Presents DRUM BEATS

This event is part of TD’s Then and Now series, an inspiring and entertaining cultural showcase of one of Canada’s prominent communities. The lineup of events includes films, concerts, exhibitions, and performances by a host of Canadian and international artists. Visit www.td.com/thenandnow for more information.

Sponsored by the TD Bank Group in partnership with Mariposa in the Schools.

For 2012 the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival is launching a new program, Drum Beats, featuring Black artists who provide performances, performance-demonstrations and workshops featuring drumming in GTA community centres, libraries, and schools, during Black History Month 2012. The performances will take place via community organizations, such as community centre and libraries – programs that are in high-demand during Black History Month, especially in libraries. This project will provide access to programming to economically challenged communities by providing subsidies should they require financial support. In this way, we will reach communities that would not normally have access to these artists and art forms.

Project Goals:

• Create opportunities that maximize exposure and involvement in drumming in community centres, libraries, as well as schools, in the GTA during 2012 Black History Month;
• Provide programming for communities during that feature drumming traditions of Africa and the Caribbean.
• Provide opportunities for local drummers to share their skills and who demonstrate excellence in their art form, are rooted in the traditions of Africa and the Caribbean traditions, and have demonstrated skills in working effectively with audiences of all ages.
• Engage children, youth and adults in drumming experiences that result in appreciation, understandings and respect of the roots, legacies, and traditions of Black drumming art forms, and their role and relevance today.

Featured artists are:

Njacko Backo (b. Cameroon) www.njackobacko.com

Muhtadi (b. Trinidad and Tobago) www.muhtadidrumfest.com

Michael St. George (b. Jamaica) dubbin@michaelstgeorge.com

Special guest drummers for community performances only are:

Amara Kante (Baro, Guinea)

Amadou Kiendou (Burkina Faso) www.amadoukienou.com

Programs

For schools and community venues, including libraries:

Muhtadi

Heart Beats – performance and workshop

Participants/students are introduced to the drum – the heart beat of all music – featuring rhythms and drums from around the world including Afro-Cuban conga, Latin American timbales, the jimbe from Senegal  and the shekeree from Africa.

Njacko Backo

African Voyages Africains – performance*

Njacko shares the music and stories of his native Cameroon in a highly participatory performance.

We are One With The Drum: A 5-day workshop series*.  Participants/students experience daily village life in Cameroon by learning to play percussion instruments made from every day objects and build a repertoire of African songs and dance steps.

Toumkak: A workshop on instrument and music-making*.

* All programs are available for core and immersion French students, grades k to eight.

Michael St. George

Dub Me With Poetry – A performance demonstration and/or workshop.  Drawing upon  the roots in the African oral tradition of the Griots, students are introduced to the contemporary spoken word art form, inspired with perceptive lyrics and driven by the captivating cadence of the reggae beat. Students create their own dub poetry piece in 1-5 day workshop series that can include a student showcase. For grades six to eight, and nine to twelve.

Public performances for community venues, libraries only, featuring

Ivory Coast and West African Drumming Traditions:

Amara Kante

Ivory Coast drummer and dancer, has vast repertoire of diverse music and dance influences and specializes in traditional rhythms from the Hamanah region of Guinea, West Africa – the heart and soul of traditional Malinke music and culture. He has been performing at the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival since 2007, and has provided many workshops in Toronto for both professional and non-professional drummers and dancers.

Amadou Keinou

Born in Ouagadougou at Burkina Faso, Amadou Kienou is the 7th son of a family of praise singers from Dafing origin. Praise singers (Griots) are popular and renowned dancers and singers in Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso. His repertoire consists of songs, dances and musical soundings of the Mandingue rhythms, some of which he has adapted for the drum. During his solo concerts, Amadou demonstrates his mastery of the djembe and plays it with talent and ease, endlessly offering new and rich sounds in an astonishing and creative way. Amadou visits Toronto often and has also been a featured drummer at the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival.

Muhtadi and the World Drummers

Performance and demonstration with Muhtadi and the members of the World Drummers

For more information or to book a program for schools or community venues contact:

Mariposa In The Schools (MITS)

Dolores Anderson, Executive Director
Tel: 416 462 9400 Toll Free in Ontario 1-888-255-6487 Fax 416-462-0871
info@mariposaintheschools.ca
www.mariposaintheschools.ca

Presents DRUM BEATS

This event is part of Then and Now, a series of events celebrating Black History Month. Visit for event listing

Program Schedule:

Jan 30 to Feb 2: Njacko Backo – Drum/Dance workshops; grades 1-2  Humewood Community School, York

Feb 2: Muhtadi and World Drummers TPL – Downsview Branch

Feb 3: Njacko Backo, African Voyages Africains, K-12 Park Lane Public School, North York

Feb 6: Njacko Backo, African Voyages Africains George Kennedy PS, Georgetown

Feb 7: Njacko Backo, African Voyages Africains TPL- Lillian Smith Branch, Toronto

Feb 7: Muhtadi, HeartBeats TPL – Long Branch Branch

Feb 8: Njacko Backo, African Voyages AfricainsTPL – Jane/Sheppard Branch

Feb 8: Michael St. George, Dub Me With Poetry performance; grades tba TPL – Gerrard Ashdale Branch

Feb 13 to 17:  Njacko Backo, We Are One With The Drum workshop series, gr. 6;

Feb 17 – Student showcasePope Paul II School, Bolton

Feb 15: Muhtadi, HeartbeatsTPL – Sanderson Branch

Feb 15: Michael St. George, Dub Me With Poetry performance; grades tba TPL – Davenport Branch

Feb 17: Muhtadi, HeartBeats TPL – Woodview Branch

Feb 21: Michael St. George, Dub Me With Poetry performance; grades tba TPL – Branch

Feb 24: Njacko Backo, African Voyages Africains, performance, grades K-8 St. Vincent de Paul School, Markham

Feb 27 to Mar 2: Njacko  Backo, We Are One With The Drum workshop series Corpus Christi School, Mississauga

Feb 28: Michael St. George, Dub Me With Poetry, school program, grades tba  TPL – Morningside Branch