Djembe Journal » dance

Mohamed Bangoura workshop in Christchurch

jeff — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 04:21:10 +0000

Mohamed Bangoura will be teaching an African Drum and dance workshop June 5, 6, and 7th, 10 to 6 pm each day.

The cost for the three day workshop is $250 before May 15th (earlybird rate) and $300 after May 15th.

Deposit- $75 to confirm your place

The Saturday and Sunday workshop, June 5th and 6th will be at North New Brighton War Memorial Hall, 93 Marine Parade in New Brighton, 10 am to 6 pm both days.

On Monday June 7th, the workshop will be at Club Havana, 52 Princess St, near Tower Junction shopping centre, 10 am to 6 pm.

Contact me and I will give you the details for depositing money to confirm your place in the workshop.

Also, on Friday June 4th at 7.30 pm Mohamed will be performing and headlining an “African Dance Party” at the Harbour Light Theatre on London St in Lyttelton.

$15 per person. Doors open at 7.30 pm, show starts at 8 pm

This is a video of Mohamed on television from a few years ago;

Mohamed was born in Guinea, West Africa in a village called Bourramya-Koubya. This village is a few hours north of Conakry, the capital of Guinea. Mohamed started to play at the age of 5, and has been surrounded by music is entire life. Mohamed was a member of the internationally acclaimed “Percussions de Guinee” and other National Ballet ensembles based in Conakry.

Mohamed is now based in Sydney and holds regular workshops in drum and dance. He teaches and performs throughout Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Japan. He also takes students back to Guinea every year as an introduction to Guinean culture.

If you want to learn more about Mohamed you can visit his websites djembekan and Mohata

Chris Berry Workshop in Christchurch

jeff — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:00:52 +0000

African Dance, Drum, and Music workshop with Chris Berry March 27 and 28, 2010

Come learn the healing rhythms, songs, and dances with drums and mbira and storytelling taught by Chris Berry

After 23 years of study, initiation & immersion in African music, Chris Berry has been Given the name Gwenyambira “one whose music calls the spirit”. A distinction reserved only for those who have mastered both the complexity & magic of the music. Now Based in New York & touring regularly with his incredible world fusion dance band PANJEA, Chris, advised by many of Zimbabwe spirit mediums has embarked on an international journey to share the ancient knowledge of Njinji using storytelling music, drum, and dance. It is the hope that people around the globe will become practitioners of this powerful healing art form & use it as a means of strengthening ourselves, our communities & ultimately restoring balance & joy back into our societies

Music, drumming, dance, craft and knowledge will be taught at the Workshop that will be used in the final ceremony on the Sunday evening. The ceremony will be one of cleansing, healing and re-connecting with our deeper selves. The structure of the ceremony will be based around the four elements and directions whose sacredness is shared by many cultures around the world. The emphasis will move from acquiring more dances and rhythms to using music and dance as a catalyst to the sacred.

The people of Zimbabwe use the M’Bira as a way of calling the Ancestral Spirits and Chris uses it as a powerful tool in his storytelling to immerse the listener in the deeply meaningful journey that these stories can take you on.

Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm Yaldhurst Memorial Hall, corner of Yaldhurst and Pound Rd, Christchurch,

Map here for Saturday venue

Sunday, 10 am – 10 pm at North New Brighton War Memorial and Community Centre, 93 Marine Parade, New Brighton

Map here for Sunday venue

COST: $170 Earlybird rate ( $200 After March1st)

Deposit: $80 (non refundable, to confirm your place)

Further information: Ra Mc Rostie 03 434 8224 or mob 021 1154884

or Jeff Duyndam 03 357 2217 or mob 021 02737514

Email: ra@korudance.com jeffduyndam@xtra.co.nz

Website: www.drumtalk.co.nz

Drumming in the new year

jeff — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:48:45 +0000

Thanks to all who have participated in the African drum and dance classes during 2009. It has been an awesome push forward in the growth our African drum and dance community here in Christchurch.

Chris Berry will be teaching an African dance and drum workshop in Christchurch the last weekend in March 2010.

Also, Mohamed Bangoura will be returning in June.

The new year looks good for more fun classes and more performances for us.

This Tuesday, December 15th is the last drum class before our Christmas break.

African drum class will start up again Tuesday January 5th.

Happy Holidays and happy drumming!

Multi Cultural Show

jeff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:13:46 +0000

Here is a way better quality video of our multi cultural show performance, African dance show on Halloween

West African dance classes

jeff — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:46:44 +0000

The last weekend in October Ra is teaching two African dance classes 7.30-9.30 pm Friday Oct 30th at Centennial Hall in Somerfield and 11 am-1 pm Saturday Oct 31st at Caledonian Hall, 135 Kilmore St.

Ra has been in Australia studying with her African dance teachers, including a week long dance and drum camp with Mohamed Bangoura’s brother Epizo Bangoura. I’m sure she will be happy to share the new rhythms and dance!

Here is the poster for her classes,

Multi Cultural Show

jeff — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:42:30 +0000

Put October 30th and 31st 2009 down on your calendar because it is going to be a super fun weekend if you like African drumming and dance.

Friday night, Ra is teaching an African dance class at Centennial Hall from 7.30 until 9.30 pm.

Saturday, Ra is teaching an African dance class during the day at the Caledonian Hall from 11 am to 1 pm, and then at night we are performing 3 African dances with heaps of drummers and dancers on stage.

Also that night there will be a marimba band playing and a fantastic Japanese Taiko drumming troupe

After these performances the House of Pleiades band will be topping off a great night of entertainment.

This is all happening in Christchurch at the Caledonian Hall, 135 Kilmore St.

Here is the poster,

New Brighton Dance Jam

jeff — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 07:31:11 +0000

This Friday night at 7.30 Lucy is hosting another Dance and Drum jam at the North New Brighton Community Centre. The Community Centre is on Marine Parade at the ocean end of Bowhill Rd. The last dance jam was a super fun night and well attended. Here is the poster for it…

African Dance Class

jeff — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:49:12 +0000

Ra is teaching two African dance classes this weekend. If you have never met Ra or taken one of her dance classes, be sure to come along and enjoy her wonderful loving vibe. Not to mention her friendly teaching style. If you have been to one of her classes, you know what I’m talking about and hope to see you there again

Celebrating Cultural Diversity

jeff — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:12:28 +0000

Here is a short video of the first rhythm and dance we performed at CPIT in Christchurch on Saturday August 8th as part of multicultural event to raise money for Kids Can Trust. Nika, the name of the rhythm and dance, represents the earth and it comes from Zimbabwe.

Special thanks to Rich the digitalsadhu for making this video

Special

Djembefola West African Drumming Forum

jeff — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:21:12 +0000

I highly recommend spending a few minutes reading some of the posts at the Djembefola West African drumming forum.

There are hundreds of useful tips and interesting stories about everything related to West African drumming. I have learned things that have really helped me understand and appreciate the depth and richness of African drum and dance.

For example, one of the members gave this advise to a question of how to keep good timing while drumming for an African dance class, “I tell people to watch the dancers feet…the good dancers with good timing.”