About Fonsiba

Fonsiba has been teaching and performing on African hand drums since 1995. She has conducted over 400 African drumming programs in schools throughout the Midwest and is registered with the  “Arts in Education”  rosters of the Iowa, Illinois and Missouri Arts Councils.   She also presents character building workshops through the nationwide CHARACTER COUNTS!sm program.  Besides touring schools, Fonsiba shares her joy of drumming with the general public through presentations at museums, libraries, churches, clubs and family events.  For the past 10 years, she has conducted  drum classes for adults at “Ancient Ways” in Des Moines, and in her home town of Fairfield, IA.

Fonsiba has a B.A. in music education and has studied extensively with master drummers from the West African countries of Mali, Guinea, Senegal and the Ivory Coast.  For 6 years she trained regularly with Madou Dembele from Mali and the Ivory Coast.  In 2002–2003, she and Madou toured Midwest schools together and gave public performances with Madou’s drum troupe Super Yankadi.  Fonsiba then spent 6 weeks in West Africa, apprenticing with Madou’s older brother Dramane, performing with him at traditional African weddings. Upon returning to the U.S., she completed a documentary video about her experiences in West Africa.

Fonsiba has spent over 10 years exploring the use of drumming and sound as a healing tool, studying with numerous healers from Eastern and Native American traditions. She is a certified practitioner of Jyoti Atman, a shamanic healing practice from India, and a member of the Seneca Wolf Clan, a Native American teaching clan.  While in Africa, Fonsiba received a powerful “spirit initiation” from an ancestral lineage which uses the jembe drum for healing. She is currently being trained by this lineage in how to access the healing properties of the jembe and how to impart this to others.

Ancient Ways Presents
    Healing the Earth A Spring Drum Circle
With
Fonsiba Koster & Mariah
Saturday April 12, 7:30 pm

$5 per person donation Requested
Please RSVP so we can plan chairs & drums

If you’re new to drum circles and would like an
 introductory drum circle lesson: 
Come to the ritual drumming workshop
Saturday April 12
1:30-3:00 pm  $10 fee

In the Ancient Ways Classroom
1702 Woodland Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50309

For more information call: 515-280-3375

More drum circles will be held near the Sabbats: May 3, June 21, August 2, September 20, & November 1