The website of author, artist, musician Dave Kobrenski

I make unique books, art and music that take the reader off the beaten path, to glimpse a sliver of the human experience they might not ordinarily see.

Here’s what I’m doing right now.

Watch the mini-documentary, Finding the Source in West Africa, with Dave Kobrenski

My Books

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    [longDesc] => #### The master djembéfola—in his own words. Discover the magic and intrigue of West Africa in the long-awaited English version of Famoudou Konaté’s book.

_Written by Famoudou Konaté, with Thomas Ott_  
_translated by Dave Kobrenski_

Memoirs of an African Musician tells the remarkable life story of Famoudou Konaté, a master of the djembé from Guinea, West Africa. Rooted in the traditions of his Malinké homeland, where music and rhythm are woven into the fabric of life, Konaté takes the reader on a journey deep into African traditions, across continents during a groundbreaking international career, and back again to where it started, to the heart of a culture that has endured through centuries of trials and hardships.

Along the way, Konaté unveils the mysteries of the djembé and its accompanying instruments, revealing rare insights into rhythms, techniques, and the cultural meanings behind the music. Beyond the drum, he offers a portrait of life in Malinké society—its traditions, struggles, and values—while reflecting on his experiences of bridging worlds, from remote Guinean villages to stages around the globe. His story is a testament to resilience, cultural pride, and the universal language of music, inviting readers to experience the rhythms of West Africa in an entirely new way.

Introduction by Professor Thomas Ott.

Translated by Dave Kobrenski, with cultural and historical footnotes.
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    [oneLiner] => The grand master of the djembé shares his musical journey from West Africa to the world stage and back again, to where it all began. Discover the magic and intrigue of West Africa in the long-awaited English version of Famoudou Konaté’s book.
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    [reviews] => “A rare glimpse into a world seldom seen by outsiders, made all the more special by the fact that it comes to us from the source: an African man writing about African culture. A captivating and unique first-person account that should be on the reading list of anyone interested in African music and culture.”  
— Dave Kobrenski, author of _Finding the Source_ and _Djoliba Crossing_
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    [shortDesc] => _Written by Famoudou Konaté, with Thomas Ott_  
_translated by Dave Kobrenski_

**_The master djembéfola—in his own words._ Discover the magic and intrigue of West Africa in the long-awaited English version of Famoudou Konaté’s book.**

The grand master shares his musical journey from West Africa to the world stage and back again, to where it all began. Along the way, he unveils the mysteries of the djembé and its accompanying instruments, revealing rare insights into rhythms, techniques, and the cultural meanings behind the music.
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Memoirs of an African Musician book cover

Memoirs of an African Musician

The master djembéfola shares his musical journey from West Africa to the world stage and back again.

Softcover: $24.95

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Dave’s first book is called _Djoliba Crossing_, and his book of drawings and essays from West Africa is called _Drawing on Culture_. Both books are available at davekobrenski.com/books and online wherever books are sold.

Dave lives in northern New Hampshire with his wife Karissa, his stepson Noah, and their three cats.
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#### Somewhere in Africa, the blacksmith’s widow is rumored to still be alive. And her dark magic is Dave’s last hope of ending a twenty-year curse. If only he can find her.

Somewhere in Africa, the blacksmith’s widow is rumored to still be alive. And her dark magic is Dave’s last hope of ending a twenty-year curse. If only he can find her.

Deep in the heart of West Africa, there is a power as old as the Earth. This is a land where ancestors walk among the living and impish spirits dwell in the forest. Occult knowledge is guarded by secret societies, and blacksmith artists carve sacred masks that invoke deities. Here, art is magic…and it is not for the uninitiated.

An ocean away, Dave is a struggling artist who longs for adventure in distant places. When fate brings him to West Africa, his dream becomes a reality, and he’s drawn into a world of ritual drumming, ancient traditions, and vodoun magic. But the dream soon turns into a nightmare.

The mysterious illness comes on violently. As Dave convulses with pain, the villagers call it a curse, suspecting sorcery or ancestor spirits. At first, Dave’s not so sure. Back in America, his doctors lead him down a dangerous road of pharmaceuticals and opioid painkillers, but the condition only worsens. As the years go by, Dave’s suspicions deepen, and he must decide. Was it really a curse that beset him all those years ago?

Facing a life of disability and heartbreak, Dave’s final desperate quest for healing brings him back to West Africa to answer that question. To find the source, he must question everything he thinks he knows, and put his trust in the words of a shaman and in spiritual forces he’s not sure exist. But in the end, it’s his own demons he must confront, before the curse finally destroys him.


“Compelling reading…a work that often has a captivating sense of immediacy.”

— Kirkus Reviews

“Kobrenski writes with great charm and is an enlightening guide to aspects of African life [and] the history of voudoun and ritual magic.”

— IndieReader

“A book that will inspire seekers whose lives are touched by chronic illness.”

— Publishers Weekly



### In a Book Club?

Download a book club discussion guide here:

[Discussion Guide](https://ftsbook.com/discuss){.btn .btn-brand .btn-lg .external}
    [name] => Finding the Source
    [oneLiner] => An artist’s twenty-year struggle to overcome a painful affliction takes him ever deeper into West Africa, and into realms of spirit and healing he never imagined possible.
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    [promoSentence] => A profound real-life adventure story that spans continents—and worlds.
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    [publisher] => Artemisia Books
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    [shortDesc] => **Somewhere in Africa, the blacksmith’s widow is rumored to still be alive. And her dark magic is Dave’s last hope of ending a twenty-year curse. If only he can find her.**

A touching and profound real-life adventure story that spans continents--and worlds.

“Compelling reading...a work that often has a captivating sense of immediacy.”  
-- _Kirkus Reviews_
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    [subtitle] => One Man’s Quest for Healing in West Africa
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Finding the Source book cover

Finding the Source

A profound real-life adventure story that spans continents—and worlds.

Softcover: $17.95

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    [longDesc] => **In _Drawing on Culture_, artist and ethnomusicologist Dave Kobrenski takes readers on an artistic journey of cultural discovery into the heart of West Africa.**

For two decades, Kobrenski studied music with master _djembé_ players in Guinea, returning year after year to the historical homeland of the Mali Empire, carrying only a sketchbook and his curiosity. Living in a small village along the Niger River, he eventually turned his attention—and his art—to topics that concern us all: Why is culture important? What can we in the West learn from a village in West Africa? And why are so many cultures disappearing from the face of the Earth?

In _Drawing on Culture_, Kobrenski shares his artwork, stories, and insights about culture and worldviews with the keen eye of an anthropologist so that we might, in turn, see our own cultural worldview with new eyes. More than thirty new artworks from his time in Guinea are compiled here alongside his own field notes and essays. His portrait drawings inspire conversations about diversity, tradition, and why ancient ways of knowing are now more relevant than ever.

Both a visually rich travelogue and insightful ethnography, _Drawing on Culture_ invites us to listen to our planet’s oldest cultures so that we might come to understand how to regain ecological balance on a planet spinning out of control with human activity.
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    [reviews] => “This evocative account of one person's travels in Guinea, West Africa, along with delightful drawings and perceptive observations of village life as well as of our current world dilemmas, is a pleasure. As a respectful and alert sojourner, Dave Kobrenski manages to navigate between worlds in a sensitive and sensible fashion. Writing as a musician, he provides sounds and sights of the people.”

— *Philip M. Peek, Ph.D,* editor of _African Divination Systems: Ways of Knowing_

***

“Dave Kobrenski is a gifted artist and musician, and a better anthropologist than many of the PhDs I know. Here is a fine text that depicts people as they are, illustrates their essence, and demonstrates the importance of appreciating, without appropriating, their lives and ways of being.”

— *Katherine Donahue, Ph.D,* Professor Emerita, Anthropology
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    [shortDesc] => In _Drawing on Culture_, artist and ethnomusicologist Dave Kobrenski takes the reader on an artistic voyage into the heart of West Africa. More than 30 artworks, done on location while traveling through villages along the Niger River in Guinea, are compiled here alongside his own field notes and essays. Together, they provide a glimpse into the lives and culture of a people maintaining their ancient traditions, even as the modern world encroaches. _Drawing on Culture_ is more than a travelogue: it makes an impassioned case for turning our attention to the cultural diversity of the world, and to our oldest cultures, which may be our best chance of understanding how to regain ecological balance on a planet spinning out of control with human activity.
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Drawing on Culture book cover

Drawing on Culture

More than 30 new artworks and travel writings from West Africa.

Softcover: $24.00

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Dave is also is the author of _[Drawing on Culture](/drawing-on-culture)_ and _Finding the Source_ (coming soon).
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    [longDesc] => ★★★★★ *“Djoliba Crossing is an excellent and beautifully-crafted introduction to the world of Malinké music and dance.”* 
-- Indie Reader

***

**Discover the music and culture of West Africa in this beautifully illustrated account of an artist’s adventures in the Niger River valley.**

When artist and musician Dave Kobrenski first set out for Guinea, West Africa, it was simply to learn the _djembé_ music of the Malinké people. What he found instead was a land of ancient traditions where spirits mingle with the living and the souls of ancestors reside in sacred groves of trees. He soon learns that intense poverty and rampant political corruption are a mixture with explosive potential in Conakry’s inner-city. When bloody clashes erupt, no traveler is safe. For Kobrenski, the result was a two decade musical adventure that would test his resolve and draw him into a quest of cultural understanding.

_Djoliba Crossing_ is Kobrenski’s travel-worn collection of stories, paintings, drawings, and rhythm notations. On the surface, it is a travelogue, adventure story, and a celebration of Mandé music and culture. Looking deeper, _Djoliba Crossing_ is about glimpsing in the everyday dust of existence the potential for diverse ways of being. It is an invitation into ancient traditions still guarded by a culture dancing on the edge of modernity, a culture which understands that who we _are_ is who we _were._

_Djoliba Crossing_ is both an adventure memoir and a guidebook for the music traditions of West Africa. Descriptions of ancient music and festivals are enriched by original artwork, historical research, and rhythm notations for the _djembé_, _dununba_, _sangban_, and _kenkeni_ drums. Together, they offer a glimpse into a world hidden off the beaten path, and chronicle an artist’s journey deep into realms of the unexpected.

**Features:**

Djoliba Crossing is a premium quality, full color book with 192 pages of stories, historical and cultural information, rhythm transcriptions, maps, and more. The book contains over 70 full color illustrations.

- 192 pages
- large format, 8.5x11, full-color
- 70 full-color illustrations
- hand-drawn maps
- complete rhythm transcriptions for djembe + dunun drums
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    [reviews] => "Djoliba Crossing is an excellent and beautifully-crafted introduction to the world of Malinké music and dance, explaining its relationship to daily life and to ritual activity." 

― _Indie Reader_

***

"This book is key if you are studying the music, culture and/or dance of this region of the world. The drawings are exquisite. The notes are inspiring, and the writing is a true representation of what it is like to travel and experience the culture of Guinea, West Africa. I have several students who study this region and I request that any serious students purchase this book. I believe that you will not be disappointed. The graphics are stunning. This book is a work of art, IMO.”

— David M. Smith

***

"I just received a copy of this book in the mail, and am so excited to explore it more. My first impression, is that it is beautiful. The book is filled with original artwork, and even the page with just text is visually appealing. I have the paperback copy, and the paper is a much finer, thicker quality than what you would expect from a paper back. What I am most excited about is that in the back, Kobrenski included a ton of original drum transcriptions he collected himself on his visits to West Africa. He also talks about in what context he heard the drumming. Highly recommended for drummers, music teachers, or people interested in West Africa.”

— Apple Scruff (Amazon review)
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    [subtitle] => Journeys into West African Music and Culture
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Djoliba Crossing book cover

Djoliba Crossing

Updated 2nd Edition, with 50+ pages of illustrations and rhythm notations.

Softcover: $29.95

Explore More Projects:

Books

Books written and illustrated by Dave.

Fula Flutes

Custom, handmade flutes available for purchase.

Dave Kobrenski plays Fula flute

Music

Albums, concerts, lessons and more.

Artwork

Original artwork and prints for sale.

Articles & Resources

Posts related to music, travel, art and anthropology.

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Upcoming Events

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Thursday, October 8 @ 7pm

Hermit Woods Winery • Meredith, NH

Bright Cloud Mountain
Bright Cloud Mountain

A genre-blurring quartet that weaves together elements of West African music and jazz-influenced improvisation. Featuring Dave Kobrenski on flute and ngoni, Jed Wilson on piano, Mike Sakash on saxophone, and Tim Gilmore on drums. Doors & dinner at 6:00 p.m. Show starts at 7:00 p.m.