Causeries Artistiques en Français – Nov 26, 2022

Feature Artists

Ange Ngankam: I am a dance choreographer who practices different dance styles such as hip-hop and African dances. I am a self-taught dancer who started dancing when I was little but got into it seriously about 9 years ago. Since then, I have participated in many dance shows and choreographed music videos for various artists. Currently, I teach dance classes to communities in Toronto and create various dance projects.

Didier Leclair, real name Didier Kabagema, was born in 1967 in Montreal. He is of Rwandan origin. In 1987, Didier Leclair left Africa to pursue his university studies in Sudbury and Toronto. A former journalist, he is now a French evaluator for the Toronto YMCA. Didier Leclair won the 2000 Trillium Literary Prize for his first novel, Toronto, je t’aime, and his second novel, Ce pays qui est le mien, was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award. His most recent novel is “Le vieil homme sans voix” published by Editions David in 2019.

Master drummer Amadou Kienou hails from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, West Africa, once part of the vast ancient Mandingo Empire. A descendant of the Dafin people, Amadou was initiated as a djeli or griot (an oral historian), one of a long line of griots whose role is to preserve and transmit their people’s history, culture, and values. Nowadays, bringing the traditional to the contemporary, Amadou delights international audiences with his unique polyrhythmic expression of emotions and memories. The djembe is Amadou’s principal instrument. As he describes it, “the djembe is more than a musical instrument; it is an extension of the musician through which he expresses his life, his emotions.” Mastery of the djembe requires a lifetime of discipline and dedication, and the guidance of a djembe master, provided, in Amadou’s case, primarily by his father, the late revered Baba Kienou. Amadou plays several other traditional African instruments – the dunduns, the n’goni, and the tama, not to mention the Western guitar and drum set. As a djeli, musician-composer, dancer, choreographer, and instructor, Amadou Kienou has been active throughout North America, Africa, Europe, Asia, India, and the Caribbean. He has performed and recorded with many great artists, including Miriam Makeba, Manu Dibango, Angélique Kidjo, Salif keita, Youssou N’Dour, and Kassav, and with his own ensembles Fotéban and Djeli Sira (The Griot’s Path). In recognition of his artistry, he has received numerous awards, including Best African Performing Artist in Canada 2019, Radio Kilimanjaro’s Best Male Performer of 2018 and Male Artist of the Year 2016, Cultural Ambassador of Burkina Faso in Canada. On June 19th, 2018, Amadou Kienou was awarded the Order of Merit of Arts, Letters and Communication, in Ottawa, Canada. Formally recognized as a Griot/Master Drummer in his homeland (and the only one in Canada), Amadou has resided in Toronto since 2008, performing around the globe and regularly teaching dance and drumming workshops in schools, universities, and at festivals throughout the nation. Amadou’s fluency in English, French, German and the universal language of the drum allows him to reach a large audience with his teachings.