Performance
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Ryan M. Camara is an entertaining and engaging performer with over a decade of studio and stage experience. Ryan began playing drum set at the age of 9 and performed at parties, weddings and clubs throughout the Southern California area during High School. "I've always loved being on-stage, but was always envious of the singers and guitar players who could run around and really entertain while performing. When I first saw a jembe drum, I thought WOW - I don't have to sit behind a drumset anymore! The entire kit was right there. It didn't take me long to realize however, that there was a lot more to playing jembe than running around pretending it was a portable drumset. There was an undeniable lure that fascinated me and pulled at my very core, like nothing I had ever experienced."
That lure led Ryan to sell his drum set in 1996 and buy a plane ticket to Guinea, West Africa. "I had just finished my Associates Degree in Music at Orange Coast College and had six months before I started at UCLA. It was just and amazing year. I started playing jembe in January, met Mamady Keita and M. Lamine Dibo Camara in the summer and was in Guinea in December. It was my first time out the U.S. and I had no clue how it would change my life forever."
Over the next 12 years, Ryan honed his skills in learning, playing and performing the traditional music of the jembe orchestra in Guinea and around world with his teachers Mamady Keita, M. Lamine Dibo Camara, Ousmane Sylla, Ibrahima "Boka" Camara, Lansana "Sagetella" Camara, Sekouba Camara, Yamoussa Soumah, Nene Soumah, Aboubacar Soumah and others. It wasn't just the traditional music and ceremonies that appealed to Ryan, however. "My teachers taught me early on how important it was to respect the traditions of the jembe, its music and role in traditional culture, but I was also fascinated by the theatrical productions of the ballets of Guinea and the artists pushing new styles in Guinean contemporary music. I was so fortunate to have amazing teachers who helped me to live and breathe both worlds and eventually meld them together in and educational and entertaining way."
As a member of M. Lamine "Dibo" Camara's Company Fore-Fote, Ryan was able to take his performing career to new heights and to places most non-native West African musicians can only dream of. Ryan recorded and performed with current and former members of Guineas prestigious, Les Ballets Africains including Mouminatou Camara, Hawa Conde, Aboubacar Oscar Camara, Yamoussa Soumah, Marietou Camara, Prince Diabate and countless others in major tours and performances around the world. Fore-Fote's, "Wonbere" CD became one of the classic traditional West African albums and Ryan performed on some of the worlds top stages including the Dalai Lama's, "World Festival of Sacred Music" the "Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival", and tours sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. In Guinea, Ryan performed with Sekouba Camara's Ballet Matam and Ibrahima "Boka" Camara's, Boka Jr. at performances, festivals and special events throughout the country and co-authored, performed and choreographed the Yankadi-Macrou celebration for the West African Drum and Dance: A Yankadi-Macrou Celebration book, CD, and DVD for Alfred Publishing.
Ryan later created his own performance group, "Wakili" to give students a chance to develop their performance skills while continuing to educate and entertain the public about the traditions of the jembe and the sacred music of Guinea. Ryan found a love in choreographing productions which have included memorable performances for the Southern Oregon Day of Percussion, Britt Festivals family concert and the Ashland Dance Festival with Nene Soumah. In 2005, Ryan became artistic director for the non-profit performance and educational organization Denbaya, Inc. and co-arranged the music and choreography for hit spectacular, "Dunia Fare" with Kaya Skye and Jasmine Starr.
Ryan continues to record, perform, choreograph and share music for a variety of mediums. "I love to expose people to the power and energy of traditional West African arts in new and unique ways. I love to connect with people and see them give into the music and let it take them on the same kind of ride it has taken me. Ultimately, the more people can relate with the performance the more interest it brings to West African arts and culture and hopefully ultimately benefits my teachers, family and friends in Guinea."
