OdoNata
West African–Rooted Global Fusion Built Around the Kamale N’goni and layered global textures
Immersive, Rhythm-Driven Live Performance
Booking & Contact
Artist: OdoNata (Lex Schmidt)
📍 Miami, FL
📧 Booking: odon9ta@gmail.com
🌐 Website: www.odon9ta.com
📲 Instagram: @odon9ta
🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/odon9ta
ABOUT
OdoNata carries forward the lineage of West African string traditions through a contemporary global lens. The artistic project of Miami-based multi-instrumentalist, producer, percussionist, and N’gonifola Lex Schmidt, OdoNata is centered around the Kamale N’goni, a traditional West African harp-lute known for its cascading melodies and trance-like pulse, honoring its roots while expanding its voice into new sonic territory. Blending West African traditions with Afro-Latin and global rhythmic influences, OdoNata creates an immersive live experience that is hypnotic, percussive, and transportive, weaving together Kamale N’goni, dynamic percussion, didgeridoo, and layered global textures into rich, meditative, rhythm-driven dance soundscapes.
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
Opened for Hüsnü Şenlendirici, Dirtwire, Poranguí, Mose & more
Performed at GroundUP Music Festival, Grassroots Music Festival, Wildflowers Festival of Music & Dance, Jannus Live, Plaza Live, Miami Beach Bandshell, Paralounge Drum Festival
OdoNata has opened for artists including Hüsnü Şenlendirici, Dirtwire, Poranguí, Mose, Moontricks, and the South Beach Sound Healing Orchestra, and has performed alongside Toubab Krewe, Dub Apocalypse, and Pangea Band. Festival appearances include GroundUP Music Festival (Miami, FL), Grassroots Music Festival (NY, NC, FL), Wildflowers Festival of Music & Dance (Gainesville, FL), Art Basel (South Beach Miami, FL), Art With Me Festival (Miami, FL), Fireflies Festival (Homestead, FL), Paralounge Drum Festival (Pierson, FL), Jungle Magick Festival (Homestead, FL), and Island Vibes Festival (Miami, FL).
He has performed at notable venues such as Jannus Live (St. Petersburg, FL), The Plaza Live (Orlando, FL), the Miami Beach Bandshell, ZeyZey (Miami, FL), Palapa (Miami, FL), Faena Hotel (South Beach Miami, FL), The Edition Hotel (South Beach Miami, FL), The Deck at Island Gardens (Miami, FL), MILA Restaurant (South Beach Miami, FL), Fabel Miami, The Sacred Space (Miami, FL), Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (Miami, FL), Guanabanas (Jupiter, FL), Magic 13 Brewery (Miami, FL), Atha Yoga Shala (Delray Beach, FL), Coco Market (Delray Beach, FL), Wally’s Jazz Café (Boston, MA), Sally O’Brien’s (Somerville, MA), and Arch Street Tavern (Hartford, CT).
Based in Miami, FL.
MUSIC
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FULL BIO
Lex Schmidt, professionally known as OdoNata, is a Miami-based multi-instrumentalist, producer, and educator rooted in the West African string tradition of the Kamale N’goni, a traditional harp-lute originating from Mali.
A graduate of the Berklee College of Music with over 15 years of professional performance experience, Lex builds his compositions around the N’goni’s hypnotic melodic cycles and rhythmic propulsion, blending Afro-Latin and global percussion influences into a sound that is both ancestral and contemporary.
He completed an intensive two-year training program in Ghana and Togo, and studied in Brazil, focusing on traditional rhythmic lineages, ensemble practice, and music’s community role. In live performance, OdoNata transforms the Kamale N’goni into both melodic voice and rhythmic engine, creating immersive, rhythm-driven soundscapes that bridge ancestral tradition with modern sonic exploration. The project is available for solo or small ensemble performances with a streamlined technical setup.
