Explore West African Rhythms with Sahar and Tanee. Dive into Djembe patterns, history, and your unique voice. Whether a beginner or seasoned player, join for rhythm, patience, and timing. Embrace the joy of drumming in a harmonious class. No experience needed; all welcome to unlock the world of West African rhythms.

Tanee Osborne

Tanee Osborne is a West African percussionist and multi-faceted entrepreneur, first introduced to the West African Drum and Dance culture in 2009 with Bi-Okoto Drum and Dance, a company out of Cincinnati, Ohio. A few years later after relocating to California, fate placed her right in the heart of Leimert Park, LA’s premiere cultural hub.

Today, Tanee's passion lies in learning and sharing the culture and language of the ancestors full time. After returning from a month long learning journey in Senegal; the thirst for more knowledge keeps Tanee continuing the study of the Malinke and Wolof cultures’ instruments and language within the states under various teachers but most closely with Senegalese Master Kora Djeli Fode Sissoko (Kora, Djembe, Dununs), Ngewel Grio Pape Diouf (Dununs, Djembe, Sabar, Tama, Wolof) and Kahlil Cummings ( Djembe, Dununs).

Some of the most notable performances include performing at the 2021 MTV Tv and Music Awards Show and a 2021 TEDWomen Palm Springs Performance which lead to the recording of her first studio single Find Your Tribe with the Singer Geminelle. Today you can most often catch her playing dunduns or djembe for DAANSEKOU Arts Collective West African FUNdamentals Dance Classes and performances and teaching youth at various after school programs.

As an entrepreneur you can find Tanee being the sole creative force behind her RootedNVegan Purple Sea Moss Gel and her Tailored By Tanee custom made apparel specializing in Tie Dying and Ankara print customs.

Sahar El Khatib

Sahar El Khatib fell in love with West African drumming and started to play the Djembe drum in 2010 in Lebanon. She then traveled to Guinea West Africa to learn under the great grand master Mamady Keita in 2011. Drumming has given Sahar an international platform, performing with many West African drummer enthusiasts and lovers of the Manding culture. In 2016, her passion for drumming led her to the world’s best percussion shop in Santa Cruz, California, called Drumskull Drums. The minute Sahar arrived in Santa Cruz, she knew it was home. She received an Artist Green Card that has allowed her to continue living out her passions right here in Santa Cruz.

In addition to working at Drumskull, she worked with the Arts Council of Santa Cruz as a Teaching Artist. She taught young adults in after school programs how to play West African drumming all over Santa Cruz County. She gives weekly drumming classes for beginner and intermediate levels at Drumskull Drums. She’s been drumming for more than 12 years and continues to learn under many West African Artists and Master drummers such as Bolokada Conde, Babara Bangoura, Fode Bangoura, and as many workshops, she can attend in the Bay area and beyond.