'Through the Mastery of Divine Rhythms travel ever homeward through time and space, riding waves of color and sound, from city streets to village squares, across an ocean to a clearing in the rain forest .... moving back and forth from traditional creole expression to contemporary urban experience.'
Tamangoh is a master of improvisation, renowned as one of the most musical tap artists worldwide. He blends the new sounds of hiphop culture with funk /world music, and the traditional jazz idioms of bee bop and swing in a unique contemporary style.
A native of the Amazon, French Guiana, Tamangoh moved to Paris at age nine. In his late teens he began his formal education in art by entering the renowned Beaux Art de Paris. In his early twenties he started tap dancing at the American Center in Paris. He left Paris to join the 'university of the streets' and eventually made his home in New York City.
He is the founder, producer and artistic director of 'Urban Tap’ having performed around the world and also on Broadway. He has worked in collaboration with videographer ‘Naj’, Jean de Boysson. In the year 2000 Tamangoh received a Bessie Award for 'Urban Tap' at ‘The Kitchen’ in New York City.
Tamangoh was choreographer and co-director of the smash hit 'Cool Heat Urban Beat’, which toured Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Hawaii. He has toured internationally with Giant Step NYC. He has performed at Music Festivals around the world, including Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, Sacred Music Festival in Fez, Morocco, and Sacred Music Festivals in Nagaur and Jodhpur, India.
In 2015 he starred in Takeshi Kitano’s first stage play ‘Footsteps in the Pacific’ with acclaimed tap dancer Hideboh, at the Hakkuhinkan Theater in Tokyo Japan.
He has shared the stage with legendary musicians Bobby McFerrin, Omar Sosa, David Murray, William Cepeda, Elvin Jones, Barry Harris, Billy Higgins, Frank West,Min Tanaka, Great Gnawa Master from Morocco Mahmoud Guinea, Taiko Ensemble KODO, Kaoru Watanabe, Philip Decouflet, Giovanni Hidalgo, Master Drummer from Senegal Dou Dou Ndiay Rose, Great Tabla Master Zakir Hussein; as well was legendary dancer Mikail Baryshnikov, and the Great tap dancers including Jimmy Slyde, Chuck Green, Buster Brown, Lon Chaney, Gregory Hines, The Nicholas Brothers, Ralph Brown, George Hillman, plus Harriet Brown and Tina Pratt. He has performed in music videos with Madonna and Tony Bennett.
Currently he is creating a new production of 'Urban Tap’, he continues to tour as a soloist; is opening an Arts & Cultural center in his native country of French Guiana, and is teaching internationally.
His artwork has been shown in galleries in the United States and he is currently preparing for an art exhibition in France. For more information about his artwork www.cayseele.com