Massamba Diop is one the most renowned masters of the tama, a talking drum from Senegal, West Africa, known for its abilities to replicate the sounds of human speech. Recognizing the central role talking drums play in many African cultures, Ludwig Göransson decided to put it, and Massamba, front-and-center of his Grammy^®- and Oscar^®-winning score for Marvel’s “Black Panther.” But by the time of “Black Panther,” Massamba was already a seasoned figure on the world music scene. He first came into the limelight as lead percussionist and founding member of Daande Lenol (The Voice of the People), the band of Senegalese superstar Baaba Maal. Massamba has also performed and recorded with the likes of James Brown, Mumford & Sons, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Harry Belafonte, and Angelique Kidjo. He has been part of many major International diplomatic events like the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo, the 2012 Olympics in London, and joined Stevie Wonder and a star-studded cast in 2009 to perform “Happy Birthday” for Nelson Mandela. In 1993, Massamba and American percussionist Tony Vacca co-founded the Senegal-America project, a grass-roots cultural exchange program which has sponsored various educational, health care, and artistic initiatives in Senegal. He currently calls Columbus, Ohio home.