The Guinea-born, Madison-based musician plays a fundraising show on October 20 at Café Coda. (Photo by MOD Media Productions.)
Mandjou Mara is a musician who was born in the west African nation of Guinea, and has spent the last 10 years living in Madison. He’s a singer and a master of the djembe, and during his time here, he’s been teaching West African percussion and leading the band Kikeh Mato. Mara and Kikeh Mato will be playing on Saturday, October 20 at Café Coda as part of an annual fundraising effort for a school in Guinea. Ahead of that, Mara spoke with Tone Madison contributor Phoebe Schlough about his musical upbringing, his approach to teaching, and dealing with the gaps between different musical languages.
Give the conversation a listen here, or subscribe to the Tone Madison podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and consider supporting us financially with a one-time or recurring donation.
