ABOUT
us
We have been promoting the music and cultures of Africa for over 20 years. Explore West African music and cultures with our unique products and services:
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Schools and educational institutions: Expose students to Africa's vast traditions and cultures through year-round, fun, and engaging live or virtual school music workshops and presentations.
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Corporate Team Building: Bond your team at work, offsite, or virtually via video conference with fun and challenging drumming activities.
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Private Events: Make your event memorable by enhancing a wedding, fundraiser, or special celebration with an authentic, interactive live or virtual performance.
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Weekly Classes: Experience something new and discover West Africa's traditional music with our fun and informative weekly classes.
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Artist Management: Support your career or event with our professional artist management services for African artists.
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Authentic Musical Instruments: Discover and purchase professional, authentic West African musical instruments.
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 Virtual performanceBook a virtual performance |  Wedding performanceBook a wedding performance |  African drumming workshopBook a drumming workshop |
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 Live PerformanceBook a live performance |  School Assembly performanceBook a school assembly |  Authentic African musical instrumentsOrder a musical instrument |
 Summer festival performanceBook a festival performance |  Weekly drumming classJoin the Toronto percussion school |  PresentationBook a presentation |
 Private party performanceBook a private party |  Fashion show performanceBook a fashion show performance |  Dance workshop - Live drummingBook a dance workshop |
​Promotional live performance
Interview (French)
"A echelle humaine"
Batuki-La / Fibe TV Interview (French)
Passionate About Inspiring Others
Our company was founded in 1999.
The founder and artistic director of "Alpha Rhythm Roots", Alpha, is from Guinea, West Africa. Alpha has played traditional Mandé African percussion for over two decades and is based in Toronto, Canada.
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Alpha is a former engineer and project manager who worked in the corporate world in Europe and Canada for over 15 years, before becoming a full-time business owner, musical artist, music instructor, and cultural educator. Our company started as a source for the best professional Mandingue musical instruments sold worldwide, and it has since developed into multiple live and virtual music-related services.
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In collaboration with local percussionists, as well as other professional musicians and artists, Alpha provides African drumming-related services in both French and English. He also performs at concerts, festivals, cultural events, schools, private corporate events, and community fundraisers in the Greater Toronto Area, across Ontario, throughout Canada, and worldwide via virtual services.
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The many past appearances and collaborative works of "Alpha Rhythm Roots" include a concert with rock band and Juno Award winner Sam Roberts and the Sam Roberts Band, featuring a percussive arrangement for several tracks at the 2014 New Year's Eve ET Canada concert in Niagara Falls.
In addition to running his business, Alpha is deeply engaged in musicology. Part of his studies was used to build the instrument section of this website. Alpha has been featured on Canadian television (TFO, VIA TVA, Fibe TV), as well as in documentaries and interviews about traditional music in Guinea and West Africa. He has also composed and recorded music for TV documentaries.
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Alpha specializes in the bass drum (“Doundoun”) percussion instrument, but he also plays the djembe drum among other West African musical percussive instruments.
Note for schools:
Our company signed a year-round, official educational programming partnership with the TDSB (an approved vendor), which allows us to work in any Toronto school. We also work with private schools and all GTA school boards (English, French, Catholic, etc.).
We have all major Toronto-GTA school boards explicitly named in our event insurance policy.
Alpha has completed the following courses:
- High Five Fundamental Movement Skills Professional Development (FMS PD)—a certification for working with children's programs in the recreation industry.
- Artistic Education Certificate / Artist in the Schools—a course jointly offered by the Ontario Arts Council and York University.
- First Aid course (CPR Level C), and a police vulnerable sector check.
THANK YOU
Thank you to all our customers from around the world who have ordered and enjoyed our professional musical instruments. Thank you also to all the schools, individuals, and companies that requested and enjoyed our drumming services in Canada throughout the years.
Alpha would also like to thank all the Master artists (drummers, dancers, and musicians from Guinea and other Mandingue region countries) whom he met over the past 20 years. Thank you for teaching and inspiring him, which has allowed him to share the traditions and cultures of the Mandingue public through music. A special thank you goes to Dundufola Mohamed Akra for his great contribution to developing Alpha's Doundoun playing technique (Bass drums - Upright style).
Among the many legendary Master percussionists from Guinea, the four who inspired Alpha the most are Fadouba Oulare, Famoudou Konate, Mamady Keita (Nankama), and Mohamed Diaby.