Drissa Kone was born in 1960 in a village named Kourouba, around 100 km (62 mi) south of the capital, Bamako.
When he was 13 years old he moved to the capital city Bamako, to study under Yamadu Bani Dunbia.
[1] In the 1980s Drissa toured throughout Mali as a popular festival drummer and soloist for numerous ballets.
In 1989 he met the artists Ulli Sanou[2] and Gerhard Kero[2] in Mali, who after intensive instruction became well-liked members of his festival music ensemble.
In the summer of 2006, he headed a two-week special seminar for professionals at the Codarts University for the Arts in Rotterdam.