MAMADOU

Artist Information

Biography

Winner of the 2011 "Boston Music Award" as International Artist of the Year and the 2010 Martin's "International Reggae and World Music Award"

ABOUT MAMADOU

No other band performs with such a command of African poly-rhythms and as high an energy as MAMADOU. Performing original songs and arrangements, MAMADOU has developed a unique sound that WILL GET YOU TO DANCE!! The rhythms that emanate from MAMADOU are infectious, and have to be experienced to be understood. The truly multicultural band is led by the immensely talented Mamadou Diop (pronounced 'maa-maa-doo jop').

Prior to coming to the United States, Mamadou Diop (known throughout West Africa as Modou Diop) was considered one of the greatest rhythm guitarists in Senegal, and unique in his approach to music. He toured Africa, Europe and Canada performing with some of Senegal's most noted musicians and bands (including those of Orchestra Baobab, Baaba Maal, Youssou N'Dour, Thione Seck, etc.).

Today, Mamadou resides in Massachusetts, constantly writing and arranging new materials that are introduced routinely in front of live audiences. Surrounded by some of the top musicians in New England, he and his band are ready to bring their creations to you!

Says Mamadou... "It is my wish for this music to be in direct contact with the soul of the audience, to lift up their spirits and to bring a sense of freedom to their minds."

You are encouraged to check out our website and our references, listen to the free music clips that are offered, watch the video clips that are available for your review and enjoyment.

Enjoy our music. That's why its there!

Feel free to contact us, even just to say "Hello".

Historic Moments

Festivals and events:

Bethlehem Musikfest
Chatham Fourth of July Parade
First Night Portsmouth
First Night Boston
First Night Portland
First Night Worcester
First night Beverly
Marblehead Festival of Arts
Walk for HAWC
Marthas Vineyard Film Festival
Ocean State Reggae Festival
One Heart Festival
Lowell Culture Fest
Phoenix Rising Peace Festival
May Fire Arts Festival
Rockland Lobster Festival
Sproutstock Festival
Salem CultureFest
Boston green festival
Boston African festival
Lowell African festival
Somersworth International Children's Festival
Explore World Arts - Camp Harbor View
Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center
Prouts Neck Yacht Club
Mary Baker Eddy Library
Malden African and Tropical Bazaar
Patton Park Summer Concert Series
EVOLVE Music and Arts Festival
NH League of Craftsmen Fair
Veterans Green,Agawam
The Artists Collective Auditorium
Life Alive,Lowell
DeCordova Museum
Boston City Hall Plaza
Yankee Homecoming
and more...

Schools and Colleges:

Assumption College,Worcester.
Curry College
MassBay Community College,Framingham
Harvard University
Harvard School of Public Health
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of New England, Portland
John Stark Regional High School
MassBay Community College,Wellesley,
Harvard Law School
Providence College
University of New England, Biddeford
The White Mountain School
Clinton Community College
Saint Anselm College
Saltonstall School
Woodstock Academy
The Brown School
MIT(artists behind the desks)
Carlton school
Babston college
Berklee college of music
And more.......

Clubs and Restaurants:

The Paradise
Hard Rock cafe Boston
House of Blues
Avalon Boston
Ryles Jazz Club
Captain's Carlos
Drom,NY
The stone Church
Cape Ann Brewing Company
Iron Horse
Nectar's
Wonder Bar
The Grog
Black Lobster
Harlow's Pub
Naswa Resort
Victoria Station
Middle East Downstairs
Middle East Upstairs
City Ale House
New Wave Cafe
Penuche's Grill
Sampas Pavilion
Beehive
Port Tavern
Tammany Hall
Village Smokehouse
Oyster Bar Grill
Milly's Tavern
On the Ground at The Barn
Two Boots
Penuche's Grill
Red Square
Johnny D's Uptown
The Western Front
Hannah Glover,cruise
Oyster Bar Grill
Harbor House
Tommy Doyle's
CinemaSalem
And more......



Showcases:
Emergenza
NEMO Boston
Sienna college(Albany)

Accolades:
2011 Boston Music Award for International Artist of the Year
2010 Martin's International Reggae & World Music Award
2002 Boston Music Award nominee for Best World Music Act
2001 HeartBeats Favorite Award
Mamadou Diop received "Heros of Humanity Award" honorable award (Art of Living Foundation)
Mamadou Diop received Humanitarian of the Year Award (Commonwealth of Massachusetts)
Music selected for iTunes Essentials Compilation
Selected as house band for Debra Crosby's Talent Quest TV Show
Signed contract with Loud Dust Recordings (Burlington, VT)

Instrumentation

Mamadou Diop - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Percussion
Adam Zampino - Keyboard & Vocals
Michelle Cherie - Vocals & Percussion
Mitch Cohen - Drum Kit
David Gagnon - Bass
Shira Moss - Congas

Discography

2007 DJIBI (Loud Dust Recordings)

2006 NADINE (Loud Dust Recordings)
.

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace

Audio

• Solo Lemme (Live)
  Listen   Download
• Show Me The Way (Live)
  Listen   Download
• Debbie (Live)
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• Daouda Sane (Live)
  Listen   Download
• I Am Me (Live)
  Listen   Download
• Ignan
  Listen   Download
• Senegal
  Listen   Download
• Xarit
  Listen   Download
• Thiedo
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Senegal

Video

Introduction by Mamadou Diop

MAMADOU Promo Compilation - Filmed by Debra Crosby

Photo Gallery

Press

• The Merrimack Current [+ Show ]
  

  ..."The Mamadou sound itself is hard to peg: The band performs original music that combines African ......"The Mamadou sound itself is hard to peg: The band performs original music that combines African rhythms and lyrics with western musical influences, making it world beat in the largest sense of the term. For example, Daouda Sane, a song about the connection between man and nature ("We are all a part of nature," Mamadou says, "but we sometimes lose the connection. Daouda Sané can bring us back to nature, or nature back to us.") is based on a traditional Senegalese chant with original music and lyrics added by Mamadou"...
  
  ..."But the studio albums are tame by comparison to the live sessions.... It's harder, edgier and more energetic, a complete change in the sonic direction of the band. Then Mamadou will, with a wave of the hand, stop all of the music except for the drumming, giving listeners a crash-bang lesson in the fundamentals of his music"...

• Boston Globe
  

  2002 Boston Music Awards Nominee for World Music Act

• Concert caps week of cultural activities [+ Show ]
  

  WOODSTOCK— Language students at Woodstock Academy punctuated a weeklong focus on foreign cultures wi...WOODSTOCK— Language students at Woodstock Academy punctuated a weeklong focus on foreign cultures with a Senegalese-style concert that certainly put them in the mood for a rocking weekend.
  
  “I think it’s wonderful for the kids to go out of the school dancing,” said language instructor Merry Burke, who helped organize the school’s Culture Week for the 10th consecutive year.
  
  Charmed by the rhythmic sounds coming from the six musicians on stage, more than 100 students snaked down to the front of the auditorium, clapping and dancing to the beat that might be described as a rocking mix of early Santana and the late Bob Marley.
  
  “I liked the concert mostly because it was refreshing to listen to a style of music so different from what one hears on the radio these days and yet still entertaining and pleasant,” said junior Jessica Deary of Pomfret. “Culture Week is very informative and it reminds people that there is a whole, wide world outside of Woodstock; it helps people to be more open-minded about different cultures.”
  
  Jessica knows from whence she speaks, having traveled to Senegal with a contingent from the academy.
  
  “After visiting Senegal, I have been much more open-minded about different views on subjects such as polygamy, and I am much more thankful for the opportunities I have in this country such as education and freedom of speech,” she said. “The most different thing about Senegal was the Senegalese perspective on life. Everything was very laid back and people were incredibly friendly. Also, of course, many people were very poor and it was kind of a shock to see so much poverty.”
  
  The West African nation may be financially poor but there appears to be a richness in the Senegalese way of life.
  
  “Once I understood their mentality regarding the ranking of certain issues, such as women’s rights versus monetary issues, I was able to absorb their unique and diverse culture, which was equally as enjoyable as northeastern Connecticut, just supported by a different way of life,” said senior Aoife McCarthy of Pomfret, who also made the trip.
  
  Students at the academy got a hint of that different way of life during the concert, which culminated a week that included “morning announcements in a different language each day and you had to guess the language,” says Jacob Duncan of Woodstock, and daily attire in the colors of the flags of designated nations.
  
  “We all dressed up in different countries’ colors each day. It was awesome,” said freshman Caitlin Child of Woodstock.
  
  And who doesn’t enjoy a concert?
  
  “I loved it all, especially the singing,” said sophomore Amanda Paquette of Woodstock.
  
  The singer was Senegal native Mamadou Diop, who now resides in the Salem, Mass. area.
  
  “Love, peace, hope — you make it happen,” said Mr. Diop. “Always stay positive in your life; never give up.”
  
  His message delivered, the Senegal native called for the students to “come down” for some fun.
  
  Soon, more than 100 kids stood in front of the stage, clapping their hands over their heads, dancing to the enticing rhythm of Mr. Diop’s snare drum.
  
  “This is pretty good, the drums and guitar are pretty cool,” said sophomore Clint Beausoleil. “It’s a lot better than I thought it was going to be.”
  
  Which sums up many Woodstock Academy students’ reaction to the customs of other countries to which they were exposed during Culture Week.

• NorthEast Performer Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  Mamadou at the Middle East PerfomerMag, http://www.performermag.com By Kerry Skemp - February 8, ...Mamadou at the Middle East
  PerfomerMag, http://www.performermag.com
  By Kerry Skemp - February 8, 2008
  
  CAMBRIDGE— When Mamadou Diop took the stage, it was clear he was totally ready to rock. Decked out in a full camouflage-safari outfit, complete with a safari vest, and pith helmet, Diop was more than prepared to lead his audience on a journey through a musical jungle of Afro-Caribbean grooves backed up by traditional West African drums. And that's just what he did, rocking the Middle East with fast drumbeats and joyful guitar chords. Diop kept the evening upbeat but not sappy, advising audience members to "Stay your own self," and backing up his positive attitude with vibrant sounds.
  
  A native of Senegal, Diop now lives in the Boston area but tours the world sharing Mamadou's wide-ranging but technically focused musical stylings. At the Middle East, the band revealed Caribbean, Spanish, and even Asian influences while maintaining a steady African beat. Band members played offset rhythms on a variety of drums, creating a richly textured mixture of rhythmic tones. Guitars and keyboard bass rounded out the band's infectiously nuanced sound. Diop and his band sang in Wolof (an African language prevalent in Senegal), English, French, and Spanish, making for a performance that was globally focused in lyrics as well as sounds.
  
  In addition to a standard drum kit, capably manned by Mitch Cohen, Mamadou played a number of traditional African drums. Diouck handled the tama, or talking drum, a small drum that's held under the arm and made to "talk" or play various pitches by squeezing the strings of the drum. While he elicited frantic "talk" from the tama, Diouck also manned the sabar drum, a djembe-like drum native to Senegal. Mamadou also featured Michelle Cherie on djembes, Adam Zampino on keyboard bass, Pavel Jirka on lead guitar, and of course Mamadou Diop himself on electric guitar and various drums. Two guest drummers also played.
  
  The band's enthusiasm was impressive. Diop's dance rhythms were so intense that his hat flew off his head a few times Surprisingly, this couldn't quite get the crowd going. In fact, the crowd was perhaps the least pleasant aspect of this performance. Mamadou is a remarkably energetic band that makes unique music with driving beats; it's too bad the Middle East crowd wasn't up to the challenge of moving with those rhythms.
  
  http://www.performermag.com/nep.livereviews.0804.php
  

Setlist

Our music and sound is our own. The set list and length of show varies with the audience and setting. Typically, we perform from 1 to 4 hour shows. The words and music are often improvised, and we throw in powerful percussion and instrumental jamms, just for fun. All the while, we share positive messages and African culture throughout our shows.

Incomplete Song List

AFRICAN
Nadine
Sweet Susan
Ibou
Woma
Thiedo
Samina
Daouda Sane
Kine Camara
Dimbe
Afrique

LATIN/CUBAN
Bailar
Berey Lin
Senegal
Dane

REGGAE
Ignan
Show Me The Way
Me
Cherie
Solo Lemme
Why Not
Baobab

CROSS-RHYTHM
Kathleen
Djibi
Ami

IMPROV
Drum Jamms
Spontaneous Songs (unrehearsed)

... and more ...

Basic Requirements

Calendar