JACK TAMA

Percussionist, drummer and singer born in Côte d'Ivoire. Got a diploma from the National Institute of Arts and Culture in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire). Graduated from Université de Nanterre Paris 17 in informatics with a degree thesis about its application in the field of music and composition.
1990 signed a contract with RAI (Italian National TV) for a series of tv-scores and moved to Italy.
Collaborations with: Myriam Makeba, Paul Simon, Randy Crawford, Angelique Kidjo, Mory Kanté, Riccardo Cocciante, Anna Oxa, Alex Britti, Michele Zarrillo, Ivana Spagna,Tullio De Piscopo, Tony Esposito, Teresa De Sio, Geraldina Trovato, Mariella Nava, Luca Barbarossa, Eugenio Bennato, Enzo Avitabile, I Tamburi del Vesuvio and Papasun Style.
Took part in creating of several groups like: Negropolitano, Afrika X , Etno Drums, Yampampaya, World Percussion. Performed live and recorded over 150 record as percussionist, drummer, arranger and chorus member.
Teacher for percussion technique and African culture anthropology. Taught in the roman music schools Insieme per fare, Scuola Popolare di Musica Donna Olimpia, Timba and Ciak.
Founder in 2003 of the JT Percussion School in Trevignano Romano (Rome) about which he says: “JTS is today my real inspiration source and the place where I can spread my own culture at best”.
Gave workshops in London, Paris, Boston and Oulu (Finland).

THE VOICE OF THE DRUM

Languages: Italian, French, English

Jack Tama’s peculiarity is his ability in creating extraordinary mixtures of traditional African music and European musical experience. When forming music groups, Tama puts together artists who complete each other with their different experiences giving life to unique and original productions. Tama combines an inborn talent (that he naturally showed in age of 7) with African culture and traditions enriched by the western experience he gained thanks to numerous professional collaborations.
From his mix of afro and other rhythms originates an unmistakable Mediterranean-like sound that employs different kinds of percussions (skin percussions, Orff Instrumentarium) as well as acoustic instruments and effects: a sound that can be emotionally involving, regardless of age and walk of life.
The workshop aims to offer an immediate and easy approach to percussion instruments learning through practice of several rhythms: afro-standard, afro-traditional, afro-latin, salsa and rumba. Besides the technical attainment of sound making both through the use of mallets and through the use of hands, accompaniment rhythms and improvisation will be practised. During the workshop the participants’ group will be split into percussion accompanists and soloists according to skills and attitudes.
The traditional African drum djembé is recommended, without excluding other available instruments (congas, bongos, claves, timbales and more...). Each participant should have a personal instrument from the beginning of the workshop.