Seguenon Kone with Ivorie Spectacle features Seguenon Kone, a master of the balafon, maker of a wide range of percussion instruments, including djembes, dunduns, congas, balafons, bolons, shekeres, and xylophones, and wise educator. Ivorie Spectacle is a drum and dance ensemble celebrating the music, dance, costumes, and rhythms of Ivory Coast.

Kone was raised in Ivory Coast, where he learned drumming and drum-making skills from the age of four. As an adult he moved to New York City, then Orlando, Florida, and spent time working at Walt Disney World and touring with Jimmy Buffett before landing in New Orleans in 2008. He is a respected educator and expert on the cultural connections between New Orleans and West Africa, particularly in the realm of music and dance. The group’s performances are intoxicating, with the evocative rhythms of the drums matched by the swirling, relentless energy of the dancers.