King Marong
Gambian Master Djembe Drummer, percussionist, singer, composer, teacher and cultural ambassador.
Born in Bakau, The Gambia West Africa, King has been performing professionally since the age of 12. King developed his skills in the coastal fishing village where he grew up surrounded by the griots (hereditary musicians) and international musicians who were his mentors for Senegambian drumming and cultural priorities. In his late teens he formed his band Kunta Kinteh and consequently travelled with it in The Gambia, Senegal, UK and Europe. King has built an international reputation as a master of many African drumming styles on instruments such as the Djembe, Boucarabou, Doundoun and Sabar, teaching percussion to students from around the world.
Now a resident in Melbourne, he performs and teaches regularly at festivals, ceremonies, private celebrations and corporate functions. http://www.kingmarong.com

Bec Matthews
Kora, kamelngoni, trumpet, doundoun, singer, Afro Mandinko's mover and shaker!
Bec is a classically trained musician and singer with a passion for West African music. She has been involved in musical and theatrical productions ranging from theatre and classical music recital to choreographing and performing fire performance. She has made several study trips to The Gambia, to pursue her interest in West African string instruments. With a focus on the Kora (twenty-one stringed African Harp) she studied under several master Kora players in The Gambia, Senegal and Mali. She also studied Bolong (African gourd bass) with Guinean cultural drum and dance ensemble ‘Fatala’, Kamelngoni (hunters harp) under Bamako based master Adama Sidube, Ngoni (African lute) and Riti (African violin). In 2007 Bec did a 6 month residency playing trumpet with Gambian based afro-fusion band “Lolo Lulu” (5 Star Band) on many occasions playing for the President of the Gambia. Bec performs regularly with King Marong as Safara’s kora and doundoun player and sings and plays with King Marong in Afro Mandinko.

Kuukua Ackua
Dancer, singer, teacher.
Born in Accra, Ghana, Kuukwe is a professionally qualified and highly experienced dancer and teacher of traditional Ghanaian ballet. She arrived in Australia in 1999 with the international touring band from Ghana, Afro Moses Oh Jah. Since finishing the tour she has settled in Australia and has been teaching traditional Ghanaian dance in public and private workshops for schools, government institutions and community festivals and performs as a lead dancer and backing singer for numerous Melbourne based bands including Safara and Musiki Manjaro. She released her own self-titled cd in 2003 and performed as a soloist singing and dancing in the 2003 Melbourne Millennium Choir concert, Nongoma, at the Melbourne Concert Hall.

Michael Havir
Keyboards, composer/arranger, accordeonist
Michael Havir has worked for the past 16 years composing, arranging, directing and performing music for theatre, contemporary dance, community arts, film and TV, multimedia and bands. He has played and toured nationally and internationally with Australian artists Blek Bala Mujik, Yothu Yindi, Coloured Stone, Frank Yamma, KerriAnne Cox, ska-jazz outfit Skazz as well as Congolese band Warako Musica featuring Passi Joe and Tchico Tchicaya. At present he is working with Gambian master drummer Ebrima ‘King’ Marong and his ensemble Afro Mandinko Sounds, a fusion of the traditional songs and rhythms of West Africa with a contemporary influence.

Richmond Brain
Guitar, lap steel, teacher, recording engineer.
Richmond has been professionally involved in the music industry for over fifteen years as both a performer, producer and educator (ranging from primary to tertiary level education)
Over ten years performing experience as lead guitarist with Melbourne based African band Musiki Manjaro. Performed locally at numerous festivals and several residences at well known live performing venues. Regularly toured interstate and completed a two month performance contract in Singapore.

David Joseph
Kit Drums, teacher of many things.
David has worked as a multi-skilled performer, both nationally and internationally for 20 years. He has worked as an actor (I.C.E.- The Tower of Light, The Teratology Project, Chamber Made Opera- The Cars that Ate Paris, Greek, The Two Executioners), a dancer V.S.O.-Joan of Arc, a circus performer, Circus Oz, Splatto Circus, a community artist West Theatre Co., a musician (dozens of bands), a street theatre performer Batacuda, and a teacher Artists in Schools, Circus Oz. He has toured extensively in Australia (all major festivals) and internationally including Colombia, U.S.A, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and the U.K.

Conrad Henderson
Electric Bass, double bass, teacher, composer.
Conrad has been performing professionally for several years in all styles ranging from jazz to afro and funk, Latin (Cuban) and R&B. His involvement in the world music scene has lead him to work nationally and internationally with several bands, notably Grand Union Band (England), Mother Gong (England), Warako Musica (Paris and Congo), and Latin Bands Rumberos, Pachuco Playboys and Havana Connection.

Paul Holleman
alto/soprano saxophones, piano/keyboards, teacher, composer, websites (this one), graphic design (Cd cover)
Born and raised in Amsterdam, with its diverse population, he was exposed to Arabic, Latin, African and Asian music at an early age and took an intuitive interest in them. He studied piano from age 6 and took up saxophone 10 years later. Since coming to Australia in 1981, he has had a long involvement with MUSIKI MANJARO (central African soukous). He recorded on two of the group's CDs (doubling on keyboards) and toured Asia and Australia with them. Paul received Australia Council grants to record two albums with (Al) Jadida. "Gypsies in an Urban Desert" and "World Confusion". His compositions for JADIDA combine his Latin, African and Asian influences with his love for Arabic music He has performed with African musicians Carlos Panguana, Kojo Owusu and collaborated with Melbourne Flamenco artists Kieren Rey and Nella Randone. Paul teaches piano and saxophone.