aka ProfessorSlap has been playing music his whole life. Starting with violin at age 7, he went through trumpet, guitar, piano, voice, clarinet and saxophone during his youth. When 19, he was introduced to West African percussion. This started a passionate connection with hand percussion that has grown and expanded for the last 27 years. He also started playing Bass at that same time, and has been working with Bass in many different styles, from American styles of Funk, Rock, Jazz, R&B to working with many african artists from many different countries on the African Continent.
P-Slap has studied Djembe, Djunjun, Tama (talking drum), Sabar, Krin (slit log drum), Bougarabou (West African conga) and Balaphone (West African marimba) as well as more contemporary percussion. He’s traveled four times to West Africa to better understand the culture from which the music comes and to study with master percussionists there, as well as here in the USA. His teachers are from all ever West Africa and include Abdoulaye Diakite, Karamba Dioubate, Abdoul Doumbia, Mabiba Bagne, Sulemon Diop, Dibi Diop-Faye, Mohammed Camara, Moussa Traore, Diop Percussion, Bolocada Conde, Mamady Keita, Fara Tolna, and many more. He have played with various touring international artists including: Djaily Kunda Kouyate, Ibro Diabate, M’Balou Kante, Balla Tounkara, Karamba Diabate, Mohammed Kouyate, Lokole West and Central African Dance Ensemble, Delou West African Dance Ensemble, Panjea, Onye Onyamachi, as well as leading his own original 14 piece urban Hip-Hop, soul, funk, jazz, West African group The Slaptones in California.
Currently, he plays with many groups, including the The RhythmAddicts, Miles Ahead Group, The Tom Finch Group, Karamo Susso, Say Bobby, and more.
He has also played (and still plays) for touring and local African dance teachers Naby Bangoura, M’Mah Toure, Allisane Kane, Assane and Oussaynou Kouyate, Nabi Camara, Mabiba Bagne, Yousouf Koumbassa, Alseny Soumey, Manjou Kone, Saidou Ba Camara and many more.
He has taught and still teaches private and group lessons for both adults and children, performing from large venues to living rooms to school assemblies to festivals.
Ben has worked with school children in various school districts in the San francisco Bay Area, including Oakland, San Francisco, San Rafael, Fairfax, Berkeley and Albany as well as with organizations Delou Africa outreach in Miami Florida, Rhythm Village and Let’s All Dance in Marin County.
For him, music is a language that has no boundaries, and he play with his full heart and soul behind every note expressed.