Weedie Braimah

Weedie Braimah is widely regarded as the premiere voice of the Djembe. Born in Ghana and raised in East St. Louis with deep roots in New Orleans, he was first introduced to West African culture and drumming and began performing at the age of 2 years old. Braimah continued his lifelong quest and professional career in the study of African folklore and cultural music of the African diaspora. A maverick performer of the highest caliber, Braimah is endowed with an innate ability to draw entire audiences into his groove. Utilizing his amazing speed and dexterity, breathtaking skill, and breadth of knowledge, he ushers listeners through a rhythmic journey of Africa and the Diaspora. As Offbeat Magazine noted, his “skill at adapting to an array of styles” has made him an original and in-demand talent.

Braimah descends from a long lineage of drummers/composers, which includes his mother, Ann Morris, a respected Jazz drummer, his father, Oscar Sulley Braimah, a world-renowned composer and master drummer, and great-uncle, Jazz drumming icon, Idris Muhammad. Braimah honed skills learned through study with greats including Mamady Keita, Famadou Konate, Abdoul Doumbia, and Sylvester Sun Shine Lee among others. He excelled musically and became one of the leading exponents of the West African diasporic drum and dance world in his teenage years. For more than 25 years, Braimah has been a performer, teacher and preserver of African culture who continues to traverse new musical pathways.