Bios - Malcolm X Drummers and Dancers

Aba Nso Bouma

Aba Nso Bouma is a native Washingtonian and started performing as an African dancer at the tender age of six. She studied with Cacho’s Dancers and Drummers, African Heritage Dancers and Drummers, Baba Ngoma, Kofi Bouma, Yeboah Duku Boam, and Kankouran West African Dance Company. Aba has been dancing for over 38 years and currently performs with the Malcolm X Drummers and Dancers.

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Olujimi Bullock

Olujimi Bullock is one of the best sangban drummers of our time.

Lynetta Carson

Lynetta is a free spirit who loves the motion of dance. She has been dancing for over 10 years. Her first form of dance was Afro Brazilian Samba where she learned the power of the hips and just how fast feet can really move. Her connection to the Drum led her to African Dance. She had learned from so many talented and culturally enriched Master Teachers in the the DC area over the years. She feels her style comes from what they all gave her. Lynetta also has a passion for belly dance. She enjoys all forms of Belly Dance with her favorites being Tribal and Dance Hall.

Mariame Conte

Mariame Conte, magnificent dancer from Guinea, West Africa.

Roberto Dominich

Roberto Dominich, master Cuban drummer, will challenge you to keep up with his incredible hand drumming speed.

Sakinah Figgers

Sakinah Figgers, originally from Las Angeles CA and a teacher of pre-school children here in Washington, DC, will please your eyes with colorful African clothes that she wears while dancing.

Duane Harrison

Duane Harrison has been dancing for a few years and performed in the Metropolitan region. His style is quite compelling and innovative.

Dion Jacob

Dion Jacob is a musician, playing a number of hand and stick instruments in the Djembe orchestra including, djembe, djun djun, songba, kenkeni, and bells. He has traveled the East Coast playing the drums as well as throughout Trinidad and Tobago and across the Atlantic. Dion uses his Caribbean culture and traditions to inspire his musicianship and his palette knife.

Dion‘s artistic mission is “to portray through the arts, the vast array of resources that we have in our cultures and our traditions. For we are one family and have only one world to share, and when we can enjoy the fact that we all exist for good, then there’ll be no need for war.”

King Baba James

King Baba James, also, a Nigerian master dancer, and, also, formerly with the
National Troupe of Nigeria, will entertain you with his no-hand flips and
master dance personality.

Nana Malaya

Nana Malaya is an internationally known choreographer and dancer, songstress, actress, storyteller, writer, poetess, musician, mother, minister, and activist.

Wakili McNeill

Wakili McNeill is the founder and Artistic Director of the Zawadi Arts and Leadership Training Institute (ZALTI)in, a community training institute located in Silver Spring Maryland. Raised in Chicago's rich multi-cultured neighborhoods, Wakili developed a strong respect and appreciation for cultural diversity. Wakili McNeill holds a Master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Community Development at Norfolk State University (NSU).

She has worked in youth development for over 10 years.Cultivating and influencing several diverse groups in Chicago, Baltimore, Virginia, Washington DC & Maryland her work has impacted both youth development professionals and young people directly in sectors such as: academic, faith- based institutions, neighborhood civic groups, city commissions, business advisory boards, and other community based groups.

As the Director of Youth & Community Development in Hampton, VA at Alternatives, Inc., Wakili has galvanized communities in Hampton & Newport News, VA to establish positive youth programming & youth- led advocacy.

She has been instrumental in the development of several youth training tracks for national and statewide conferences.

Wakili has inspired non- traditional youth leaders to create positive action steps to address issues that are important in the lives of young people. As a Certified Advancing Youth Development Curriculum Facilitator, Wakili has trained youth professionals to work in partnership with young people to create positive sustainable change in the lives of young people and in the community at large. Wakili contributes her success to believing in the capacity of all people and recognizing the cultural arts as a valuable tool for empowerment.

She serves as the instructor for the regular Saturday, African Dance Classes, that takes place at the festival center located at 1640 Columbia Rd NW in Washington, DC from 10:00-11:30am.

Baba Joseph Ngwa

Baba Joseph Ngwa, a master drummer from Cameroon, West Africa.

Stephanie Oyatador

Stephanie Oyatador will take you to her West African village as a solo dancer with high-spirited gyrations.

Christie Walker

Christie Walker will excite you with her intriguing foot steps.