St. Louis/ December 1 --

Addlife!'s 'Masters of Africa!' Mega Drum & Dance Workshop Festival --with visiting grand master drummer Bolokada Conde from Guinea -- was a blow-out success. 

 PHOTO by Shaye Smith. / Djibril Camara, a Baga grand master dancer from Guinea, teaches AddLife!'s 100 Dancers Unite Liberte!

It was Bolokada Conde's first time St. Louis -- and he taught two exquisite drum workshops, helping beginners discover the Djembe technique and advanced students, communicate the rhythm with pure precision. 

The event’s 100 Dancers Unite class led by visiting dancer Djibril Camara from Guinea topped the night with a lavish lesson in dozens of beautiful African dance choreographics. Dancer and AddLife! Studio founder Malena Amusa teamed up with Camara for the non-stop 3-hour class that inspired stellar performances from all students.

The event united more than 150 African drummers and dancers from across St. Louis, Alton, Kansas City, East St. Louis, Chicago, and Champaign, Illinois, inaugurating new relationships and opportunity for bigger events.

 "The happiness in the room was palpable," said event co- producer and founder of AddLife! Studio, Malena Amusa. "It was like the entire world had come to drum and dance! I want to personally thank our visiting artists for their time and energy. Lets keep dreaming bigger than big to create an unparalleled international force of drummers and dancers, performers and leaders!"

The workshop festival took place December 1, 2011 at 2720 Cherokee St. Performing Arts Center.

PHOTO by Shaye Smith. / Legendary drum instructor and performer Bolokada Conde--  grand master of the Malinke Rhythms of Guinea--  radiates his joy during his two mega drum workshops in St. Louis, December 1.

Moussa Bolokada Conde

Bolokada is a master drummer from Kissidougou,Guinea, expert of Malinke rhythms, and one of the world's foremost djembefolas. He joined the Les Percussions de Guinée to replace the legendary Noumoudy Keïta as their lead drummer. He has traveled and performed in major venues all over the world since 1996 and was featured in the IMAX movie PULSE: a Stomp Odyssey. Since 2004, he has been performing and teaching in the United States. He has conducted percussion workshops in many cities in the US and Europe. He has released two musical CD's, Morowaya and Sankaran. He stars in the DVD M'bemba Fakoli: A Musical Journey Through Guinea and has released the djembe instructional DVD M'bara. He is the subject of an upcoming documentary, Bolokada Conde—Malinke Village Djembefola. He was awarded immigrant status with extraordinary ability in the arts in 2007. He is also the musical director and lead soloist of Ballet Waraba in North Carolina, Ballet Wassa-Wassa in Santa Cruz, California, and Les Percussion Malinke in the San Francisco Bay area.

Djibril Camara

Djibril Camara is from the Baga people, originally from Boke, Guinea in West Africa. He spent his childhood dancing and began his formal training at the National School in Guinea’s capital, Conakry. Djibril was a principal dancer and choreographer for the international touring company Ballet du Afrique Noir of Senegal, as well as Troupe Federale Conakry and Ballet Bougarabou for 17 years, traversing Europe and Africa. Eventually his talent brought him to the U.S. for Ballet du Afrique’s presentation of the Mandika Epic on notable stages such as New York City’s Kennedy Center. For the last ten years he has shared the love of his culture and high energy traditional dance across the U.S., choreographing, teaching, and performing.

& one friggin delighted organizer and dancer: Malena Amusa

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Malena Amusa is the daughter of a Nigerian community organizer and an African American nurse. For the past 10 years, she has traveled to Senegal, South Africa, India, and across America to report the news, train in African dance and music, and start two dance companies at Northwestern University and Columbia University in New York City where she gained her master’s in journalism. An international dancer, reporter, and founder of AddLife! Studio, Malena Amusa believes dance is a powerful form of journalism and education. And she is dedicated to bringing daring tales of legendary people to stage through African dance musicals that inspire and entertain. In her lively African dance workshops, Malena combines a sensational movement vocabulary with daring messages and interactive exercises to help people assert their intellect, creativity, and personality. She has had the delight of studying with such greats as Moustapha Bangoura, Habib Iddrisu, Funmilayo, DeBorah Ahmed, Mama Safia, Tiffany Scott, Sandella Malloy, Diadie Bathily, and Aida of Senegal.

Now this Summer -- AddLife! Studio will be offering free, absolutely imaginatory African dance and music workshops at various St. Louis County and City Libraries.  Take a look and join this vivacious movement!!

African Dance, African Drums

Thursday, May 17 & 24 6:30pm – 8pm @ the St. Louis County Library – Natural Bridge Branch

 Learn the vibrant movement and drum-music of West Africa with Malena Amusa & AddLife! Studio. Discover the rich stories and ceremonies of marriage, battle and celebration. Enrich your life with the folklore of Africa.

Malena Amusa, CEO of AddLife! Studio will present a vivid perspective using brilliant live instruments to guide the audience in a full-sensory learning party. This hour-and-a-half presentation invites three experts in Black Music to lead exciting and interactive lessons on the following topics: The Rock Music of Ancient Africa, The Rise of the Djembe Drum, and The Science of Hip-Hop Music.

West African Dance w/ Malena 
Thursdays, June 21 & 28; 6:45 – 7:45pm @ St. Louis County Library – James Bluff Branch

Join us for this lively exploration of West African dance, rhythm and folklore. Enrich your dance techniques with African dance from head to toe. Recommended for all ages. Registration is required.

Love,
Malena!