ABOUT
us
Explore West African music and cultures with the following unique products and services:
Experience something new with our fun and informative weekly class, and discover some of West Africa's traditional music - Expose school students to some of Africa's huge traditions and cultures through year-round fun, live, or virtual music workshops and presentations - Have a Team building activity at work, offsite, or virtually via video conference, and bond your team through fun and challenging activities - Make a wedding memorable or enhance a fundraiser / special event with an authentic live or virtual performance - Hire one or more versatile African percussionists for a recording or concert - Let us help you with our Artist management services for African artists - Purchase a professional and authentic West African musical instrument.
​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.
Before working as a full time business owner and musician / instructor, Alpha is a former Engineer / Project Manager who worked in the corporate world, in Europe and Canada, for over 15 years.
Our company started as a source for the best professional mandingue musical instruments sold worldwide, and developed into multiple music related live and virtual services.
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In collaboration with award winning percussionist Walter MacLean, as well as other professional musicians and artists, Alpha provides African drumming related services (in French or English). He also performs at concerts, festivals, cultural events, schools, private corporate events, and community fundraiser in the Greater Toronto Area, across Ontario, in Canada, and worldwide (by means of virtual services).
The many past appearances and collaboration work of “Alpha Rhythm Roots” include a concert with rock band Juno award winner “Sam Roberts” and “Sam Roberts Bands”, with a percussive arrangement for a few tracks of the “New Years Eve 2014 E.T Canada concert” in Niagara Falls:
In addition to running his business, Alpha is also very engaged in musicology.
Part of his studies has been used to built the instrument section of this web site.
Alpha has already been featured on Canadian television (TFO, VIA TVA, Fibe TV), in documentaries and interviews about traditional music in Guinea and West Africa.
Alpha has also worked on the composition and recording of music for TV documentaries.
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Alpha is specialized in base drum “Doundoun” percussion instrument, but 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 (Approved vendor), which allows us to work in any Toronto school - We also work with private schools and all G.T.A school boards (English, French, Catholic, etc..).
Alpha passed the following courses:
- High Five Fundamental Movement Skills Professional Development "FMS PD". (A Certification assisting in working with children's programs in the recreation industry).
- Artistic education certificate / Artist working in the schools (Course jointly proposed by the Ontario Arts council and York university).
- 1st Aid course (CPR LvlC), and Police vulnerable check.
THANK YOU:
Thank you to all our customers who ordered from all over the world and enjoy professional musical instruments. Thank you to all the schools, individuals, and companies that requested and enjoyed our drumming services in Canada through the years.
Alpha would like to also thank all Master artists (drummers, dancers, musicians from Guinea, and other Mandingue region countries, that he met in the past 20 years, for further teaching him and inspiring him, allowing him to further inform the public about the traditions and cultures of the Mandingue through music! A special thank you to Dundufola Mohamed Akra, for is great contribution to further develop Alpha's Doundoun playing technique (Base drums - Upright style).
Among the many legendary Master percussionists from Guinea, the four that inspired Alpha the most are: Fadouba Oulare, Famoudou Konate, Mamady Keita (Kargus), and Mohamed Diaby.