Emmanuel Eku was born in the Central Region of Ghana, as a young boy he started drumming learning mostly from his father. As a boy Emmanuel played for many Kings and Chiefs entertaining them with his talents. Emmanuel joined the National Dance Company of Ghana in Accra (The Capital City). He soon became a Master Drummer within the company and stayed with hem for eight years. After traveling with the National Dance company to many areas of the world Emmanuel decided to move to America. Currently Emmanuel Eku lives in
Madison, Wi with his wife and son and currently works at Webcrafters Inc.
Tim Gruber, from Madison, Wisconsin, has been playing drums and percussion for over 30 years. He travelled to Ghana in 1997 to learn drumming there. He also plays with the Madison Marimba Quartet and with the Diakite
Mali Blues Band. He has a master’s degree in music and is a music
teacher the Madison public schools.

Abu Mohammed, was born in Tamale in the northern region of Ghana. He started his drumming and dancing at the age of 15 at the Art center in Tamale and moved to Accra to his brothers group Novisi in Madina there he was invited to the national dance ensemble at Legon he performed nationally and international with them he was the visiting artist at Wesleyan Univ, in CT. Abu resides in Madison, WI.
Tommy Nani Kwashi Agbeli is a native of the Ewe’s at the Volta Region of Ghana. He received his dance and drum training from his father, Godwin K. Agbeli, who was the director of the National Arts Council, the founder of the Sankofa dance theater and the Dagbe Cultural Institute and Art center in Ghana. Nani also took lessons from artists at the National Arts Center in
Accra. Nani has performed with and led the cultural group Sankofa Root II in Ghana where they have received many awards. He has been the lead drum and dance instructor at the Dagbe Cultural Center in Kopeyia, Ghana for 9 years, where schools such as Berklee College of Music, Tufts University, Bowling Green University, etc., send students. Nani has also been a guest artist at the University of Legon in Ghana, Edna Manley School of Dance, Music, Textile and Performing in Jamaica, Lawrence University, Berklee College of Music and many more.

Nicky Sund has studied drumming in Guinea and the United States. For ten
years she accompanied Modern and African dance classes at the University of
Wisconsin in Madison. She currently plays with the bands Ladies must Swing, Atimevu, The Barb Cheron Big Band and Model Airplane.

Djam Vivie is a Master Wood carver and Drum builder from Ghana. He has taught drumming and carving for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, many Madison area Arts programs, schools, museums and festivals. Djam’s artworks have been exhibited around the world. He currently plays with Atimevu and the Mali blues band.

Popularity: 4% [?]