iambambuti

Bambuti international drum and dance troupe founded by Efe Bes keeps the tradition of African dance and music alive with its “other world” music and dance blending all rhythms and styles of African drumming and dance with today’s contemporary styles of hip-hop, techno, house and pop.Traditionally, specific drum rhythms and dances were performed for many reasons including communication between villages, rites of passage ceremonies, mating rituals, births, deaths, etc. The drumbeats and dances of Bambuti represent all that our ancestors did.The groups’ single drummer and co-founder, Efe Bes plays up to 25 drums simultaneously; most of which are African drums (djun-djuns,djembe,atumpan,abengadeng),as well as bongos. In 1999, Bes collaborated with co-founder and lead dancer/choreographer, Ma’at Zachary. Zachary began to recruit dancers and with her 20 years of dance experience she trained them and developed choreography to Bes’ drum rhythms.Bambuti refers to the group of people(Mbuti)-(Ba) meaning “the group”, known to be the first inhabitants of the Congo region of Africa(formerly known as "Zaire")that once resided within the Ituri rainforest. The Bambuti were known to live among the rainforest harmoniously and are masters of polyphonic and polyrhythmic music.In the 1970’s their lands were designated a national park to protect the gorillas; and the Bambuti was forced out. Today the park is full of coltan miners and loggers and the gorillas, baboons, porcupines, wild boars, monkeys and the Ba Mbuti people themselves are being systematically killed. Recently there has been a policy enacted to transport the Bambuti out and into reservations.Bes selected this name--Bambuti after tracing his roots to the Congo region—the home of the Ba Mbuti, it is his way of keeping alive the energy and spirit of the Ba Mbuti people.Bambuti donates 10% of profits towards the preservation of the indigenous Ba Mbuti people. BAMBUTI? www.iambambuti.com ?For booking information: