DCMA Pre-Busara Program & February Program

The week before the Sauti za Busara festival is filled with interesting and exciting activities at the DCMA.

As well as the popular and traditional 'Busara Extra' programme which will feature the drumming, dancing and Open-Mic sessions as usual, the DCMA will hold the following workshops at it's home in the Old Customs House, Malindi, 
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (10, 11, and 12 February) Performers' Workshop will be conducted from 2:30 - 4:30. 

Wednesday and Thursday (11 and 12 February - 9.00 to 4 p.m.)
An Instrument Making Workshop, supported by the Goethe Institute, Dar es Salaam will bring together students from Music Mayday, Action Music and other Music schools in Dar es Salaam and Music students from DCMA in a program that will consider the music instrument makers of Africa and the processes they go through in their work. Expert music instrument makers will make presentations and some videos will be watched to see traditional instrument making procedures. 

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (11, 12 and 13 February - 10 a.m. to 12 noon). 
Guitar Workshop. Mr. Derek Gripper - Solo Acoustic Guitarist, Composer, Arranger and Performer will be at the DCMA offering a guitar performance workshops. A review of Derek's work has been described as follows: "Gripper has brilliantly transferred [the kora] repertoire onto a regular six string guitar. He sees [Toumani] Diabaté as the Segovia, or indeed John Williams, of the kora, championing it as a solo instrument. And Gripper brilliantly takes it back to the guitar. He's opening a whole new repertoire of classical guitar music.bringing African guitar into the classical mainstream" 

Wednesday (11 February - 2.30 to 4.30) 
Traditional Music Workshop with Mwahiyerani: Mwahiyerani is a traditional dance group based in Mchauru Juu Village, Mtwara Region, and southern Tanzania. Their style is of the Makua ethnic group found both in southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique and was originally performed only by elders and in secret places, since the 1920s. Now it is performed openly The majority of Mwahiyerani's current members are young boys and men aged between 5 - 40 years. Typically, the group performs during cultural celebrations including initiation ceremonies. Mwahiyerani has 30 active members but for 'away' shows they can reduce performers to 15 participants, of which five will be musicians and percussionists. Most songs are about celebrating acts of courage and other local rituals. 

Friday, Saturday and Sunday (13, 14, 15 February - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m) 
The Hildesheim Cultural Policy for Arts Education Conference. This workshop will bring together local and international participants to consider the position of governmental policies related to Music Education. Presentations will be made by scholars from the University of Dar es Salaam as well as DCMA and scholars from The University of Hildesheim, Germany at which a large program in Cultural Policy for the Arts exists. 

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (12, 13, 14 and 15 February - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) 
'Swahili Encounters', the annual musical collaboration between the DCMA and Busara teams will bring together some of the DCMA artists and the Busara performers to create original compositions for the Festival. The musicians will be working hard at the DCMA rehearsing this fusion of music traditions