Chris is going to lead a choir workshop at the Muse, inside the School of Music on Barbadoes Street in Christchurch.

Here are the details,

Chris has worked with over 42 different choirs in the USA and Canada. Songs are accompanied by live drumming, Mbira (Thumb piano) or Marimba. The material is drawn from the ancient choral traditions of the Shona people whose favourite proverb is, ‘if you can talk you can sing.’ The uplifting songs include five part harmonies and lots of counter point indicative of most African choral music.

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’s 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.

THURSDAY  MARCH 25th     Venue- Muse Community Trust 140 Barbadoes Street, Level 3, inside the School of Music

6PM TO 9PM COST $30        Booking Essential

Further information:

Ra McRostie 03 434 8224  or mob 021 1154884

Jeff Duyndam 03 357 22217 mob 0210 273 7514

This video was taken by Corinne, one of the drummers here in Christchurch. The tall drum is called an ngoma. Here is what she says about the video,

“After tramping 70km through Nki National Park in the congo basin rainforest in Cameroon, we stayed the night at the Baka pygmy village on the outskirts of the park. One of villagers, Pierre, was our guide. The next day they performed some traditional music for me. They were infatuated with the videos i took It was an amazing experience.”

I exist, right here, right now. This is the meaning of the first dance move of Nika, the earth rhythm. We learned this rhythm and three others at the Chris Berry workshop that was held over Easter three months ago.

This 3 day “camp” up in the Coromandel on the North Island of New Zealand was very profound for me. Chris is grounded in the spiritual aspects of African drumming, dance, and song. His teaching style naturally includes the spiritual healing qualities that come from participating in African drum and dance.

I have always felt the powerful energy and joy that comes from African dance and drumming. The Chris Berry retreat focused on the healing aspects that are a big part of African dumming and dance.

here is the song and first dance move to Nika, the earth rhythm

Sometimes when drumming I forget that I am in a “conversation” with drummers in a drum circle. The notes I play on my drum are “talking” with the notes being played by the other drummers in the group.

Recently I have been paying more attention to playing “music” with the people I drum with. I want to blend in and listen to the “overtones” and the “song” that we all are creating.

I have been listening to the other drum patterns and answering those rhythms.  Being more aware of this new way of hearing the dynamics of a drum ensemble has made my drumming more enjoyable.