About Thione

Thione Diop, percussionist from Senegal, West Africa, is widely recognized for his powerfully expressive Djembe performances. He is descended from an ancestral line of Griot drummers in Senegal, West Africa, and is a master of the djembe, sabar, tama, and djun djun.

In 1998, Thione moved to Seattle to teach and perform;   a year later he formed Yeke Yeke, a percussion ensemble that has performed the traditional rhythms of West Africa to delighted audiences for the last ten years.

Thione is also responsible for some incredible regional events, such as the annual Spirit of West Africa Festival and Kasumai Africa, offering the Pacific Northwest audiences a chance to enjoy immersive experiences in African music, dance, and culture.

Thione has shared the stage with such noteworthy musicians as Poncho Sanchez, Alpha Blondy, Prince Diabate and Max Romeo. Thione Diop and his group Yeke Yeke are well known from their many regional appearances in the U.S. and Canadian Northwest. In Senegal, Thione has collaborated with renowned griot artists Babou Laye Cissokho; master Kora player, Thierno Kouyate; Orchestra Baobab saxophonist, Thierno Ba; Xalam master, Samba Ndoc Tama player for Cheikh Lo and singer Abdoulaye N’Diaye on a number of tracks.

A track from one of his most recent collaborations, Samba Griot, co-produced by Thione and Lynette Wich, is featured in the film The Heartbreak Kid. The track “Lamba” from Jammu Aduna is featured in the documentary “End of Poverty” by Philip Diaz. Additionally, various tracks from Kham Saa Thiosanne were used in the Spanish documentary film “Metropoluz” by Eduardo Torres. Thione is co-producing a documentary film, Modern Day Griots with director Malika Weeden.