Sidy Maiga has a worn-out box full of family photos at his house in Pawtucket. Most of these pictures are more than 20 years old. They’re of him with his family and friends in Mali, West Africa.
“I was born in Mali, and I lived there until I was 25 years old. Then I moved to the United States,” Maiga says when we spoke with him for Season 4 of “Ocean State Sessions.” “In Mali, you always hear drumming, you see people dancing. So we grow up with that. You always see people (so) happy, joyful and talented. I grew up watching all of this, so that’s what triggered me to be part of it.”
The drumming he’s referring to is the djembe, a drum that’s the signature of his West African-fusion sound. He’s sitting in front of a large djembe as we talk. When he hits it, the sound bounces throughout the room.
“At the first I try to show how many sounds is on the djembe, like, notes wise,” Maiga says. “It’s tone, slap, bass. So I always start with that.”
Six months after moving to the United States, Maiga came to Providence and has lived in the area ever since. In that time he has become a prolific musician and producer, a father, and even a music teacher. Sidy travels across the country visiting schools with his djembe, often introducing them to his style of music.
“It’s not always the easiest thing teaching kids,” Maiga says as he lets out a big laugh. “Sometimes you have to worry about somebody interrupting other kids or they just can’t get their hand off the drum.”
Maiga even furthered his own musical education. In 2020, he graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he received a full scholarship to attend.
“It was the best decision I ever made in my life, Maiga said. “I’m glad I got to learn from the best.”
Check out Maiga and his band’s full performance from Season 4 of “Ocean State Sessions” below:
