Ladji camara biography template
Ladji Camara was born in in Norasuba, Guinee..
Biography.
Jan Schmidt
On a blustery evening, April 28, 2022, I struggled against the wind along First Street to City Lore Gallery for the sold-out event about the history of the African Djembe Drum in New York.
When I entered, the room buzzed with the excitement of celebrating the djembe and Papa Ladji Camara, the man credited with bringing the djembe to New York, if not the entire Western world.
Born in Guinea in 1923, Papa Ladji Camara began drumming as a child and went on to become a world-renowned djembe drummer, performing with Les Ballets Africans de Keita Fodeba and the National Ballet de Republic of Guinea.
Over the years, he also played with Babtunde Olatunji, Pearl Primus. Katherine Dunham, Art Blakey and many other notable artists. Papa Ladji Camara passed away in Senegal on October 24, 2004.
Before the program began, people gathered to hug and talk after our long period of Covid isolation.
What a joy to see those faces: Sierra Leon poet, drum