Black Panther in Concert

In 2018, Marvel Studios’ Black Panther quickly became a global sensation and cultural phenomenon, showing a new dimension of what Super Hero films could be. Rolling Stone raved, “The film lights up the screen with a full-throttle blast of action and fun. That’s to be expected. But what sneaks up and floors you is the film’s racial conscience and profound, astonishing beauty.” Now you can relive the excitement of T’Challa becoming king and battling Killmonger all while your wcfsymphony performs Ludwig Göransson’s Oscar®-winning score live to film.

Massamba Diop is one the most renowned masters of the tama, a "talking drum" from Senegal, known for its abilities to replicate the sounds of human speech. Before the advent of telephones and radio, it was the tama that announced important events and sent messages between villages. Recognizing the central role talking drums play in African cultures, composer Ludwig Goransson decided to put it, and Massamba, front-and-center of his Oscar-winning score for Black Panther. Massamba now tours as the featured soloist for Black Panther In Concert, racking up over 60 appearances to date, alongside top-tier orchestras, at world-class venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Taiwan’s National Concert Hall, and Sydney’s Opera House. Massamba also appeared on-screen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and contributed to its score.

But long before becoming the sound of King T'Challa, Massamba was already a stalwart of the world music scene. For four decades he has backed Senegalese singer Baaba Maal. He has recorded and performed with music greats like Mumford & Sons, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, and Peter Gabriel, and has made several appearances with Playing for Change's “songs around the world”. Massamba is a Remo Percussion artist and helped them design the first mass-produced tama available to the public.

In 1993, Massamba and percussionist Tony Vacca co-founded the Senegal-America project, a grass-roots cultural exchange program sponsoring various educational, healthcare, and artistic initiatives on both continents. Massamba and Tony regularly tour with a variety of school programs from their Northampton, Massachusetts base. Other regular collaborators include Surabhi Ensemble in Chicago, Walo Walo in Portland (OR), and Total Rhythm in San Francisco. He currently calls Columbus, Ohio home.