About Me
The band was formed in Brazzaville, Congo, in 2000, by three childhood percussionist buddies- Teber, Kaela, and Mbay, who play the senga n'goma. In 2003 TAMBOURS SANS FRONTIERES moved to Bamako, Mali, under the leadership of Teber and Kaela. The band's name, which was suggested by the late Nkounk-Koung Mess-Mess (who also created the band Tambours de Brazza), means "Drums without borders", and that is truly what it is- always the senga n'gomas playing the traditional Congolese rhythms, but enriched by West African influences, breaking borders, fracturing frontiers.
Teber, or "Tchi-tcho" as he was known back then, like so many drummers, began by banging on empty cans: drumming was in his blood, via his father, Charly Milandou, and his maternal grandfather. Already by 8 years old, he was accompanying a church choir, and at 12 or so he began playing the senga n'goma in neighborhood ballets in Brazzaville. To foster his professional development he sought a master, "Bible". Then in '98 he was accepted into the Ballet national congolais, where he played both solo and accompaniement along with his childhood buddy, Mbay. The two of them had an awesome reputation among the drummers of Brazzaville- when they played at a wake, no one else dared challenge them!
Since Mbay and Kaela had left the band, Elie Bassouamina had arrived and has been steadfast in his loyalty; other Congolese musicians have come and gone. Since 2006, in Bamako, Teber has been the leader, guiding the band in its development. TSF has played in festivals in Francophone Africa: FESPAM (Brazzaville, Congo), FESPACO (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso), FESPOP (Louga, Senegal), Festival sur le Niger (Segou, Mali), Diamwari (Mopti, Mali). Boncana Maiga invited TSF to appear on his weekly TV-5 show, "Stars Parade" and then to play at one of his New Years Eve galas. TSF has been befriended and helped by Toumani Diabate and Habib Koite.
TSF got a well-deserved break when Teber was able to move to the United States to break more boundaries, or as Tiken Jah says: "ouvrez les frontières!" AS OF JULY 2008, TEBER HAS RELOCATED TO CHICAGO ILLINOIS, U.S.A. "FRACTURING FRONTIERES...!" With Mbay once again in the band, as well as Pline Mounzeo, TSF is starting to make their presence known with appearences in the venerable Evanston Ethnic Arts Festival and the World Music Festival- Chicago 2009.
