Jebada Powell is the founder and director of Joy of Djembe Drumming which he formed in 2013. He started drumming on his kitchen table at the age of 10 along with the newly released record album of Drum of Passion by Babatunde Olatunji which his mom had brought home. He grew up in the cities of New York, including Spanish Harlem where drumming occurred daily on every street corner. He learned to play congas, timbales, and djembe from the neighborhood old timers which influenced his primary focus throughout the years on Latin, Afro-Cuban and West African rhythms.
Jebada played in the Brooklyn College Latin band from 1969-1973. On weekends Jebada regularly drummed in New York's famed Central Park drum circle and in Brooklyn's Prospect Park drum circle. He studied under Houston's Master Drummer Abubakr Kouyate from 2006-2008 and attended the Wula Drum Retreat Intensive in 2014 and 2018.
After moving to Houston, Jebada has worked professionally as a djembe drumming instructor, drum circle facilitator and leader of Joy of Djembe Drumming Ensemble. He participates in several of the annual events and festivals in the Greater Houston Area such as Houston Thanksgiving Parade, Chevron Marathon, Houston International Festival, the Jones Hall "Day of Music" festival, and the Houston Art Crawl. He facilitated the Texas Big Beat drum-circle and the 2011 Unity Church Oneness Blessing celebration drum-circle. He currently hosts and facilitates the Imani Vida Community drum circle monthly, and the Galveston Seawall Summer Full Moon drum circles and the League City Solstice/Equinox drum-circles. Jebada also travels around giving presentations and performances at schools, museums, libraries, and senior citizens centers.
Jebada played in the Brooklyn College Latin band from 1969-1973. On weekends Jebada regularly drummed in New York's famed Central Park drum circle and in Brooklyn's Prospect Park drum circle. He studied under Houston's Master Drummer Abubakr Kouyate from 2006-2008 and attended the Wula Drum Retreat Intensive in 2014 and 2018.
After moving to Houston, Jebada has worked professionally as a djembe drumming instructor, drum circle facilitator and leader of Joy of Djembe Drumming Ensemble. He participates in several of the annual events and festivals in the Greater Houston Area such as Houston Thanksgiving Parade, Chevron Marathon, Houston International Festival, the Jones Hall "Day of Music" festival, and the Houston Art Crawl. He facilitated the Texas Big Beat drum-circle and the 2011 Unity Church Oneness Blessing celebration drum-circle. He currently hosts and facilitates the Imani Vida Community drum circle monthly, and the Galveston Seawall Summer Full Moon drum circles and the League City Solstice/Equinox drum-circles. Jebada also travels around giving presentations and performances at schools, museums, libraries, and senior citizens centers.
about gregory "Jebada" powell
Jebada began playing hand drums in 1964. He was raised in Spanish Harlem, New York, where drumming was a common daily occurrence on every street corner. Here, he learned to play the congas, bata drums, timbales, and the African djembe. Probably due to this early influence, Jebada's primary focus throughout the years has been on Latin, Afro-Cuban and West African rhythms.
Jebada played in the Brooklyn College Latin Band from 1969-1973. On weekends for many years, Jebada regularly drummed in New York's famed Central Park drum circle and in Brooklyn's Prospect Park drum circle. He studied under Houston's Master Drummer Abubakr Kouyate from 2009-2010.
After moving to Houston in 1986, Jebada has worked professionally as a djembe drumming instructor, drum circle facilitator and leader of a drum ensemble. He participates in several of the annual events and festivals in the Greater Houston Area such as in the African village drumming event at the Houston International Festival, the Jones Hall "Day of Music" festival, and the Houston Art Crawl. He facilitated the 2010 Texas Big Beat drum circle and the 2011 Unity Church 11-11-11 Oneness Blessing celebration drum-circle. He currently hosts and facilitates the Imani Vida Community drum circle monthly, and the Galveston Seawall Full Moon drum circles.
Jebada especially enjoys drumming outdoors where he experiences a greater spiritual connection to the Creator and a harmonic balance with Nature's melody.
Jebada played in the Brooklyn College Latin Band from 1969-1973. On weekends for many years, Jebada regularly drummed in New York's famed Central Park drum circle and in Brooklyn's Prospect Park drum circle. He studied under Houston's Master Drummer Abubakr Kouyate from 2009-2010.
After moving to Houston in 1986, Jebada has worked professionally as a djembe drumming instructor, drum circle facilitator and leader of a drum ensemble. He participates in several of the annual events and festivals in the Greater Houston Area such as in the African village drumming event at the Houston International Festival, the Jones Hall "Day of Music" festival, and the Houston Art Crawl. He facilitated the 2010 Texas Big Beat drum circle and the 2011 Unity Church 11-11-11 Oneness Blessing celebration drum-circle. He currently hosts and facilitates the Imani Vida Community drum circle monthly, and the Galveston Seawall Full Moon drum circles.
Jebada especially enjoys drumming outdoors where he experiences a greater spiritual connection to the Creator and a harmonic balance with Nature's melody.
