Remembering Mamady Keïta: Djembe Rhythm ‘Kaloo’ and the Legacy of West African Percussion
Earlier this month marked the anniversary of Grand Master Mamady Keïta’s passing. In honour of his extraordinary contribution to West African drumming, I’ve shared a new video exploring one of his later compositions — the beautiful rhythm Kaloo.
Mamady is said to have dreamed this rhythm and developed it during his time in San Diego in the early 2000s. I first learnt Kaloo directly from him in 2009, and later revisited it during a workshop in Senegal in 2010 (originally due to be taught by Mamady himself, but led instead by Seckou Keita after Mamady became unwell).
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Exploring Kaloo – Djembe, Dunduns & Multitasking
In this new video, I walk through Kaloo’s djembe and dundun parts, slowly unpacking the structure and phrasing. After demonstrating the dunduns, I have a go at one of my favourite challenges: playing and singing at the same time – a playful way to internalise the arrangement and help others feel how the layers fit together.
If you’ve played Kaloo before, I’d love to hear how and where you learnt it. And if it’s new to you, I hope this helps bring you closer to Mamady’s rich and vibrant musical world.
Sharing the journey
I’m always exploring new ways to develop solo phrasing and technique — and this roll has been a really enjoyable challenge. Sharing these ideas through video is part of how I keep the learning alive and offer something that others might find useful or inspiring in their own playing.
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Thanks for reading — and happy drumming!
-Steve Rivers
