Jerome Boumendil

Jérôme Boumendil – Guitarist, Percussionist & Artistic Director

Jérôme Boumendil is a French guitarist, percussionist, and cultural entrepreneur whose career bridges musical excellence, transmission, and community engagement.

Originally trained in jazz and classical harmony (American School of Modern Music, Paris), Jérôme is above all a guitarist, both on stage and in the studio. He has performed alongside artists such as Tonton David, Faudel, Moiz (Tribal Jam), Manian Damba, and Rodrigo de Oliveira, and has developed a distinct musical voice shaped by groove, melody, and cross-cultural influences.

In 2000, he immersed himself in Brazilian percussion at the legendary Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel samba school in Rio de Janeiro. He went on to parade as a percussionist in the Rio Carnival with some of the most iconic samba schools: Mocidade, Tijuca, Mangueira, and Tradição. Between 2002 and 2008, he served as musical director of Sereno de Campo Grande, and in 2024 led the tamborim section of União do Parque Curicica.

In Paris, he founded SAMBACADEMIA, a unique Brazilian music company combining high-end show production, a successful music school, and innovative corporate team-building programs based on samba.

Based in Kigali Rwanda since 2023, Jérôme continues to build bridges through music with Odoyá Center, a platform dedicated to rhythm-based learning, social inclusion, and cultural creation. His work empowers young musicians, supports professional pathways, and celebrates music as a universal force for connection and joy.