TONY VACCA AND MASSAMBA DIOP Rhythm Griots…
That phrase translates roughly to “rhythm storytellers,” keepers of traditions and bold creators of new sounds, and it’s the common ground shared by Massamba Diop and Tony Vacca. They are the co-founders of The Senegal-America Project, and they have been working together in Senegal and America for over two decades. It looks like that when you see them together, it sounds like that when you hear their music, and it feels like that when they perform.
If you like contrasts, then you'll see that their collaboration incorporates and celebrates Black and White, Christian and Muslim, ancient and contemporary, African and American. But most of all these two remarkable musicians are friends, and just like their friendship, their music is built upon mutual respect and appreciation. The result is this meeting of two mindful, soulful, world-class performers; two rhythm griots meeting on the common ground of rhythm and storytelling.
Massamba Diop has gained world wide recognition not only for his decades-long role as the lead drummer for one of Africa’s greatest singers, Baaba Maal, but also for his starring role in the Academy Awards winning soundtracks of “The Black Panther” films, and now for his many featured performances as guest soloist with symphony orchestras throughout America and beyond.
Tony Vacca’s career as an innovative world percussion soloist and group leader has lead to performances at World Music festivals and concert venues near and far. These include The Chicago World Music Festival, The Daniel Sorano National Theater of Senegal, The Lotus World Music Festival, and Baaba Maal’s Festival le Blues du Fleuve. Tony has performed and/or recorded with pop icon Sting, with Jazz legends Don Cherry, Yusef Lateef and Avery Sharpe, with poets Abiodun Oyewole (of The Last Poets), with Ms. Tantra Zawadi, with American Beat Poet laureate Paul Richmond, and with African vocalists Baaba Maal and Tsidii Le Loka.
The music they have created together is a contemporary living link between the ever-evolving traditions of their respective countries. Where Massamba Diop grew up immersed in the confluence of village and city sounds in Senegal’s capital city of Dakar, Tony Vacca grew up outside of Newark, New Jersey just as Jazz, Blues, Motown, World Music, and Rock and Roll were about to converge and reshape the music of The Sixties… and just about everything that came afterwards.
They found each other on a concert stage in America (Northampton’s legendary Iron Horse Concert Hall) where Massamba was touring with world renowned Senegalese singer Baaba Maal. Tony was part of the opening act that night (along with Tsidii LeLoka who went on to become the first Rafiki in Broadway’s “The Lion King”) and from that point forward their friendship and their music became a dynamic fusion of possibilities.
It was just the beginning of what became the signature of their amazing collaboration, The Senegal-America Project.
Their concert and festival performances are a tour-de-force of spectacular rhythms within a mesmerizing webwork of melodic percussion. Their Senegal-America Project offers groups from this duo to an eight-member combination of players and dancers. Their educational programs in schools are a roadmap for how World Music can be a doorway into 21st century global citizenship, as well as a reminder of how music effortlessly integrates the disciples of math, science, and social studies.
They offer school programs that include participatory hands-on workshops, group discussions, and concert assemblies.
In schools their concert programs are a spectacular confluence of traditions that connect their respective worlds in Africa and America. The workshops they offer include The Multi-Culti Rhythm Ensemble (lead by Tony) and “The Talking Drum: from Ancient Traditions to The 21st Century,” lead by Massamba Diop.
For School programs:
Tony and Massamba typically offer three workshop sessions and one concert during the school day. In each workshop session Massamba and Tony each lead their own workshop. These sessions run simultaneously in separate locations and should be approximately one hour. Concert performances usually include a brief performance by one of Tony’s Multi Culti Workshop groups.
SCHOOL PROGRAMS FEES: $2100 for a day of concerts and workshops. Evening concerts open to the community on the same day as a full day school program are an additional $800.
For concert programs like festivals, clubs and special community events fees typically start at $1500. But each event has it’s own set of circumstances to consider, so the best approach is to contact us with your vision and your proposal. We’re always trying to make something good happen, and we want to hear what’s on your mind.
For more info and to arrange bookings contact Tony Vacca. Email: tonyvacca@comcast.net. Cell: 413 658-5109
About the performers: Massamba Diop was born in Senegal, a country rich in musical heritage and cultural diversity. Growing up in a family deeply connected to the arts, Massamba was exposed to Senegal’s ever-evolving traditional music from a young age. He learned to play the tama, a traditional talking drum, which became his primary instrument and a medium through which he expressed his ethnic and cultural identity.
In the late 1980s, Diop gained international recognition for his collaboration with world renowned Senegalese musician and vocalist, Baaba Maal. Their partnership marked the beginning of a creative journey that has spanned over three decades. As a key member of Maal’s band, Diop’s innovative drumming style and ability to blend traditional rhythms with contemporary sounds played a vital role in the evolution of West African music, and brought an international audience to their performances.
In addition to his work with Baaba Maal, Massamba Diop’s talents have extended into the realm of music for film. He gained significant acclaim for his contributions to the soundtracks of both of the Academy Award-winning films “The Black Panther,” and “Wakanda Forver,” directed by Ryan Coogler. His drumming added an authentic ancient and contemporary African sound to the film, enhancing its cultural narrative and connecting audiences to the rhythms of the continent. This achievement solidified his reputation as a versatile and sought-after musician.
Massamba Diop is known for his dynamic drumming style, characterized by intricate rhythms and a deep understanding of traditional Senegalese music. His performances are a celebration of African culture, often incorporating elements from various musical traditions. Diop has influenced a new generation of musicians, both in Senegal and beyond, encouraging them to explore and embrace their cultural roots while pushing the boundaries of contemporary music.
With a career spanning over three decades, Massamba Diop has left an indelible mark on the world music scene. As a performer, educator, and cultural ambassador, Diop continues to inspire musicians and audiences alike, ensuring that the rich traditions of his homeland are celebrated and preserved for future generations. He has collaborated with an international cast of artists that include Herbie Hancock, Peter Gabriel, Mumford and Sons, Tony Vacca, and Afro-Celt Sound System and he has been the guest soloist for the music of The Black Panther with over a dozen world-class orchestras including The New York Philharmonic, and symphony orchestras in LA, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Sydney Australia.
Tony Vacca has been a free lance percussionist for over four decades, incorporating a world of music and instruments to create something… all his own. Over the course of his career he has made a habit of pushing the already adventurous conventions of World Fusion Music into new territory, both as a soloist and as the leader of his World Rhythms Ensemble and Fusion Nomads.
His educational programs take students and faculty on a deep dive into the power of music to open young minds to how we are all connected, and to how music elegantly requires the integration of math, science, geography… and so much more.
Tony has performed and/or recorded with Pop icon Sting, Jazz and world music legends Don Cherry, Yusef Lateef and Avery Sharpe; with world renowned Senegalese vocalist Baaba Maal, with South African vocalist Tsidii Le Loka (Broadway’s first “Rafiki” in “The Lion King”) and percussionist Massamba Diop; with American born vocalist/percussionist Vinx, and with American poets Abiodun Oyewole (of The Last Poets), Ms. Tantra Zawadi, and America’s Beat Poet laureate, Paul Richmond. His newest project, Fusion Nomads is all about what comes next from this confluence of tradition and innovation.