Ammaya Dance and Drum - African dance and drum classes and performances in Massachusetts and New England

(Formerly Cape Cod African Dance & Drum)

See Ammaya Dance & Drum Video!

Come dance and drum with us to uplift your spirits! African dance and drumming brings people together in happiness, for rejuvenation, health and community. Release stress, work it out and get into to the rhythms....

Ammaya Dance & Drum offers classes, drum circles, school assemblies and community performances in traditional West African dance and drumming, all throughout the New England area. We dance and play for the love of African culture and joy and healing of its art forms. Classes are for all levels of experience, background, shapes, sizes and ages. Try one out!

Please contact us if you would like our ensemble to perform at your concert, assembly, party, wedding or festival.

Ammaya Dance & Drum is led by master drummer Issa Coulibaly of Mali, West Africa; and Tara Murphy, longtime African-American dancer of Massachusetts. Through their love of the cultures and art forms of West Africa, Issa and Tara, and all their fellow dancers and drummers have built a dynamic dancing and drumming community in the area. Ammaya Dance & Drum stays active year-round with regular classes and performances. Through their numerous African dance and drum events throughout the New England area, they share the healing and upliftment of these art forms, as well as education about African culture and the diaspora.

Issa Coulibaly began studying the djembe and dun dun when he was 11 in his home city of Bamako, Mali, West Africa. As his skill and reputation grew as a multi-instumentalist, vocalist and arranger, Issa toured Africa and Europe extensively before emigrating to America. He continues to travel, facilitating retreats and performing as the lead drummer and music director for a variety of African dance and drum troupes. For more information about Issa, visit: www.issacoulibaly.com.

Tara Murphy, originally from Washington, D.C., began exploring her heritage through African studies at Yale University. She was awarded a Yale fellowship to study traditional dance and drumming at the University of Legon in Ghana, West Africa. Since returning to the U.S., for the past 20 years, she has studied closely with many African and Afro-Caribbean artists in Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston. Tara recognizes the practice of African dance and drumming as a tremendous force for healing, empowerment and community. It is her greatest honor to share the inspiration of these ancient traditions.

Bounabou Fana Fama
It doesn't matter how long it takes -
your dreams will come true at the right moment.