TO the Beat: Amadou Kienou

Master drummer Amadou Kienou hails from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, once part of the vast ancient Mandingo Empire. A descendant of the Dafin people, Amadou was initiated as a djeli or griot—an oral historian preserving and transmitting history, culture and values. Bringing the traditional to the contemporary, he delights international audiences with unique polyrhythmic expression. The djembe is his principal instrument: “the djembe is more than a musical instrument; it is an extension of the musician through which he expresses his life, his emotions.” He also plays dunduns, n’goni, tama, guitar and drum set.