Manding Jata

Manding Jata presents the music dance and oral traditions of the Mande speaking peoples of West Africa. Manding Jata transcends colonial borders and refers back to the timeless cultural heritage of the great Mali Empire. Much of the repertoire comes from this golden age, between the 13th and 15th centuries.

Manding Jata presentations are a study in contrast. From the “delicate” and “angelic” sounds of the kora, to a full djembe drum ensemble. From the whir of the nyri nyro and subtle ambience of arythmical audience finger snaps, to the “magical” sonority of Mandinka and Bamana balafons…

Performances have been variously described as “transcendent” and “a complex cultural circus,” while the dancing has been described as “a dazzling display of strength, grace and acrobatics.”

The artists of Manding Jata come from the heart of Mande culture. They are jalis – hereditary musical and oral historians with a seven hundred year heritage as musicians and interlocutors to the royal courts of the Mali or Manding Empire. Almost all have served as principal musicians or dancers with their countries national cultural troupe before joining Manding Jata - the Lion of Mali. Audiences worldwide are celebrating this unique cultural experience.

Manding Jata, is translated the Lion of Mali, in the Mande languages of West Africa. It is written Mandingue Djata in French speaking countries.

The group was founded in 1996 to tour the music and dance theatre production The Sundiata Epic. The original market for this show was primarily youth festivals and US venues programming a youth component or series.

Within five years The Sunjata Epic had been featured at most of the worlds major events for young people, receiving accolades from presenters and rave reviews from the global press.

In 2001 Manding Jata was invited to headline the African Renaissance Festival of Dance in Barbados by the Office of the President and the Commission for Pan African Affairs. The group presented a two week residency which included dance workshops for over 100 professional dancers, educational programming for thousands of young people and two sold out public performances at the National Theatre in Bridgetown. The tour included a national press conference, extensive media coverage and rave reviews in both national newspapers.

Manding Jata spent the next five years developing the public concert and campus market primarily in the USA, selling out large concert halls and performing coast to coast.

After turning down several requests to perform in New York City, the group accepted an offer from the Brooklyn Center at Brooklyn College. This event provided the necessary profile for the desired impact, with media saturation, including the New Yorker magazine, New York Times and a live interview and performance on WBAI radio.

Purchase Tickets Online