Sydney
Band
Kai Fech
Come and Dance to this African Drum and Dance Spectacular
The beaming smile of Pape Mbaye is as well loved as his wide musical talents. It’s an infectious smile that seems to go hand-in-hand with the West African rhythms that lie at the root of his music. Pape Mbaye, Yacou Mbaye,Thiass Mbaye, Lamine Sonko, Jean Gomes and Fode Mane as Kai Fech bring you the magic of West Africa – an explosion of rhythm and dance, inspired and led by this uncontainable master percussionist.
Captivating and hypnotic, these are the sounds of a culture steeped in magic, ritual and a strong spirituality. They’re the sounds that bring people together, that celebrate, commemorate and rejoice. They’re the sounds that have sophisticated a world of music from jazz to R’n’B to pop. And they’re the sounds that Pape has made since childhood.
Kai Fech – “Come and Dance” – you know you will.
The band members
Pape Mbaye a griot, a drummer and percussionist able to play Sabar, Tama, Djembe, Bougarabou, Congas and Timbalis with equal dexterity, Pape’s performances are as exhilarating as they are colourful.
Pape is originally from Yoff, a fishing village just outside Dakar Senegal, where he was the head drummer, a mantle he inherited from his father. It is at his father’s knee that his musical pedigree began; as the eldest son of the eldest son in a long line of griots and drummers, he began playing at the age of eight.
After 25 years as the head drummer, Pape left his native Senegal and migrated to Australia, and has been living and playing in Sydney since 1999. Pape has played many of the big festivals throughout Australia and New Zealand as well as Singapore.
Pape has worked extensively on the international stage too with such names as Chiekh Lo and Souleyman Faye, as well as playing alongside BB King, Miles Davis and Ringo Starr. Pape is also a dancer, choreographer and teacher. He was both a percussionist and dancer for L’Ensemble Traditionelle Sorano and the Orchestre Nationale du Senegal.
In Australia he has played with in African Diaspora, Global Roots and Marsala, and Black Train highlighting his versatility as a musician. Pape was of course also the exuberant leader of Chosani Afrique.
Pape teaches African Drum and Dance, and regularly hosts month long workshops in Afrcan Drum and Dance in Senegal.
Yacou Mbaye Pape’s son, has been drumming and dancing since he could walk. He is as energetic and enthusiastic on stage as his father and has all the charm and charisma of his father as well as the talent. Yacou is a very versatile musician playing sabar, djembe, talking drum and duon doun. In Senegal he was a member of African Children Dance Troupe performing at the National Arts Centre. His dance troupe Gaaghi won the National Oscar de Vacance Dance Competition in 2006 & 2007. Living in Sydney since 2007, he is a member of Chosani Afrique, but is also making a name of for himself as a master percussionist.and regularly teaches African Drum and Dance in Sydney.
Fode Mane is an inspirational & passionate teacher & performer of West African drum & dance. He is a professional dancer & drummer from Senegal and was formerly a lead dancer & choreographer with the award-winning performing arts troupe, Bakalama, based in Dakar. He has over 15 years experience performing with the troupe & has toured extensively in Europe. He has a repertoire of
Senegalese & Guinean traditions of dance & rhythms. Fode is renowned for his energetic, dynamic & graceful style. Fode is from the Casamance region of Senegal. his particular ethnic group is Djola specializing in Bougarabou drumming & its associated cultural traditions of dance. He also plays sabar, djembe & doun doun. Fode now resides in Newcastle and regularly teaches and performs in Sydney and the mid north coast.
Lamine Sonko is an exceptionally talented dancer & musician. Born in Senegal West Africa to a griot family. His father, Bouly Sonko, is presently the director for “Le ballet national Du Senegal”. His mother was the first solo dancer for the ballet and for “Doudou N’diaye Rose’. Lamine began performing when he was 10 years old. He soon featured as a solo dancer, percussionist & singer in different well known local groups in Senegal. He and his family are highly respected artists and griots in Africa & internationally. Lamine explodes with energy on stage and adds colour and energy to the group.
Jean Gomes is the keeper of the beat in Kai Fech, he is the strong Doun Doun player. From the southern region of Senegal, Jean has been living and playing in Sydney since 2002. He plays extensively in Musica Viva in Schools programmes as part of Teranga.
Thiass Mbaye as Pape’s brother is of course, also a Griot and has been the head drummer in Yoff since 1999 when Pape came to Australia. Thiass is a very talented and spectacular sabar player. As a member of Kai Fech, Thiass adds strong rhythms and bass tones to the band. A recent arrival to Australia, Thiass is teaching Djembe in Sydney and is also working as a percussionist.
Have a listen
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