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Dramane Kone and Ballet Djelia Kadi
- Long Beach, CA
- Drum / Percussion Show
- Travels nationwide
- Contact for rates
Overview
Ballet Djelia Kadi is an energetic West African drum experience led by Dramane Kone, a third-generation master drummer and griot (traditional storyteller) of Burkina Faso, West Africa. Dramane Kone has travelled around the world performing and teaching has played with lots of famous people like Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, Shakira and Herbie Hancock also played for Black Panther movie soundtrack. Ballet Djelia Kadi members are all professional drummers, dancers, stilt walkers and acrobats, Ballet Djelia Kadi provides an unforgettable show!
14 Reviews

Phenomenal drumming and great dancing! They were entertaining and interactive. Everyone at our event enjoyed them!
African Entertainment, Drum / Percussion Show
Response from Dramane Kone and Ballet Djelia Kadi:
Thank you so much Pamela

I knew Dramane was someone special from our first conversation! His passion for his art & sharing his story thru drumming is infectious. Dramane & his ensemble energized the audience who were happy to join in some dancing. We could have watched them all afternoon & look forward to the next opportunity to work together!
African Entertainment
Response from Dramane Kone and Ballet Djelia Kadi:
Great, thanks Jennifer Holmes it’s was a wonderful event, phenomenal.

Incredible, kind, talented group who are generous with their music, time and smiles! We want to have them perform for even longer at our next big event… they are wonderful performers, wear authentic dress and are very professional. Top notch group and very responsive.
African Entertainment
Response from Dramane Kone and Ballet Djelia Kadi:
Thank you Emily Fialho

We enjoyed the drums and wonderful dancing!
African Entertainment
Response from Dramane Kone and Ballet Djelia Kadi:
Thanks Denise Martin you rocked.

They were great!
Drum / Percussion Show
Response from Dramane Kone and Ballet Djelia Kadi:
Thank you Danielle, you and everyone was nice.

Dramane and his partner were extremely entertaining. They had all the kids (and parents!) on the stage dancing and singing with them. Entertaining and exactly what I needed for our East Hollywood community street festival on L. Ron Hubbard Way.

Dramane Kone and his drummer were amazing performers at our Kwanzaa Celebration event this past weekend. Their presence could be felt from everywhere in the room and they did a good job of engaging the audience - both the youngest children and the eldest adults. Would highly recommend them!
African Entertainment

Dramane Kone performed at my Black History Month event on February 6, 2021 in Cathedral City. They were good. The music was wonderful. But I have to be honest. My contract was for a 10:30am start time. They arrived at 9:10am to set up (do a sound check, etc.) and was finished just around 10:00am. He said they were going to go grab a bite to eat from the Taco Bell that was less than a block away. Before leaving, Dramane confirmed our contractual start time of 10:30am. As it started approaching closer to the start time, I called him and got no answer. I texted and left messages. They did not show back up until 11:00am, delaying our start time by thirty-minutes. Totally unacceptable! And when I brought the matter to his attention, he said "he did not know."
Overall, they did a good job. The music was awesome. But it was very highly unprofessional that they left and arrived back late, delaying our start time as a result of it, and then was dishonest when confronted about the situation.
African Entertainment
Response from Dramane Kone and Ballet Djelia Kadi:
Janeshia we are professionals. We always arrive on time for our gigs. You guys wasn’t ready it took hours for you guys to be ready and my musicians and dancers was hungry what do wanted me to do ? sit around and wait for you. Please only put a good positive review on the website.

Dramane and his team were fantastic. They were so accommodating for our company-wide virtual event last Sunday. We are a home-care company looking for ways to support our caregivers working on the front lines during the pandemic and their energy was perfect! Thank you for your amazing performance during such pressing times. We really appreciate it!
African Entertainment, Multi-Instrumentalist, Percussionist, World Music, Drum / Percussion Show
Response from Dramane Kone and Ballet Djelia Kadi:
Thanks so much Casey and the Caregivers you guys rocked it as well good audience.

For cultural month, Dramane Kone and Ballet Djelia performed at my daughters school and did such an amazing job! Everyone loved them from the kids, who danced and played the drums with the group, to the teachers who got up and danced with the kids! Not only was it incredibly fun, it was also very educational. The kids learned all about West African Drums and the African dance moves that go with them in a fun interactive way! We’ll definitely invite them back next year!!!
African Entertainment, Drum / Percussion Show

This group is so fun and had the whole crowd clapping and banging and dancing. Super lively and huge energy. And they are real professionals. Highly recommend.
African Entertainment, Drum / Percussion Show

They absolutely made my party! I was told by numerous guests that it was the best party of the year thanks to Dramane musicians and performers. I loved how they got the guests clapping and even dancing! Their costumes were beautiful, their skills were impressive, and the performance was phenomenal. Definitely the BEST part of my party. Guests from age 10 months to 80 years loved it!

Excellent. Thank you
African Entertainment, Drum / Percussion Show
Booking Info
What to Expect
Ballet Djelia Kadi highlights not only the amazing talents of Dramane Kone and David Hilal, but an ensemble of other professional musicians and dancers as well. Look for the "Djelia Kadi" playlist on the "African Drums OC" channel on YouTube for videos from recent performances at corporate events, celebrity fundraisers and more!
Set length and number of performers can be tailored to accommodate any venue, budget or theme.
Instruments: Djembe, Dunduns (base drums), Balafone, N'goni, Kora
Performers: Dancers, Stilt Walkers, Acrobats
About
Ballet Djelia Kadi was established over 15 years ago by Dramane Kone, a third-generation master drummer and griot (traditional storyteller) from Burkina Faso in West Africa. Dramane began learning to play percussion instruments at the age of 3. He has toured Europe and the United States, and played with musical legends Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Shakira and Herbie Hancock.
David Hilal joined Ballet Djelia Kadi in 2007 as a lead drummer. An accomplished musician and vocalist, David has studied and performed with internationally renowned grand master drummer Mamady Keita and now teaches drumming at his recording studio, Sound Connected.
Upcoming Booked Events
February 11, 2023 • 1:00pm - 1:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
February 16, 2023 • 8:00am - 10:00am | School Assembly |
February 28, 2023 • 8:00pm - 9:00pm | Nonprofit Event |
Past Booked Events
February 01, 2023 • 4:00pm - 4:30pm | Personal Occasion |
December 13, 2022 • 12:00pm - 12:15pm | Holiday Party |
October 16, 2022 • 2:30pm - 3:00pm | Festival |
September 18, 2022 • 5:30pm - 6:00pm | Wedding Reception |
July 23, 2022 • 6:30pm - 7:30pm | Birthday Party |
July 03, 2022 • 12:30pm - 12:45pm | Birthday Party |
April 09, 2022 • 3:00pm - 4:00pm | Festival |
December 18, 2021 • 1:00pm - 1:30pm | Personal Occasion |
November 20, 2021 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Corporate Event |
October 15, 2021 • 8:00pm - 11:00pm | Restaurant/Bar Event |
February 06, 2021 • 10:00am - 6:00pm | Cultural Event |
August 16, 2020 • 5:00pm - 5:45pm | Virtual Event |
March 09, 2020 • 1:00pm - 3:00pm | Personal Occasion |
December 18, 2019 • 6:00pm - 6:45pm | Christmas Party |
December 07, 2019 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Birthday Party |
August 17, 2019 • 5:00pm - 5:30pm | Birthday Party |
August 10, 2019 • 6:30pm - 10:30pm | Birthday Party |
July 20, 2019 • 6:00pm - 6:30pm | Wedding Reception |
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