IOWA DRUMMING
Honoring and Inspired by
Traditions of West Africa
Upcoming
Classes, events, links, & resources.
↓↓
Photos-videos
Memorable moments!
Highlights
Past happenings.
contact us
iowadrumming@gmail.com
UPCOMING speciaL EVENTS
Bolokada Conde Drum Workshops
October 3 & 4.
To be finalized later with details.
Unity Center
414 31st St
Des Moines, IA
Des Moines Drummers
Drake Magic of the Night Lantern Parade
28th and Kingman Blvd.
Friday, July 10, 2026 (Saturday, July 11 rain date)
7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Tubabu and Foliba at the Des Moines Marathon
Sunday, October 18, 2026
8:00 a.m. - Noon
Near Mile 1 and Mile 25.
23rd Year!
IOWA DRUM LINKS
STATEWIDE
Fonziba Koster's School Programs and Classes
FAIRFIELD
Foliba Drum Troupe
Bob's Class Notes
DES MOINES
Des Moines Drummers
Rhythmic Liberation Alliance
Tubabu Percussion Ensemble
IOWA CITY
The Fabulous Yahoo Drummers
Full Moon Studio
QUAD CITIES
Quad Cities Drum Circle
WATERLOO/CEDAR FALLS
Drum Iowa/Cedar Valley Drum
CEDAR RAPIDS
Unity Drumming Circle
DRUM CLASSES
Always call to confirm!
FAIRFIELD
Beginning and Intermediate West African Drumming
Drums available
Classes for children - Four-week sessions!
Classes for adults - Ongoing!
Fonziba: 641-472-8536
IOWA CITY
West African Drum Class at Full Moon Studio Iowa
Ongoing
Fonziba: 641-472-8536
DES MOINES
West African Drum Lessons
Linda Foster: 515-669-5820
DRUM CIRCLES
Always call or email to confirm!
DES MOINES
Community Drum and Fire Dancing
Monthly in Favorable Weather at the John Grubb YMCA
Sabba Circle: https://www.facebook.com/sabbacircle
DES MOINES
Periodic Drum Circles
Unity Center, 414 31st St.
Stacey O'Brien
https://www.facebook.com/groups/109606085757894/
IOWA CITY
The Fabulous Yahoo Drummers
Ped Mall events and more.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/439104986195259
FAIRFIELD
Bonfire, Drumming/Dance Circle
Near/on the Full Moon in Favorable Weather
Eric Randall: ericbrandall@gmail.com
FAIRFIELD
Native American Drum Circles
Two Eagles Native Designs
East Side Square | 59 South Court | Fairfield
Traditional Lakota Ceremonial Songs and more
Ed A. Fox: 641-799-3355
allenross108@gmail.com
CEDAR RAPIDS
Unity Drumming Circle
Native American Drumming
Hawkwoman: 319-431-7550
QUAD CITIES
Quad Cities Drum Circle
WATERLOO/CEDAR FALLS
drumiowa@gmail.com
DRUM REPAIR
Muggle Drums in Des Moines -- Drum Build and Repair
Djembes, douns, and more.
Jim (Looking Wolf) Curtis, Whispers, 1700 Woodland Ave.
515-288-1366
JUST OVER THE BORDER
Mississippi River Drum Circles
Sunset Beach, Rock Island, IL
Backup if flooded: Blackhawk Park
Periodically
https://www.facebook.com/groups/QuadCitiesDrumCircle
Brent: 309-292-5528
Peoria Drum Circle
Peoria, IL
https://www.facebook.com/groups/345565228856910
Omaha Street Percussion
Omaha, NE
Website
Facebook
REGIONAL SPECIAL EVENTS
Fakoly Drum and Dance Conference
June 12-14, 2026
Barbara Barker Center for Dance
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Midwest Mandeng
Drum and Dance Workshops
TBA
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Urbana, Illinois
ResourceS
Rhythm Reference Project
Bolokada Conde
Madou Dembele & Super Yankadi
Mamady Keita: A Life for the Djembe
West African Percussion (WAP) Pages
Eric Charry:A Guide to the Djembe
Raymond's Transcriptions (via old Djembe-L)
Djembe Drums and Skins
Wula Drum
Rainer Polak:
RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion
Publications
Field Recordings
Download audio albums
The Art of Djenbe Drumming (Volume 1)
The Art of Djenbe Drumming (Volume 2)
Famoudou Konate - The King of Djembe
Video: The different types of djembe and other instruments.
Book: Memoirs of an African Musician (My Life, My Djembé, My Culture)
Baba Olatunji in Concert. New Years Eve 1986.
Opening for the Grateful Dead
https://www.youtube.com/@BabaOlatunjiMusic
Dununba Fö - A Conversa dos Tambores (Talk of Drums)
Filme sobre cultura Mandeng, com foco na música e na dança e na relação cultural Brasil - Africa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US_Q55dhYMs
CD-ROM:
Music and Culture of West Africa: The Straus Expedition
Books:
Jembe Revolution by Kojo Bey
African Rhythm and African Sensibility by John Miller Chernoff
Ancient Text Messages of the Yoruba Bata Drum by Amanda Villepastour
The Drummer's Path by Sule Greg Wilson
Mandiani Drum and Dance by Mark Sunkett
The Mande Blacksmiths by Patrick R. McNaughton
Mande Music by Eric Charry
A Rhythmic Vocabulary by Alan Dworsky and Betsy Sansby
Drumming at the End of Magic by Mickey Hart
The Clave Matrix by David Penalosa
When The Drummers Were Women by Layne Redmond
Secrets of the Hand by Alan Dworsky & Betty Sansby
Bambara-English, English-Bambara Student Lexicon by Charles Bird & Mamadou Kante
African Percussion by Serge Blanc
West African Rhythms by Age Delbanco
Planet Drum - Mickey Hart
Anke Dje Anke Be by Abdoul Doumbia & Matthew Wirzbicki
Extended Interview with Bolokada Conde:
Part 1: https://youtu.be/NTMGtvQD0-M?si=Eo9WArDx2R79GFcp
Part 2: https://youtu.be/Fm3VQahRjFo?si=l87a9sb4lwMY1P-m
Part 3: https://youtu.be/ie2nT8NCNDI?si=aiOfkK84bZ_g2NW6
Documentary:
The Final Journey - Mamady Keïta's Final Homecoming to Balandugu.
https://youtu.be/J2sDJEvoVrw
LES BALLET AFRICAINS
Documentary: Les Ballet Africans group (Guinea) preparation for the U.S. tour in 2008.
Filmed in Conakry, TV station in Fall 2007 (15:03)
Artistic director - Hamidou Bangoura
https://youtu.be/MXg8WdqBkQo?si=YJ14SFyv7lX9901I
Heritage (Full Album) (53:04)
World Field Recordings
https://youtu.be/0NXwGCRQ3eI?si=3XLADG-aVXi9b7tj
Big Notes Films: Les Ballets Africains: 50 Year Jubilee! (9:34)
The National Dance Company of Guinea, Africa performed at the Vision Theater in Los Angeles in 2003.
https://youtu.be/SCPGqx4NtHQ?si=M0PST9x4v6UsOaTX
NOTE: CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE
1970: This short film covers the fifth U.S. tour of Les Ballets Africains, the National Ensemble of Guinea, as they perform a variety of African dances for American audiences.
https://archive.org/details/306-a-37-adventure-africa-les-ballets-africaine