Mady Kouyate

Djely Mady Kouyate was born in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa. He is a descendent of the Diaolu people who are oral historians and musicians of the Manding traditions. Mady is the son of Dialy Mamadou (Professor of the Conservatory of the Arts and Drama, Senegal), from whom he learned the family tradition of musical artistry and verse that records the history of West African societies. Mady performs both as a solo artist and with his family, a popular ensemble who play at festivals, community functions, educational institutions, museums, and African embassies, performing a mix of traditional (dating to the 13th century) and contemporary songs. Mady also provides accompaniment for many vocal artists, and plays and tours with various groups.

Mady began playing the kora, a 21-stringed harp, during childhood. He relocated at age 16 to Bamako, Mali, to further pursue his traditional lineage of a griot, or oral storyteller. In 1993, he began his apprenticeship under virtuoso Kora artist, Toumani Disabate, and continued his studies in music and theory at the L'Institut National des Arts (National Institute of the Arts) in Bamako. He performs professionally with Toumani's symphony band, touring in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Cote d'Ivoire. In the year 2000, Mady made his first international tour, covering more than 30 US states in the USA with the Ballet d'Afrique Noire.

Mady is currently based in Ypsilanti, Michigan and has performed at the University of Michigan, Ohio University, University of Maryland, Howard University, the Detroit Institute of the Arts, the Dance Institute of Washington, and numerous art festivals. In addition to playing at Marquette's One World Beat concert, Mady will visit classes at Northern Michigan University, serving as a guest of the university, and will be making media appearances in the Upper Peninsula area in the days preceding the OWB concert. He will be speaking about Malian folk music and HIV/AIDS, and will create and perform a special AIDS song which will be recorded and played on the radio, and will serve as a centerpiece of the concert itself.

This invitation was extended by Louise Bourgault, a professor of communication and performance studies at Northern Michigan University and author of "Playing for Life: Performance in Africa in the Age of AIDS" (Carolina Academic Press, 2003), which focuses on the use of music and the performing arts in Africa to address HIV/AIDS. Professor Bourgault and her students are responsible for creating the OWB-related events in Marquette, Michigan.

Links:
OWB Marquette event
Mady, music and storytelling in African culture

Edutainment, or use of arts and entertainment to educate about HIV/AIDS and other issues, is a vital method of communication being used throughout Africa
and many other parts of the world in an attempt to prevent disease and change behavior. One World Beat itself is part of this valuable trend, which is saving lives and lifting spirits at the same time. A number of OWB 2004 events are using music and theater as teaching tools, in places as diverse as Pakistan,
Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas.