The Visitor: Billy Nankouma Konate in Chicago

The project to invite Billy Nankouma Konate to work with Hooked on Drums' ever-growing body of participants has been long in the making, with concentrated efforts in the past year of programming in particular . Concrete planning began in 2006, in Loshausen, Germany--at a performance by Billy Nankouma's band, Konatekounde and Hamana Tolon. In October, 2008, once funding had come through, we stepped up our efforts to provide as much pre-project training to as many Chicago youth as possible, and by February 2009, we had a base of 300 students to select from for participation in the week-long intensive drum camp with Billy Nankouma Konate at the Hooked on Drums studio. For weeks and months, Jim and Lilian have been busily preparing for the Visitor's arrival!

In a broader sense, the project has been in the works ever since Hooked on Drums' founder Lilian Friedberg first met Billy Nankouma Konate in Conakry in 1988.

Since 1994, Friedberg's professional youth performing ensembles (Nankouma Drum Corps) have been named after Billy Nankouma Konate, and the vision of Hooked on Drums has always been geared toward collaboration with this artist. With generous support from the WalMart Corporation, the MacArthur Foundation, parent and community volunteers, local restaurants and businesses (Italian Fiesta Pizzeria, Valois Cafeteria, Dunkin' Donuts, Hyde Park Produce and Piccollo Mondo), we were able to realize one of our biggest and most long-standing goals!

The project was tremendously successful and culminated in a spectacular performance at Kennicott Park, followed by a reception in the Hooked on Drums Studio on April 9, 2009.

In the days immediately preceding the Visitor's arrival, dunduns were tugged at and tweaked

The Visitor blew into town on a frosty April day--and was picked up in "grand style" by a team of Hooked on Drums VIPs, who insisted that the first stop be a trip to Obama's house, followed later by a flat tire which--as any visitor to West Africa knows, is a feature of any bona fide drum camp, not a bug!

Finally, the Visitor had arrived

And joined us for a 2-hour session with our advanced group, the Nankouma New Recruits

Followed by a reception, with traditional soul food lovingly prepared by Miss Bev (fried chicken, seafood gumbo, cornbread, greens, veggie tray, mac n cheese!)

We are eternally grateful to all the volunteers who helped make this happen: especially parent Mina Nakano, who was in the studio all day, every day, and Miss Miller, who came in daily for KP duty, MaryBeth, Jake Towers, the staff at Kennicott Park and all the parents who came out for Wednesday night rehearsal and the concert. Kyoji Nakano captured the whole performance on film and video, and without his efforts, there would have been no Easter eggs in our Youtube basket. We could NOT have done this without them! Inike!

Mina and Miss Miller:

Mina and MB:



Kyoji and Billy:

Mina and Kyoji:

The kids kept telling me I was crazy to set up a 4-day, all day (9-5) drum camp: with extra rehearsals til 8 PM on Tuesday and Wednesday. I told them, "If you haven't yet figured out that I'm out of my mind, then you haven't been paying attention--the motto for this camp is Drum.Till.You.Drop. And a few of them did.....



But no one dropped out--instead, they got up again....and the beat went on...

and on....

and on

Billy just kept saying, "These kids are hardcore!"

It's not like we didn't feed them....

At some of Obama's favorite restaurants:

And at the park

Or give them some time to socialize



time for R and R

(and French lessons!)

And hanging out on the couch

Or watching videos...

Or creating a completely new hangout in the studio from what was originally designed to be a purely decorative corner:

Guess I should have figured those pillows would come in handy for something someday!

Meanwhile, costumes were being sown by tailors at Djenne Collection--specially made for the Nankouma Konate events. We knew the fabric had to exist--Billy looked for it in Guinea shortly before he came to Chicago, but didn't find it. But there it was--just down the way on 95th St.

African Obama Fabric.



We had to have it!

Didn't look like much on these front and rear view shots in my kitchen, but I knew they would be a hit!










Parent volunteer Mina Nakano--mother of all trades!--fitted the kids and managed costumes throughout the dress rehearsal and performance:




Parents began arriving, and excitement mounted....

Till the next day

when, after a little warm up in the studio





The show went on!

If you missed us live, you can always catch us on YouTube: the concert has been posted in its entirety (9 clips). We are so proud of our youth participants, their parents, our volunteers and community, and are extremely grateful to the growing number of sponsors helping to make all this possible with their generous support, in particular The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and WalMart Corporation.