“Nine women play the djembe drums and dance with such intense energy that headbands and ankle-beads fly off their bodies. The sell-out crowd has never seen such vigorous bodies or heard such forceful pounding. The Women Master Drummers of Guinea are a musical phenomenon.”
Sue Katz, EDGE Boston
“The energy, passion, and skill exhibited from the stage was incredible, and the audience reciprocated with its enthusiasm.”
Whatsuparlington.com
“It's an unforgettable experience.”
The Justice
It's the drumbeat that pulls you in. The Doundoun, Krin, and Djembe beat is an ancient African sound, primal and powerful.
NIMBAYA!, previously Amazones Women Master Drummers of Guinea, welcome in a new age. Before the group formed, no females in Guinea were permitted to learn the art of Djembe drumming. Group founder, Mamoudou Conde, brought together 15 girls from the four different regions of Guinea, ranging in age from 16 to 20. Some of the women faced disownment from their families for pushing the boundaries of tradition. After training for nine years to become master drummers, the women began to tour the world.
The women of NIMBAYA! put their souls into each performance. To watch them play is to watch the spirit of West Africa ascend from the floor into legs and hips and arms and explode out from their hands in the pounding of flesh on flesh.
Now, with approval from the government of Guinea, the group tours to showcase their talents and the newly-born female drumming traditions of West Africa to the world stage. Their mission is "to share the cultural values with children, to help them understand their own culture."
NIMBAYA! first toured to France in 2002, and followed that with an American tour in 2004. Since then they’ve toured internationally to over 15 countries.
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