The trade he was
handed.
Born into it
Sibo was born in Guinea, West Africa, into a griot family. In that tradition music is not a hobby somebody picks up. Griots are the keepers of the story, the ones who carry history, ceremony and celebration in sound, and the trade is handed from parent to child. He was in it from the time he could hold a drum.
Learning the hard way, which is the only way
There was no notation and no counting. You sit near the drum, you copy, you get it wrong, everybody laughs, and you go again. It is slow and then suddenly it is not, and the thing you learn that way you never lose. That is still exactly how he teaches.
Sydney
He now lives and teaches in Sydney, running weekly classes at Allambie Heights, workshops for schools and workplaces, performances at festivals and community events, and retreats where people get four days of it in one go.
Taking people back
Every January he takes a small group to Guinea to study where the music comes from, staying as his guest, learning from the players he grew up around. It is the part of the year he talks about most.
