For over a quarter of a century, Famoudou Konaté has played Malinka music on the stages of the world, as the master drummer of "Les Ballets de Guinée", Africa's leading traditional dance company. He has moved millions of listeners with his drum playing. Many people, artists and public alike, remember with deep feeling the unforgettable moments that they have experienced at his impressive performances. He is a living legend. Famoudou Konaté has within him the very essence of the musical heritage of the Malinke. If his music "talks " and moves us so, this is because it is full of his own history and the authentic traditions pertaining to villages. For this is where he grew and experienced the major sacred and profane events which take place in a traditional society (circumcision, marriages, baptisms and initiation). The musical tradition in which he has always been immersed is not set in time. It is alive and evolving as he himself is evolving, hence the great modernity of his art. As a member of Les Ballets de Guinée, Famoudou Konaté has constantly innovated and enriched this tradition. By taking it to the sensibilities of various audiences, African and others, he has given it a modern and universal dimension.