Musical Director and Co-Founder

As a Djembe Master Drummer for Crocodile River Music, Issa Coulibaly is a key performer in our workshops, school residencies, and drum circles, providing educational entertainment and lessons to audiences of all ages and skill levels. Issa began studying the djembe and dun dun in his home city of Bamako, Mali when he was only 11 years old. He then took his talents on the road and earned his reputation as a vocalist and mesmerizing performer while touring Africa and Europe. Today, Issa continues to travel from Maine to Puerto Rico, facilitating retreats and performing as the lead drummer and musical director for a variety of African dance troupes, including Crocodile River Music’s own Didakan. His CD debut,“Foliba,” highlights his flamboyant playing style and original arrangements of traditional songs.

Executive Director and Co-Founder

In 2011 Zach Combs founded Crocodile River Music after returning from an inspirational fellowship in West Africa. As the Director of Crocodile River Music, Zach works to bring the music, art, and culture of Africa to New England and beyond in an effort to bridge the cultural gap. Zach is responsible for helping to oversee musicians and performances, book world-music productions, and develop educational programs and corporate leadership events. As a skilled drummer and performer himself, Zach performs in educational presentations, drum workshops, dance classes, and theater performances, and shares his skills through an instructional video he produced on djembe music titled Mali Djembekan. Zach majored in Anthropology at Connecticut College with a minor in African Studies and a focus in Elementary Education.

Bass Guitar

Born in Senegal, West Africa, Thierno Camara studied classical piano and flute as a child, which led him to play piano in an American pop band called Laser. At age 15, Thierno put his own Afro-pop band together and began his songwriting career. When the bassist of his group left the band, Thierno learned the bass out of necessity, but soon realized that the electric bass was his preferred instrument. A few years later, he formed Sora, a group that utilized traditional West African musicians and sounds. His skills and talent did not go unnoticed, and he was soon freelancing and touring the world with some of Africa’s greatest stars, including Moussa Ngom, Cheick Lo, Kine Lam, and Thione Seck. Settling in New York City in 1998, Thierno performed and recorded with noted jazz artists Ornette Coleman, Greg Osby, and Cornelius Kreusch. Thierno joined Crocodile River Music in 2015 and is now in demand as both a bassist and recording engineer. He recently released his first CD album.

Dance, Percussion, and Vocals

As the first graduate of Crocodile River Music's Cultural Ambassador Training Program, Antoinette Mutuyimana personifies CRM's mission to develop career paths for young African refugees. Antoinette was born in Tanzania and came to the U.S.A. in 2007 to escape the strife and violence that was prevalent at that time in East Africa. She attended Worcester Public Schools, graduated from North High School, and subsequently became a volunteer at A.C.E (African Community Education) where she was recruited by Crocodile River Music to help teach drum and dance workshops. Her natural talents and outgoing personality made her a favorite among the students, and she quickly earned a spot in CRM’s performing ensemble playing percussion, singing, and dancing, and is now a valued full-time member of the CRM family.

Steel Pan and Percussion

Ché is a founding member of Crocodile River Music who works to inspire audiences with his percussion, cajon, and steel drum performances in Trinidad 2 Timbuktu and as part of our calypso band, Crocodile Island. Performing on an array of percussion instruments from many cultures, he inspires students and members of the community by demonstrating the origins and influences of African art. His musical career has led him to open for Jimi Hendrix, jam with the Grateful Dead at Woodstock, and play with Handel’s Messiah, and his record led to years of playing for Middle Eastern dancers and an eventual performance with Babatunde Olatunji’s Drums of Passion. Ché can also be found gigging with jazz, calypso, West African, Brazilian, Middle Eastern, and Irish ensembles, and working with the following organizations: Arts for Learning Connecticut, Clark University Theatre Department, and Connecticut College Dance Department.

Kora

Yacouba Diabate was born in Burkina Faso, West Africa. His family, the Griot family, is well-known as musicians. As a young adult, Yacouba studied the Kora in Mali with renown Kora master, Toumani Diabate. Yacouba has brought his music to France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Belgium as well as the United States. Yacouba also makes and sells traditional African string and percussion instruments in addition to teaching instrumental music to both youth and adults. Yacouba also performs as a solo artist and with his own band, Dounouya Band.

Balafon

Abou is a professional world musician on the balafon. His style in the music transcends the historical roots of the balafon into its own category within today’s world music.

Born in Kindia, Guinea, West Africa, Abou became a unique young talent on the balafon. His grandfathers, on his father’s side, were traditional builders of the melodic instruments, skills Abou uses today making his valued balafons. He co-founded and musically directed Fereba, a fusion company of West African music and tap dancing, expanding his own ideas for musical compositions and performances. the company delighted audiences in the United States and abroad. Abou received a Fellowship Award from the New York Foundation for the Arts and a Meet the Composer Grant.

Administrative Coordinator

Rochelle brings an energy that keeps the rhythm of Crocodile River Music moving every day. Booking performances or looking into school residencies? Rochelle has you covered. She also manages grants, maintains schedules and helps with artwork selection and setup. While Rochelle has prior experience with non-profit organizations, Crocodile River Music holds a special connection for her. Music and dance are where Rochelle finds her joy, as can be seen when she performs with her dance troupe. She shares that joy as a proud member of the CRM family.

Business Advisor

As the Business Advisor for Crocodile River Music, Phil works closely with Zach and the team on tactical business issues, 1-2 year business plans, and 3-5 year strategic plans. Phil came to Crocodile River after a 45 year education and business career: 8 years in education at the secondary and community/junior college level and 35 years in global finance roles at Digital Equipment, Compaq Computer, Hewlett Packard, Monster Worldwide, Polycom, and Dell/EMC. Phil enjoys giving back through volunteering and spending time with family and friends. He can often be found relaxing on the beach with a good book.

AAI Coordinator

Cyrille Vincent is a visual storyteller from Central African Republic. He has directed several short film projects and his work has been featured on important film festival such as QFlix New England LGBTQ+ Film Festival and the Neuro Film Festival.

Cyrille uses film and video as his primary medium of expression but invite his audience to transcend the medium and meet each other …to figure out the meaning of our lives!

In addition to his film director responsibilities, Cyrille is also the coordinator of the African Artist Initiative, a community program developed by Crocodile River Music. Cyrille is also the curator of a multimedia studio named SOLIDARTY and based in Worcester.

Marketing Coordinator

Tim received degrees in Management and Biomedical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. During his time at WPI, he was lucky enough to study abroad in Namibia, which inspired him to learn more about the incredibly rich and diverse cultures on the content of Africa. He is passionate about his role in helping to spread CRM’s mission and advance the work we do. Outside of CRM, Tim does marketing and fundraising work for African Community Education, a Worcester-based nonprofit assisting African refugee and immigrant youth through education. He maintains a roller coaster, love/hate relationship with distance running and a steady, love/love relationship with food.