum! Magazine's "World Music Percussionist of the Year" 2005 & 2008, and "Mallet Player of the Year" 2012. Performance venues include Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall; The Kennedy Center, The White House; London's Royal Festival Hall; FESTIBO (Cote D’Ivoire), Tierra Pura Festival (Ghana), Young Indians (Delhi); Arts Alive (South Africa); and the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Valerie teaches West African drumming, percussion and dance, at NYU, and is a member of NYU’s Global Institute of Advanced Studies. She published, with master gyil artist Kakraba Lobi "West African Music for the Marimba Soloist”, "Joro" for gyil and orchestra, and "Tierra Pura", for Gyil and wind ensemble. Valerie works in the spirit of the arts as a unifying force for the world’s people.

Mohamed Diaby

Mohamed Diaby began playing djembe in Guinea, West Africa at age seven, under the supervision of his elder brother Moustapha, who was himself an accomplished djembefola and member of Guinea's national ballet, Ballet Djoliba. By age eleven, Mohamed was lead drummer for Africa Djolé, led by Fodé Yulla. Mohamed later joined Mamoudou Camara’s troupe, Soleil d’Afrique, also as lead drummer. He toured all over West Africa with that troupe, including multiple years spent in Sierra Leone. Kemoko Sano - legendary artistic director of the world-renowned drum and dance ensemble, Les Ballets Africains, and director of his own dance company, Les Merveilles de Guinée - saw Mohamed perform and requested that Mohamed join his troupe. Upon his return to Guinea, Mohamed joined Les Merveilles de Guinée as lead drummer. Shortly after he began training with Les Ballets Africains. Then, in April of 1995, Mohamed arrived in America to play at New York City's Symphony Space. Nowadays, Mohamed travels around the USA and the world teaching and performing Guinean drum and dance.

Fara Camara

Fara began his studies in the percussion arts in 1993, under the tutelage of the Bayo family from Kankan, who were at that time residing at the Camp Camayenne military base in Conakry, Guinea. While at Camp Camayenne, he also studied with Moussa Kourouma and Billy Nankouma. He soon began performing, first with the Sanké Jeanne Makôles ballets in 1999. In 2000, Fara and members of the Sanké Jeanne Makôles ballet created a new group called the Grand Sorcier Papa Kouyaté.

In 2003, Fara was honored to join the National Ensemble of Percussions de Guinée (after an introduction by Billy Nankouma), and he traveled with Percussions de Guinée to Egypt in 2015 and 2019 to perform. In 2010, Fara created his own group, Fara Percussions. His hope was to form a troupe featuring the finest music and dance talents in all of Guinée-Conakry.

Throughout his career, Fara has worked with and learned from renowned West African percussionist, such as Fadouba Oularé, Coungbana (master of Sangban), Lancei Konté (master of Doundoun), Ali Sylla (master of Djembe, and Lamine Lopez (master of Djembe).

Jose "Apache" Rivera

Jose "Apache" Rivera has played folkloric music throughout the five boroughs of New York's cultural melting pot since the age of eleven. He has been quoted, "I will spend the rest of my life searching for peace, love, and harmony. I play and make percussion Instruments as a form of prayer and meditation. Each one of my Instruments are embraced with prayers and gratitude." This statement rings true and clear in his music and his teaching.

Ismael Bangoura

Ismael Bangoura, born in Guinea West Africa in 1975, has been musical director and lead drummer for Jeh Kulu Dance and Drum Theater since 1997. He has been studying music since age nine, and primarily plays the djembe and krin. His formal training began under the teaching of Master Musician Mohamed Camera, a close personal friend who is currently living in New York. He continued to develop as a musician playing informally and professionally with mentor and teacher Ibrahima “Boca” Camera. Later he worked with Master Percussionist Koungbanan Conde and Lance Kante. At a young age, Ismael landed a position with Percussions de Guinee, touring extensively in Guinea and in Europe.

Since coming to the U.S. Ismael has worked with some of the worlds most outstanding musicians both as a performer and a recording artist. These include Ron Brown, Sekouba Camera, Kemoko Sano, Youssouf Koumbassa and Vermont’s own Trey Anastasio of the band Phish. He regularly travels withing the U.S. and internationally. He has been to Sweden to work with Matimbo and to new Orleans to play with Mariama Curry’s Dance Company. He regularly attends conferences in New York, Florida, and Colorado to teach and perform. Ismael is also a recording artist and has played on CDs with many West African Artists.

Shane Shanahan

Percussionist, composer, and arranger Shane Shanahan has combined his studies of drumming traditions from around the world with his background in jazz, rock, and Western art music to create a unique, highly sought after style. He is one of Silkroad’s inaugural co-artistic directors, and has performed with Bobby McFerrin, James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Philip Glass, Alison Krauss, Chaka Khan, and Deep Purple, among others, and has appeared at the White House, playing for President and First Lady Obama. He frequently hosts workshops and clinics at the world’s leading universities and museums and collaborates actively with the dance, theater, and yoga communities in the New York area, including several stints on Broadway.

Jamal Dickerson

Jamal P. Dickerson II is a virtuoso in the performing arts, demonstrating his mastery of world percussion and West African drum from a remarkably young age. As the lead djembe player for the Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble since age nine, he has captivated audiences globally, gracing renowned stages, from the United Nations to the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Throughout his illustrious career, Jamal has shared the stage with icons like Sheila E, Trombone Shorty, Derek Hodge, Immanuel Wilkins and Christian McBride, Jamal has left an indelible mark on each performance. Representing the USA at the esteemed World Festival of Black Arts and Culture in Dakar, Senegal, he showcased his unparalleled talent on an international platform.

Dubbed "glass hands" for his unmatched skill, Jamal's passion for world music propels him to new heights as he shares his expertise through performances and teaching endeavors worldwide. As an artistic fellow with Washington, DC’s Farafina KAN, he imparts his knowledge to future percussionists at DC Prep, nurturing talent and inspiring others in the realm of music and culture. With a future brimming with promise, Jamal P. Dickerson II remains a beacon of inspiration in the realm of music and culture.

Dave Kobrenski

Dave Kobrenski is a musician, artist, and author of three books on Malinké music and culture, including his most recent book, a narrative memoir titled Finding the Source.

For the past two decades, Dave has traveled extensively in West Africa to study traditional music with master musicians, including Famoudou Konaté, Sayon Camara, Nansady Keita, and more. During a fifteen year period, Dave apprenticed in West Africa as both a flute player and maker with Lanciné Condé, a master of the Malinké flute (known as tanbinfulé in Malinké, or commonly as the Fula flute).

Today, Dave carries on the tradition of the tanbinfulé (Fula flute) as passed down to him during his apprenticeship with Lanciné. Through classes and private lessons with students all over the world, Dave imparts his knowledge of the music with a deep respect for the culture.

As a dynamic performer and multi-instrumentalist, Dave plays the Fula flute, kamale ngoni and djembé with his main music project, called Afroflute, and performs with master djembéföla Sayon Camara and Landaya. He also performs throughout the Northeast with various other projects, including pianist Jed Wilson, jazz guitar virtuoso Randy Roos, Donkilo Afro Jazz, and makes occasional appearances with Barika from Burlington, VT.

Rafael Monteagudo

Rafael Monteagudo (drummer/percussionist/composer) arrived in the US in 2000 from Havana, Cuba. His areas of focus include jazz, funk, fusion, Latin jazz, and Afro-Cuban. He grew up in a neighborhood in Havana that has produced some of the most famous Cuban musicians. The musical traditions in Havana are rich in both popular and folkloric music. it was through sharing the strong African traditions that are inherent in Cuban culture that Rafael gained such a wide range of styles. Rafael continued his studies at the prestigious Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA) and later at Felix Varela conservatory in Havana. while in Cuba, Mr. Monteagudo had the opportunity to work with some of the best-known Cuban jazz and folkloric groups, including Calle 42, Eddy Mesa, Jazz Quartet Carisma and the Conjunto Folklorico of the University of Havana to name a few. He also performed at various prestigious festivals such as the Havana Jazz festival and Cubadisco. Since Rafael has been in the U.S.,he has performed in prestigious venues and music festivals such as Lincoln Center, Central Park Summer Stage, the Jazz Gallery, Joe's Pub, BANF, Blue Note, Scullers Jazz Club, Jerome L. Greene Space at WNYC, Blues Alley, the Smithsonian Institute, The Kennedy Center, the Green Mill Jazz Club, Aspen Jazz Festival, Cape May Jazz Festival, the Rochester Jazz Festival, the Caramoor Jazz Festival, the Sedona Jazz Festival on the Rocks, the Jerusalem Jazz Festival, Artscape, the Painted Bride Art Center, and the Cherry Blossom Festival among others. He has toured with, Yosvany Terry, Chuchito Valdes, Michele Rosewoman and The Pedrito Martinez Band among others including a performance with iconic songwriter and producer Desmond Child for his induction into the songwriters hall of fame. Rafael has participated in Ricky Martins new musical Cuba Libre, with music and lyrics by Desmond Child and Davitt Sigerson and most recently Rafael appeared at a tribute concert to Eddy Palmieri and the late Randy Weston as part of David Virelles ensemble.

In addition to his extensive tours within the United States, he has also toured to Europe, the Caribbean and South America and Canada. Rafael recorded an album with Chuchito Valdes's band. The album, New York is now, was nominated for a 2011 Latin Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album. In addition to his work as a touring, recording performer/musician, Rafael is regularly featured in workshops at the Latin American Folk Institute in Maryland, and in percussion master classes at Coppin State University, Baltimore Maryland, University of Richmond, Virginia, the Levine School of Music Washington D.C., Loyola College Baltimore, Maryland, University of Colorado at Boulder, George Mason University, Washington D.C., The BANFF International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music, and the Kingston Jamaica Jazz Festival. His percussion workshops include drum set techniques, applying Afro—Cuban rhythms to jazz, hand drums, and the various styles of Afro-Cuban music. In 2009 Rafael released his first instructional dvd “Clave in Modern Drum Set Playing”. The video incorporates many African and Afro-Cuban rhythms, including those typically played on congas and Bata that he grew up with. The unique twist that Rafael brings to the music is how to apply these rhythms on the drum set. This allows drummers to gain interdependence in playing using a new method that can bring excitement to their practice. Rafael was featured in modern drummer in October 2004. He uses and is endorsed by Sabian cymbals and Toca percussion.

Dylan Blanchard

Dylan Blanchard was born and raised in the North Shore of Massachusetts, and first dipped his little toes in the waters of rhythm there whence a benevolent man introduced him to some basic West African rhythms after church. A long time later, he has been fortunate enough to have traveled to the cities of Santos and Salvador in Brazil, and La Habana and Matanzas in Cuba, studying the music and culture of those places. Currently his path has taken him to New York City, where he continues his studies in Afro-Caribbean music (mostly from Cuba, and from Brazil and Puerto Rico as well) in a community of great talent, history, and passion. With respect for the traditions and cultures that we feed on, he hopes through this music he can transmit encouragement for the health and well-being of us all, and a feisty good time every once in a while.

Joelle Faucette

Joelle Faucette grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and started her journey with dance and movement at four years old. Classically trained in ballet, she danced throughout childhood with the Dance Del Bello company and began teaching at sixteen. She was first exposed to yoga in her early twenties and fell in love with the combination of breathwork, movement and the healing power of this practice. She has received her Buti Yoga certification, RYT-200 certification, achieved the level of Reiki Master/Teacher, and is the founder of the.SoL.method Podcast. Her teaching style is encouraging, warm, and bright and infused with the dedication to create a safe space for each one of her students.

Everton Isidoro

Everton Isidoro was born and raised in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. He began studying percussion in 1999, and he completed his Bachelors degree in Percussion at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) in 2012. Everton has built his career around his love for the rhythms native to his country, specifically those from Northeastern Brazil. Despite his young age, he is already well respected as both a master player and teacher by musicians world wide.

His work in Brazil consists of 10 years as a percussion teacher and musician at Neojibá project with which he has completed many tours in Europe, the US, and South America. He was the main percussion teacher at Espaço Cultural Pierre Verger for 6 years, musician at Orchestra Afro-Sinfônica, the Orchestra Soteropolifônica, Leitieres Leite & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and more. Worldwide, he has played with artists such as Maria Bethânia, Ivete Sangalo, Caetano Veloso, Susana Baca, Carlinhos Brown, Mercedes Sosa, Cecília Todd, Ramiro Musotto and others. He also performed in more than 75 cities in Brazil with the UFBA percussion Ensemble.

In the United States, Everton has taught workshops at Harlem Samba, Play on Philly, Dwana Smallwood’s dance school, the Philadelphia Orchestra's school partnership program.