Toumany Diawara

Toumany Diawara was initiated into Malian percussion in the Banconi district of Bamako by his teacher Madou Sacko. He took part in festivals and traditional ceremonies and performed as a soloist with the Kantiguilla and Kélété ballets. In 1998, he joined François Dembélé’s workshop at the Maison des Jeunes, where he crafted instruments and attended percussion labs.

Recognized for his exceptional skill in performing, he joined the group San Toro Percussions, recording an album in 1999 and touring France in 2002. In 2003, he was awarded Best Djembe Soloist at the Bamako Percussion Competition. He later moved to France, where he founded the company BiFoliKaDi and contributed to the musical creation of the DonKaDi troupe, also joining the groups Balima and Awama.

His teaching work has taken him around the world, collaborating with leading dancers and musicians, including Amadou & Mariam. He developed the ‘Music and Body’ method, which combines percussion and movement to cultivate rhythmic awareness and bodily expression.

He has released two music albums and founded the SAYON Mali Cultural Centre, a music school for children from vulnerable social groups in Mali. He is also co-founder of the Kélenya collective in Athens, promoting African cultural heritage in Greece.