Resources

PAST EVENT: Tam Tam Gisé with Prof. Robert Bellinger and his colleague, Paul Assegai Baba Onílu

Tuesday, April 11 | 2:00 PM

Tam Tam Gisé, which means drums that talk together, is a presentation of the jembe drum orchestra of West Africa by Dr. Robert “Sipho” Bellinger who is joined by veteran jembe drummer Paul Assegai Baba Onilu. The presentation will give members of the audience an opportunity to take part in the drum conversation. 

Dr. Bellinger is a public historian with a background in Black Studies. He has studied and played drums and percussion instruments from Africa and the African Diaspora for more than thirty years. In 2007 he founded Tam Tam Gisé to present this music. 

Paul Assegai Baba Onilu began his journey on the jembe drum more than  30 years ago in his home state of Ohio. Since that time, he has played and  taught jembe throughout New England and in China. In 2002 he founded the  Soli Soma Jembe Orchestra to study and teach about jembe music.