Artistic Directors
Rachel Bangoura
A choreographer and a multidisciplinary West African drummer and Dancer
Rachel Bangoura was born in Tel Aviv, studied classical ballet in her youth with Mia Arbatova, and later at the Friendship House in Jaffa. She continued to modern dance – in Studio B in Tel Aviv and the Hasimta Club in Old Jaffa.
In 1988 she became a drummer, studied African drumming and dance in London, at the Odzido School and the Twelve Tribes of Israel organization.
During her time of studies, she performed with African dance in performances by musicians from West Africa such as Ayub Ogda, S. E. Rogie, David Oladuni, Reggie Farmer, and more.
In 1998 she studied and stayed in West Gambia in West Africa at Patella, the African ballet company compound, where she met her partner, Saboula Bangoura, an African master. In 2000, the two moved to Israel and settled in Pardes Hanna – Karkur and formed the Bangoura dance company there.
As a choreographer, Rachel has to date created about 12 different dance works on the subject of African ballet, works performed on stages such as Inbal, Suzanne Dellal, and cultural halls around the country. The works express her love for Africa and are nurtured by the vast knowledge she and her partner, Saboula Bangoura have. The two lead a company of dancers and drummers that has been operating in Israel for 20 years, coaching, creating, and teaching together in their countryside area in Karkur.
Rachel joined the Choreographers’ Association in 2017.
Saboula Bangoura
was born in the city of Boca, in Guinea Conakry in West Africa. A member of the Landoma tribe. In this tribe, the djembe drum is used as the first and main musical instrument.
Began drumming in a tribal company called sorsornet. After 7 years of training under the leadership of Sekou Mathias, Saboula Bangoura became the company’s lead singer. Later he formed a small and innovative company called Oumou ni Gabori, with this company he performed all over Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Senegal.
In 1998 he moved to Gambia where he became lead dancer and teacher, in an African ballet company – Patella, which included many artists from different tribes – Landoma, Susu, Dajula, Uluf, Mandinka, and Jakhanke. Alongside head of the company – Musa Kamara, Saboula resided as Patella’s active manager for 10 years. He trained and taught thousands of people both from Africa and around the world, set clear scales for well-known rhythms and composed concerts for the African ballet Patella. The day Rachel arrived at the company’s compound as a student, the two fall in love and decide to live together in Israel.
Saboula arrived in Israel in September 2000, and together they formed the Bangura Dance Company, teach in schools all over the country and give rhythm lessons. They delivered a special course to Eskesta, The Ethiopian Dance Company led by Ruth Eshel, at the University of Haifa. Every year, they open the Tamar Golan African studies at Ben Gurion University.
Appeared in front of President Mr. Shimon Peres at the 50th Anniversary of Africa-Israel Relations Conference. Representing African dance and drumming in cultural halls and the best stages in the country, in 2017 – Saboula become a member of ACUM association.
