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Biography |
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Thomas
Guei is a master drummer, as well as a dancer, choreographer and actor.
He received his formal training at the Ecole de Danse et d'Echanges
Culturels (EDEC) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Upon completion of his technical
degree in arts, he became a drumming teacher at EDEC as well as at international
schools in Abidjan such as the French and American High Schools. He choreographs
dancing and drumming performances and has been invited to lead drumming
and dance workshops in Europe. Starting at EDEC at the age of seven, Thomas
joined the school's company ÒLes GuirivoiresÓ on several tours throughout
the world, including numerous countries in Africa, Europe, the United States
and Asia. |
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Born
in 1978 in Abobo to a family of traditional musicians and dancers, Thomas played
his first instrument, the gloé, when he was four years old to accompany
his father who was a traditional dancer. Studying the traditional rhythms of
his own ethnic group, the Guerré, as well as those of other ethnic groups
throughout Ivory Coast and Africa, Thomas learned to play an array of percussion
instruments, including the gloé, tamanois, djembé, dounouba, balafon,
bolon, attoungblan, etc. His instrument of choice is the tamanois and djembé,
musical instruments of the proud warriors of the Africa. The djembé can
be played alone or in the tamanois style of his native village, Man. This style
is played on two, three or four small drums strapped to the sides of a djembé |
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Although
deeply influenced by tradition, Thomas is also a product of today's modern,
globalized era. Thus his creative work is constantly evolving based on new influences
he encounters. In 2000, Thomas spent a half-year in Evry, France, at the Ecole
National de Musique et de Danse to lead two drumming workshops and to choreograph
and present two performances. During his stay in France, he worked with a number
of dancers and musicians from companies from around the world, including Erol
Josue's Shango Company (from Haiti), MŽtisSons Company led by Viviana Amodeo
and Kossua Ghiamphy, and Kassia's Nassa Company. His work with these groups
constituted a process of cultural exchange in which both sides learned from
the other. |
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Inspired
by this mixture of traditional and modern influences on his art, Thomas has
teamed up with numerous modern musicians in Abidjan, bringing the traditional
djembé into recording studios and to concerts to accompany musicians such
as Kajeem, Petit Yodé and l'Enfant Siro, Espoir 2000, Bomou Mamadou,
Abraham Mussa, Petit Denis, etc |
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In
1999, Thomas co-starred in the movie ÒBronx-BarbésÓ, from French director
Eliane de Latour. The film, which received honorable mention at the 2000 Locarno
Festival, depicts the struggle of life in the ghettos of Abidjan. Tapping into
his musical talents, Thomas also co-wrote the filmÕs original score, which was
recorded in Paris. |
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Performing
on stage, directing artists and groups, and teaching students are the ways that
Thomas has found to communicate and to share his talents. He firmly believes
that teaching percussion in schools, universities, and centers of art and culture
throughout the world can play an important role in promoting a continued blending
of cultures. |
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Future
Directions: Thomas Guei's goals for the future include: |
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Creating
a group that mixes traditional and modern influences and in which traditional
instruments such as the attoungblan, balafon and djembé, and modern instruments
such as the saxophone and bass guitar are brought together on the same stage
to create a form of multicultural music. |
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Opening
a recording studio to contribute to the advancement of music and the promotion
of Ivorian and African art in all its splendor and creativity. |
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For
more information, contact Thomas through: E-mail at gueithomas@yahoo.fr
or Telephone at: 225-07-89-99-25 (in Ivory Coast) or 410-467-1462 (in the
U.S.) |
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