MANDING JATA profiles the music, dance and oral traditions of the MANDE speaking peoples of West Africa. Transcending colonial borders, MANDING JATA presents the cultural legacy of the great MANDING / MALI EMPIRE, centred in the fabled city of Timbuktu. Much of the MANDING JATA repertoire comes from this golden age, between the 13th and 15th centuries.

​

The primary instruments featured are the Kora (21 string harp / lute), Bamana and Mandinka xylophones, flutes and the djembe / dununba drum ensemble.

​

MANDING JATA has performed for enthusiastic audiences around the world. Canadian press has said “the thrills explode” and “the audience is bathed in the complex beauty of Manding culture”. Australian press described it as a “Complex Cultural Circus”, and in Bermuda “a stunningly sophisticated blend,” while American press described the performance as “a dazzling display of strength, grace and acrobatics”.