i first began playing drums with malonga casquelourd in 1997 for his dance class at san francisco state university. a distinguished choreographer, drummer, singer and university instructor, casquelourd was one of the first people to turn congolese dancing into an art form in the US. he taught me more about drums than anybody before or after him. malonga was killed June 15, 2003 in a car crash by a drunk-driver. He was 55.