Beyond Sound Empijah, is a newly formed collective of young musicians between the ages of 10 to 25 years old who have grown up in various arts organizations throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The collective possess over 25 years of performance experience. Each musician has been nurtured, trained and shaped under the tutelage of master drummers and dancers from the African diaspora, in the art of Djembe and DjunDjun playing and contemporary and traditional dance.
They made their Toronto debut at the 2011 Muthadi Drum Festival this May and in July wooed the Afrofest audience on the festival’s main stage. Collectively their training and performance experience has enabled them to travel throughout the GTA, Ontario, the United States, various Caribbean islands as well as West Africa. In August 2011 they ventured beyond the Toronto city limits to, Georgetown, Guyana; where on Monday, August 1st, 2011 they and guest dancers, performed at the African Cultural & Development Association’s (ACDA) 2011 African Emancipation Festival entitled Freedom. During summer 2011, Beyond Sound was also the feature act at Rhythm Fest at Heritage Park, Barrie. Members of the collective also performed at Nia Centre for the Arts’ - Afro Diasporic Art: Recognition Justice Develop launch at Toronto City Hall.
Beyond Sound is an active and thriving collective that would like to continue to create learning opportunities for children and youth, while gaining the support of multigenerational audiences through their innovative performances.







 

 

 

 

 

 

Mikhail Parson

Mikhail Parson is a multi-faceted artist who has been playing the drums since the age of two and a half. When he arrived in Canada from Port of Spain, Trinidad at the age of five with his artistic parents, he continued to grow in the arts. Mikhail has toured with Ballet Creole throughout Canada and has toured with Menaka Taka Indian Dance Company across the US. He has studied ballet, modern, jazz, Indian, Latin, West African, Afro Cuban, Caribbean and hip hop dance and has dance in The Land of Cards. At the age of sixteen Mikhail joined Afro Pan, a Toronto based pan group. This experience changed Makhail’s life and established a renewed love for music.



N’deré Headley-Lindsay

N’deré Nimon Headley-Lindsay was born in Toronto as the only child of two artists. He is said to have been drumming and dancing in the womb and has studied drumming with various Griots (keepers of African history) and drummers from Senegal, Guinea, the United States and Trinidad and Tobago. His talent as musician has shone through in many works presented by COBA, including having arranged and played the original score for the children’s production, Legend of the Pitch Lake. N’deré is currently completing his final year of high school and has a passion for sports, especially football.



Sean Clarke

Sean Clarke is a native of Toronto who has been studying and performing djembe drumming for over 10 years. His musical influence cannot be credited to one particular person but the mare music itself and the knowledge that one can make it sound however one wants, is what influences and inspires him. However, he does acknowledge his appreciation for the mastery of drum master M’bemba Bangoura, who has been instrumental in his development as a drummer.
Sean is a 1st year student at Ryerson University in the Electrical Engineering Program where he hopes to graduate and then move on to obtain his Masters of electrical engineering. The middle child of dedicated supporters of the arts is motivated to play music because of his love for the diverse rhythms and the meanings behind the music. The performances that stand out in his performance history are the shows where the crowd responds enthusiastically to the musicians’ energy.



Taejah Mark

Taejah Mark was introduced to the djembe at the age of four by his father who is also a musician. He started his performance career with Twisted Hair Spirit Drummers and Dancers who performed throughout Ontario. One of his musical influences is Quammie Williams, musical director of Baro Dunuba. He has also studied with Djembefola Amara Kante and Nation Chong along with numerous international drum masters. Taejah is also training and working with famed African Dancer/Dun Dunfola, Sani Abu Mohammed, the artistic director of IJO VUDU Dance Company. TaeJah is a performer who is always grateful for the opportunity to perfect his drumming skills and to shine as an artist.



Talib Marcus

Talib Marcus musical tastes ranges from Tupac Shukar, Biggie Small, on to Muddy Waters. This Toronto native has been playing music since the first day he saw Kemar Scarlett, one of the founding members of Ngoma Drum and Dance Ensemble play his djembe. At the age of four, he became a member of Ngoma. Through his training he has been exposed to the expertise of internationally renowned djembe master, M’bemba Bangoura and along with other renowned drum masters. He is inspired by the beats and lyrics which communicate the feelings of the young and old alike. His most memorable performances took place at the Me to We Day Celebration 2009, Muthadi Drum Festival in Tobago and the Reveration Night- Emancipation Day 2006 celebration performance at Cape Coast Castle, Ghana.

Yohance Francis Parsons

As a sixteen year veteran of Toronto’s West African Dance community and founding member of Ngoma Drum and Dance Ensemble, Yohance Francis states that his love for music comes from the fact that it is an important part of his life that has always been at the centre of his being. He lists Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson as his musical influences due to the whole picture approach they have maintained; from writing, arranging, producing and performing. His performed for the late Johnny Cochrane and values his experience at the Me to We Day Celebration in 2006 and the Reveration Night- Emancipation Day 2006. Yohance is the member of a very artistic family who has nurtured him in a very generous arts community. He counts M’bemba Bangoura as his djembe master and has attended workshops taught by internationally renowned djembe masters. This Toronto native will soon be merging his musical talents with a business degree.