@ The Spirit of the Bear
From
Cape Town, take slipway off N1 past Canal Walk onto N7 to
Malmesbury
Approximately 26Kms to Swartland Engen Garage
Exactly 10Kms further on right – Drive in through the gate &
park.
Bring
the family & a picnic & join us for an African rhythmic
journey . . . . . No drugs or alcohol on the premises Please!
Saturdays 07
31 March & 28 April
14h00 to 21h00
R50 Adults / R20 Kids
R15 Drum hire (or bring your own)
Experience a
fun filled afternoon of Drumming, Dancing, Singing,
Face
Painting and much more!
There will be juice, water, coffee, tea & snacks
available throughout the day.
Due to the nature of what
we do on this land we respectfully ask that no drugs or alcohol
be brought onto the premises.
For more info please feel free to contact:Michelle
van Blommestein or
Janis Merand
021-789 2932 / 082 426 9683 021- 551 9995 / 082 690
5240
drumming@naturalicatchi.com
dinty@mweb.co.za
or
visit www.naturalicatchi.com
Program
14h30 -:
Welcome & opening
performance by “Women on Djembe” led by
founder member,
Janis Merand.
15h00 -:
Join Janis
for an empowering Women’s drum circle where you will
learn to play traditional Djembe rhythms & much more . . . (Women Only –
sorry guys!)
16h00 -:
Experience Traditional Zimbabwean dancing &
song to live
percussion with
Dingeswayo Juma. You get a chance to be the dancers and the
music! Open to anyone, followed by a short performance where everyone is
welcome to participate.
17h00 -:
For all those who
believe they are rhythmically challenged . . . . . . .give
us an hour to prove you wrong! Experienced players are also welcome to
join in. Learn the basics of Djembe drumming with Tessa Hosford.
Followed by an interactive rhythmic experience incorporating a variety
of percussive instruments & drums, facilitated by Michelle van
Blommestein.
18h00 -:
Performances & demonstrations
by various artists.
19h00 -:
Bring your
instruments & drums (or hire 1 of ours) & join us around the
fire for some rhythmic fun in the Open Drum circle led by
Bevil Spence.
Play along with the African rhythms, encourage the
Fire Dancers with
your creative rhythms & play up appetite for . . .
Melanie’s hearty vegetarian broth
with bread @ R25
There will also be juice,
water, coffee, tea & snacks available throughout the day.
Please Note: This
program is subject to change
Special
Thanks to-:
Melanie Kastell for the
special venue & facilities, Kobus Conradie for being MC & time keeper,
the sound guys, all the facilitators for sharing their special talents,
all of you for making these events possible & our ancestors for giving
us drums!!!
About
the Facilitators
Janis
Merand-:
Janis has been working with djembe for approximately 8 years. She has
had the privilege of being taught by a master djembe player from Mali,
Sidi Sangare and always honours him as her teacher. He has given her
many of the songs she in turn teaches her groups – songs that are
centuries old and only recently have been recorded in print, as opposed
to the oral tradition which djembe stems from. Janis has broken with
the tradition of djembe, however, as it is traditionally only the men
who play. Not only does Janis play, she has been acknowledged as a
teacher of worth by master djembe players and she also works
predominantly with groups of women. Janis leads the all-women performing
group “Women on Djembe” playing West African songs, southern African
rhythms, traditional compositions and much more! She regularly leads
smaller, focussed groups where the benefits of the songs learnt – all of
which come from a particular social context - can be felt on a deeper
level. The djembe has been a doorway to other African instruments for
Janis and the start of a growing feeling of homecoming and embracing
herself as a true African.
Dingeswayo Juma-:
Master mbira player, craftsmen, teacher, drummer and percussionist from
Zimbabwe. He was born into a family of traditional mbira players (his
mother is a spiritual healer). Dingiswayo was also exposed to
traditional styles of drumming at a very young age. Much of his
percussive strength lies in his ability to understand and teach odd time
rhythms. He has performed with artists such as Ephat Mujuru, Tute
Chigamba, Oliver Mtukudzi and Musekiwa Chingodza. He has played and
learned alongside Master drummers such as Afrika Kotei Djanie, Eugene
Ansah and Atsu Dagadu. He teaches Zimbabwean traditional dance and songs
as well as rhythm from West African countries.
Tessa Hosford-:
Tessa comes from a percussion background. Her father was a jazz
drummer and her brother is a respected conga player based in San
Francisco. Tessa has always had an interest in rhythm and percussion
and in 1996 she met Pierre Terblanche in Scarborough who introduced her
to the Djembe. In 1997 she travelled (with her drum) to the UK where
she was fortunate enough to be taught by Ghanaian master drummer Odartey
Lamphrey. Over the next few years Tessa returned periodically to Cape
Town and it was during one of these visits that she met Michael de Wit
and joined his group Roots Rhythms. Tessa returned to Cape Town
permanently in 2003 and was invited to join “Women on Djembe”. She
regularly facilitates, performs & teaches with Janis Merand, Michelle
van Blommestein & Bevil Spence. Her true passion lies in teaching and
working with children.
Michelle van
Blommestein-:
Michelle has been playing Djembe, bass drums &
various types of percussion for about 8 years. Her solid foundations in
Djembe came from her first teacher, Greg Stopforth. In 2001 she began
facilitating interactive drum sessions for corporate team building
events working with Eddie Bunting of Drums & Rhythm and Bevil Spence of
Drumba among others. Her own company, Naturali Catchi Rhythms was
founded in 2002
and focuses primarily
on drumming & percussion workshops for children and therapy groups.
Together with Tessa Hosford & Ebony Blundell, she facilitates weekly
sessions at Valkenberg Psychiatric hospital & Stepping Stones Addiction
center. She teaches weekly classes at Waldorf School in Constantia & a
beginner’s class in Kommetjie. She also facilitates fun drum circles for
children’s parties, corporate & social events. She regularly works with
Ronan Skillen (didgeridoo & tabla’s), Dingeswayo Juma (Djembe &
traditional Zimbabwean instruments) and has been a member of “Women on
Djembe” for 3 years.
Bevil Spence-:
Bevil is a full-time drum-maker, drum circle facilitator and drumming
teacher. He facilitates group drum circles for corporate functions, team
building events and parties, and visits schools and hospitals to work
with the learners, patients and staff, using drumming and rhythm as a
tool to educate and heal. His aim is to provide opportunities for people
to experience the powerful effects of drumming and rhythm, and to share
in the benefits of this ancient global tradition. Bevil conducts courses
and workshops that include: One-on-one classes, Basic hand drumming
courses,
Intermediate drumming courses, Facilitation courses & Explore the rhythm
workshops.
