Coro Oshun
Coro Oshun is a unique Afro Cuban, Haitian and Brazilian performance and study group founded by Michael Pluznick and Kelli Hill both priests of Santeria that explores and interprets Afro Caribbean music, dance and chants, and combines countless years of studies and travels as well as the creative talents of many of the Bay Area’s finest musicians and performers.
Bolokada Conde
Bolokada played djembe before he could walk. Born in Kissidougou, Guinea, he was called to Conakry by Les Percussions de Guinea as a Premiere Soloist. Bolokada is renowned in his region and in Conakry as a master folklorist and was honored with a gift of land by the mayor of Kissidougou. For years he toured internationally (including the U.S.A.) with Les Percussions de Guinea and gained a worldwide reputation as one of the most exciting and dynamic djembe players alive. He has released two CD”s and is featured on the IMAX movie “Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey”. Bolokada is currently the Musical Director and Premiere Soloist for Les Percussions Malinke. Find out more about Bolokada at his website.
Raphael Forestieri
Raphael has been an avid percussionist from an early age. A passionate student of West African music, he has traveled to Guinea countless times, bringing along groups of drum and dance students. He has preformed both nationally and internationally with several all-star groups, as well as being intensely involved in their production, management and promotion. Raphael’s performance embodies a strength and vibrancy that is not to be missed.
Sean Araneda
Sean Araneda, a San Francisco native, has been a student of music for most of his life. Saxophone and clarinet were early interests. However, beginning in his early-twenties he focused almost exclusively on voice and African percussion, immersing himself in the traditional styles of Guinea, Mali, Ghana and Zimbabwe. Sean is best known for his melodious, grounded, yet hauntingly subtle feel on dunun, but is a djembe player of incomparable sweetness. In 2005 he toured with the opening act for Joan Baez. He has been a member of several Bay Area troupes, most recently with the Chigamba family’s group, Chinyakare Ensemble.
Michael Pluznick
Michael Pluznick is an accomplished percussionist, performer and music producer. Originally from New Jersey, he has traveled to Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico and West Africa performing, recording and teaching since 1972. His teaching credits include Sonoma State University, where he was a guest lecturer and instructor. Some of his students – Arthur Hull, drum facilitator, and Jim Greiner of Latin Percussion – have gone on to have successful careers of their own. Michael’s album, “Rhythm Harvest”, was on Billbard’s Top 20 for two months. Another album, “Where the Rain is Born”, won top honors in Electronic Musician Magazine. Michael currently lives in Sausalito, California where he produces various forms of African music. He performs locally and globally and continues to maintain top form by accompanying dance classes, both in the Bay Area and around the world.
Mohamed Kouyate
Mohamed Kouyate is a native of the village of Sogoboli, located in the Boké region of Guinea. He belongs to the lineage of Bala Fasseke Kwate, the famous griot of Sundiata Keita, King of the Mandeng. He began to study the balafon at the age of two and was principally trained by his grandfather.
While Mohamed is best known for his mastery of the balafon, he is an equally powerful dundun and djembe player. Those who know him as a balafon master are frequently in awe of his soulfulness on guitar and bass. A true traditional multi-instrumentalist, Mohamed has also composed popular music for African recording artists.
Naby Bangoura
Naby’s energetic and fluid dance style have made him a much sought-after performer and teacher. Raised, in Conakry, Guinea, he pursued a career as a soccer player, but became interested in traditional dance while watching his uncle rehearse for Kemoko Sano’s group, Les Merveilles de Guinée. He came to the United States in 1998 with the group, and has been astonishing audiences ever since with his unique interpretation of traditional dance. Naby teaches and performs regularly in the Bay Area.
Barabajaba
The Hawaii-based percussion collective Barabajaba have produced an album that is both exceptional and deeply innovative. The interweaving of soulful grooves and intriguing melodic vocals highlight the connection between ancient rhythmic themes and modern interpretations.
Jesse Seymour
Jesse Seymour has established himself as a talented, innovative and diverse percussionist. A recent graduate of the Berklee College of Music, he currently resides on the Big Island of Hawaii where he teaches and performs regularly.
Jesse began playing drum set at the age of fifteen. Shortly thereafter he acquired a Conga and a Djembe and was immediately enamored with the richness and complexity these instruments held. From that moment on he has committed what is now fifteen years of his life to extensive study of numerous percussion styles from Cuba, West Africa, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Brasil, Nigeria, Ghana, and the Congo.
Seymour has studied and performed with numerous master percussionists including Giovanni Hidaalgo, Ernesto Diaz of Mango Blue and La Timba Loca, Eggui Castrillo Conguero for Arturo Sandoval, Reynaldo Gonzales of Groupo Afro Cuba, and Mohammed Diaby Master Djembefola from Guinea West Africa. He has traveled to the Caribbean and Brasil in pursuit of his studies as well as New York, Boston, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Jesse is known for his ability to play with precision in traditional contexts, as well as to bring the rich African roots into both experimental and contemporary music. In addition, He can be found collaborating with top Dj’s blending his grooving and melodic conga playing with many electronic styles. In the fall of 2007 Seymour joined the roster of talented percussionists endorsing Hawaii based drum company Volcano Percussion.
Over the past few years he has proven himself a mature and innovative bandleader. In his Boston based Latin Jazz group Septeto Tumbao, Jesse arranged his own compositions as well as classic Jazz standards with the complex rhythms of Cuba. Also, he recently formed a spectacular Hawaii-based Cuban style percussion group known as Tambito. This show incorporates original compositions, drum dialogs, burning solos, and the music of Santeria.
Seymour has shared the stage with many well known artists such as Celia Cruz, Mohammed Camara(Tata Denke)), Eggui Castrillo(Tito Puente Tribute Orchestra), Baaba Mall, Rolando Sanchez(Salsa Hawaii), Ray Vega(Orchestra La Pasion), Moussa Bangoura(Sewa Fare), Reynaldo Gonzales(Raices Negras), Assane and Ousseynou Kouyate(Griots Kouyate), and Erin Harpe(Lovewhip). He has played in top venues including Lincoln Center NYC, BBC London, Carnival Center Miami, Holland Music Festival, Casa De Musica Oporto Portugal, Maritime Hall San Francisco, House of Blues, Cambridge Ma. In addition to his vast performing experience he has recorded on numerous albums including “Rise Up”, Naked Drummer Studios, “Yerewolo”, Tata Denke and Mali Music Productions, “Live Booty Pop” and “Bouncehall” Juicy Juju Records, “Salsa from Hawaii” Quiet Storm Records, “Dissent” Wide Hive Productions, “Soul Retrieval” ROG Records, and “Tribute” First Circle Productions.
Jesse continues to tour the world regularly with Orchestra La Pasion Segun San Marcus led by internationally acclaimed composer Osvoldo Goljov. He continues to use his diverse knowledge of rhythm to participate in some of the most cutting edge music of this time.
Michael Pluznick
Playing, perforning, producing and recording music from around the globe for over 30 years. He has collaborated, recorded and/or performed with members of the Grateful Dead, Santana, Bruce Springstein and Todd Rundgren to list a few. His in depth studies in percussion and world music have taken him to West Africa, Cuba, Brasil and Puerto Rico. He has performed with Les Percussions Melenke in the San Francisco Bay Area where he was one of three lead percussionists with master drummer Bolokada Conde. His own albums have won several awards and “Rhythm Harvest” was in Billboards top 20 albums.
Peter “Pedro” De Jesus
Puerto Rican born priest of Santeria and is an internationally respected percussionist, vocalist, healer and psychic. He has spent extensive time in Cuba working closely with masters of folklore and religion.
Yagbe Onilu
Master of many percussion styles including Haitian, Cuban, and West African. With over thirty years experience in the S.F. Bay Area he has played and recording with numerous artists.
Boaz Martin
Over 20 years experience studying and performing numerous ethnic music styles throughout Hawaii and abroad. As an accomplished Tabla player, he has brought the mystic music of North India to our repertoire. Boaz has studied with numerous masters from all over the world. In addition, Boaz plays the Berimbao, a single stringed bow instrument used in the music of Brasilian martial art, Capoeira.
Craig Kohland
Multi-percussionist, performer, DJ and a music and film producer. As owner of the Shaman’s Dream Music Collective and producer of ten albums to date, Kohland is a true asset both on the stage and in the studio. Craig has also co-facilitated over 400 ecstatic dance/world music journeys since 1996 called “Zen Dancing Ritual Concerts”