Assane Thiam is a percussion artist from Senegal. He is widely considered one of the foremost masters of the tama (talking drum). He is sometimes referred to as the “Jimi Hendrix” of the talking drum as a nod to his prodigious and unique skills on the instrument. Thiam was a pioneer and early innovator in Senegal’s mbalax music, with a group he co-founded in 1975, (with percussion artist Babacar Faye), named Étoile de Dakar. Two years later, Youssou N’Dour joined the group, it was re-named Super Étoile de Dakar, and they went on to great international acclaim. In addition to his extensive work with N’Dour, Thiam has a large percussion and dance ensemble with his brother Yamar Thiam (based in Finland), and has collaborated with artists such as Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel and Harry Belafonte. Individually, Thiam continues to explore the musical possibilities of the Wolof chanting of his native Senegal.
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