Yerba Buena Gardens Festival Presents Bongo Sidibe & the TonTons

Bongo Sidibe moved from the West African nation of Guinea to San Francisco in 2008 and wasted no time putting his deep trove of rhythmic knowledge into action. As the music director of Duniya Dance and Drum Company, a singular troupe that combines South Asian and West African culture, he's directed several acclaimed music and dance productions. As the leader of the TonTons, Sidibe has created a thrilling sound rooted in Guinean tradition but also powered by funk, Manding reggae, ragga and dancehall. Over the past 15 years he's performed with luminaries such as Joan Baez, Mickey Hart and Black Nature from the Sierra Leone Refugee Allstars. A devoted educator, Sidibe also teaches West African drumming with the San Francisco Ballet, Loco Bloco and Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, and drums for a weekly West African dance class at Dance Mission.