Dale Monnin
Dale Monnin helps bring the Drum Café to Texas on the heels of a tremendously successful career in Sales and Sales management. With an MBA in International Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Dale has worked for top global technology firms such as Parametric Technology, IBM, and NCR. Dale has worked on 4 continents, building and developing cross-cultural teams in marketplaces as diverse as post-apartheid South Africa and the People's Republic of China. An avid traveler, his adventures have taken him through 100 cities in 40 countries.
Natalie Spiro
Natalie came to the USA from South Africa with incomparable credentials and impressive careers in Training, Marketing and Sales. With a Masters Degree in Industrial Psychology (registered Industrial Psychologist in South Africa) and an MBA in Corporate Strategy and Marketing, Natalie has worked for top global firms in Financial Services and Hospitality Industries. She has worked in the corporate world and run her own businesses and has been involved in building and developing cross cultural teams in marketplaces as diverse as post-apartheid South Africa - the beautiful Rainbow Nation.
Chris O'Neil
Chris began his percussion studies at Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario, where he held the position of Principal Percussion in the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra for two years. While in Sudbury, Chris began accompanying modern dance for "Earthdancers", which led him to compose music for percussion in collaboration with dancers from Toronto Dance Theatre. Chris moved to Vancouver in order to complete his Bachelor of Music in Performance Percussion at the University of British Columbia where he studied under Salvador Ferreras. In Vancouver, Chris played with Okanagan Symphony, the Burnaby Symphony and the Vancouver Island Symphony. In Vancouver, Chris has become an integral part of Vancouver’s African drum community where he has performed with Fana Soro’s "Masabo Culture Company" and plays the djembe solo in Fana’s African dance classes. Chris was invited to play djembe at the World Rhythm Festival in Seattle with Pepe Danza and the Rhythm Fools. Chris also plays percussion for Pepe Danza’s, Latin Jazz Band, El Sur. Chris now heads up the Drum Cafe in Toronto.
Nina Rodriguez
Nina grew up listening to the Latin grooves of her grandfather and orchestra leader, "Papa" Henry Garcia. Greatly influenced by the styles of Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66, Santana, Armando Manzanero & Motown R&B, Nina has developed her own style. She has played all genres of music fromJazz to Gospel, R & B, Latin, Country and Rock. She recorded on Randy Travis' 2004 Grammy album, "Rise and Shine," and has toured with Yehuda Glantz, world renowned Jewish Latino Musician, Recently, Nina arranged drum parts and played djembe on tracks produced by Bette Sussman, Music Director for Bette Midler. Nina is Music Director for Drum Café Western United States and is currently on tour for The Drum Café as well as a Facilitator for KIDS Drumming Events. Nina’s drumming allows her to perform throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada and Israel. When she plays, the audience instantly feels the heat of a heart on fire and hands of lightning, as she becomes the music that she plays. Nina is endorsed by TOCA Percussion, Kaman Music - a leader in hand percussion instruments and accessories designed and developed to have a different look and provide the "Afro Cuban" sound. Nina plays Congas, Bongos, Cajon, Djembe, Drum Set and a variety of Percussive Hand Instruments..
Kenya Masala
Kenya S. Masala is a national corporate and youth development "Source consulting group". trainer and human development consultant. As co-director of the Source Consulting Group, Kenya delivers a unique blend of simple, yet cutting edge information on maximizing workplace and community interactions, with powerful kinesthetic experiences that drive home the learning.
He facilitates training seminars, leadership development programs, outdoor adventure journeys, and educational percussion programs. He also designs and develops multimedia curricula and interactive presentations on a national level. Kenya is a REMO endorsed recreational rhythm facilitator and one of eight North American Drum Cafe facilitators. He is a published author of the international classic rhythm activity book, "Rhythm Play!(tm)" and recently released his first full-length album, "Soul Journey Groove."
Kenya is a dose of invigoration and vitality for youth and communities. With a charismatic style and effusive energy, he engages participants in highly effective (and authentic) leadership and community development. He ushers groups through the hard work of deepening and expanding excellence, utilizing cutting edge kinesthetic modules...and inspires them to celebration! He is also a certified educator, facilitator, and curriculum
specialist.
Kenya enthusiastically creates a highly effective learning context, authentically motivating individuals and groups towards excellence.
David Montalvo
David Montalvo was born in San Antonio,Texas. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Southwest Texas State University, served 26 years in the San Antonio Fire Department as a Lieutenant Firefighter-Paramedic, owns Montalvo Leather Products and is also a Professional Actor & Model. David is a charismatic person who enjoys an active life-style, fitness, healthy nutrition and personally training others in exercise/longevitytechniques.
Davids drumming began at age 7 and later intensified as he studied with Afro-Cuban and West African Master Drummers on the congas, bongos, timbales, djembe, djun djuns and various other percussion instruments. He is a Certified Drum Circle Facilitator and a “world percussionist” with several local bands in the San Antonio area. David is a high-energy, enthusiastic Drum Café Program Facilitator for Corporate, School Administration, Faculty, and Students as well as private interactive events and performances.
Melinda Rodriguez
Melinda has been passionately drumming and facilitating drumming events for more than 7 years during her study of West African, Native American and Middle Eastern percussion. She is a Professional Drum Circle Facilitator and has trained with world-renowned industry Masters such as Arthur Hull and Mamady Keita at the Tam Tam Mandingue, school of West African Drumming. She facilitates exceedingly popular drum classes and drum circles in Orange County and has become known as the “Drum Diva” in her community. With her feminine flair and empowering style,her drumming events have been described as “the most exciting drumming events around.” Last Year Melinda released her first CD – The Ultimate Shamanic Journey which is a meditation tool using the healing beat of the drum. She has recently launched her new company "Diva Drums," which offers beautiful hand painted drums designed by women, for women. Additionally, Melinda is a Professional Life-Awareness Coach & Certified Spiritual Counselor through the American Board of Hypnotherapy, certified by Dr. Doreen Virtue. She is also Founder & Director of the International Awareness Academy & facilitates an acclaimed Certification course in Coaching & Counseling at Cal State Fullerton.
Emeka M Simmons
This Florida native began his dance career in 1999 on the campus of UCLA. The UCLA African Arts Ensemble's west African dance troupe JOOBA, was the genesis of a his dance performance career. He fell in love with performing and African dance and drumming arts. In doing so, he began a journey that followed the west and central Africans across the Atlantic to the new world; first stop, Cuba. Omo Ashe, an Afro-Cuban performance Ensemble brought Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin culture to the center of his artistic focus from 1999-2001. In 2001 he was asked to join N'zingha Camara's west African dance company Le Ballet Kouman Kele, which he is still a principal dancer for. Continuing the journey further into African diasporic arts brought Emeka to Capoeira de Angola where he studied and performed with Pastina's Garden of Capoeira de Angola from 2000-2002. Finding Afro-Brazilian culture fascinating, he studied and performed with two Brazilian dance companies Viver Brazil in 2003 and Ballet Folklorico do Brazil in 2004. Emeka now is a principal dancer with Contra Tiempo and is the founder and director of L'Espirit d'Afrique a Pan-African performance art ensemble.
