Abdoul Doumbia was born and raised in Mali, immersed in the ancient musical and cultural traditions of this West African nation. He was called to the drum at the age of 5 and completed a 16-year apprenticeship under Master Drummer Moriba Keita. Abdoul worked with a number of professional dance/drum companies in Mali, including serving as lead drummer for the renowned traditional drumming and dance troupe, Babemba, for 9 years. He was also chosen as the representative of his region for 8 consecutive years for the National Drum Festival of Mali. Abdoul was brought to the United States in 1991 by Brown University. He moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1998 where he lives with his wife Katrina and 2 sons.

Abdoul teaches and performs regularly across the United States, and also organizes CULTURAL TOURS to MALI on a regular basis. He is known for his mastery of the Bamana djembe and dunun, and is a wealth of information regarding Mali's rich history.

Nate Vellinga founded One Tree Drums (Denver, CO) in early 2004 during a trip to Bamako, Mali, with teacher and master djembefola Abdoul Doumbia. Partnering with Abdoul Doumbia to bring the finest Malian djembes to the US, their mission is to support the rich and ancient tradition of West African drum and dance by cultivating economic and environmental sustainability among the traditional artisans and their homeland by offering authentic instruments.

One Tree Drums operates in accordance to established international fair trade principles and practice and support reforestation efforts in Mali. In order to leave a positive ecological footprint, three trees of the same type are planted for every drum they have carved in the forests which source the wood. This is done with the help of forward-thinking environmental NGOs operating in Mali . Locally, One Tree Drums sponsors non-profits by donating a percentage of all drum sales to the Mali Assistance Project co-founded by Karen Marx and Abdoul Doumbia. This mission is extended as information resource for local drum and dance teachers, classes, workshops, and events in the Colorado community and beyond.

BACK