Kandara Diebate

born in 1973 in Bignona, Senegal

Kandara belongs to the Jeli, a caste of the Mandingue ethnic community in South Senegal. The Jeli are well known musicians and storytellers, preserving and passing on the Traditions of their people like their history, their legends and sayings. The tellings are performed as chorales accompaned by
traditional instruments such as the kora, a seventeenth century african harp, which is played by Kandara in a masterly manner.

Kandara played with Awa Senn Sarr and the Band PETTAW at the National Theater in Senegal. In 1997 he was, as a member of the Band KANSALA, first prize winner of the countrywide musicand theater-group competition in Dakar, Senegal.

Since 2001 Kandara lives in Germany:
Since then he has his own Bands BANTAMBA and KANDARA DIEBATE & FRIENDS with his wife playing djembe and both german and african musicians.
2002 on tour with ARGILE, Nürnberg
2006 and 2007 performances in Montreal, Canada, including Radio- and TV-appearences
2007 Foundation of the world music band KAIRA TILO and since then appearences in all Germany, Switzerland and Italy including the creole world music competition
Since 2010 member of the ORCHESTRA OF CULTURES, lead by Adrian Werum, Stuttgart

CD-Productions:
2003: ”Dunya“ by Kandara Diebate And Friends
2009: ”Voyage“ by Kaira Tilo
2010: ”Kora meets Jazz“

Book-Productions (Co-author at „Musiklehrbuch-Verlag LEU in Neusäß):
2003: „Djembe III / Kora“
2004: „Djembe-Ratgeber“ (”Djembe-Manual“)
Collaboration on Teaching-DVDs „Djembe spielen lernen“ (”Learning hot to play Djembe“) and
„Vom Baumstamm zur Trommel“ (”From trunk to drum“), both LEU-Verlag