Links
You can use this logo if you wish to link to the Drums
Aloud website
The following links are excellent sites to visit for further information on African drumming & percussion and African culture:
Click here to join
West African Drumming UK, which is a news group that will keep you informed (by email) of
West African Drumming events all over the UK. The website also has interesting features
including photos and rhythm notations that can be downloaded.
Hamana Bjémakan is a West African
performance & teaching group, based in Leamington Spa, who provide the majority of
the teaching for this project.
See their promotional YouTube video. Also see them and other artists performing at the Mill in Banbury on this YouTube video.
See their promotional YouTube video. Also see them and other artists performing at the Mill in Banbury on this YouTube video.
The Wonder Years Centre of Excellence is a
Black Country charity that is providing health care and education to The Gambia. They have
sold drums to our project (made by local Gambian craftsmen) and the profits will go to
support the work of this charity.
JUST ACT Gambia is a charity set up by Jane Smith, who has been
drumming with Drums Aloud since the outset. The charity is providing support for Janjanbureh (180 miles up river in
The Gambia) to set up community-led development, training, responsible tourism and improved education.
The Kartong Festival is a drumming festival that is held
in Kartong, Gambia in March each year.
See the promotional YouTube video.
Nansady Keita is a Guinean djembe-fola and nephew of the internationally-renowned djembe master
Famoudou Konate. Nansady has performed and taught around the world, including touring with Famoudou's ensemble. Nansady is a member of a traditional
West African performance group Fankabah in Guinea-Conakry and he leads two UK-based ensembles, Sodeya & Meereeya Bedeh.
Knock On Wood are suppliers of global music, including percussion, and other instruments, CDs, DVDs,
books and a whole lot more.
Tan Tan Africa are a local fair-trade supplier of
West African instruments based in Birmingham. They have supplied the dunduns, percussion instruments
and a quality djembe suitable for a teacher or soloist.
DjembeFola is a drumming organisation based in Ireland.
They have useful information on their website, in particular some djembe video clips.
Hands On Skin is a drumming organisation based Brighton, where Chris
Diallo teaches djembe, balafon, African songs and beginners African dance.
Drum Jam is a drumming organisation based in London. They run
workshops in the community, schools and commercial organisations. They also sell djembes and other
merchandise and there are useful rhythm downloads.
Drums Agogo is a drumming organisation based in Harrogate and run by Alison Lyon who
is a very experienced teacher of African rhythms on djembe / dundun and delivers wokshops in schools, businesses and in the community.
Rich Rhythms is a drumming organisation based in Margate,
Kent, run by Richard Latham. He has a performance group and provides a Drum Doctor service as well
as drum workshops.
Drum Heads is a drumming organisation based in
Guildford, run by Sean Quinn & Julie Kingston. They can provide educational, community and corporate
drum workshops and performances based upon a mix of drumming and percussion styles (African, Latin,
Indian etc.).
Djembe School is a performing arts organisation dedicated
to exploring the world of West African drum and dance. They run a wide range of education and
training programmes for children, adults and educators. This includes djembe and dance workshops,
evening classes and performances.
Drum West are based in Frome, Somerset and provides accessible drum and rhythm teaching for schools,
colleges and a wide range of community groups. Using traditional rhythms on the West African djembe, dundun drums and bells, they offer exciting,
rewarding and memorable workshops.
Drum Roots are the leading provider of West African drumming workshops and performances
in Greater Manchester and across the North West. Their aim is to develop the experience of teaching, performing & promoting African
music and culture, whilst inspiring others to express their individuality and encourage a greater sense of community.
Seby Ntege from Busoga in Eastern Uganda, lives in the UK and runs Ugandan music
and dance workshops in schools, universities and colleges all around the UK, as well as community workshops. He is a
consummate performer and has performed at drum festivals, with the community group 'Embaire Strikes Back', with stage
productions and even at Westminster Abbey for HM The Queen.
Slapping Skins provides percussions workshops to groups of all sizes and focuses particularly
on djembe and West African rhythms.
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Drum Workshops is a drumming organisation based in
Cambridge run by Daniela McDermott. She provides educational, community and corporate
drum workshops based upon a mix of drumming and percussion styles (West African, Brazilian as well
as junk & body percussion).
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Drummed Up is an open and inclusive group dedicated to providing West African drumming and dancing
and loads of fun to the Newcastle area.
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Alé Douvan is a group, based in Tower Hamlets, East
London, dedicated to the dance, music, culture and language of Africa and the Caribbean.
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Master Compo is a master drummer from Guinea Conakry. He has been teaching drum and dance to students of all
ages and abilities for over 10 years, and performs with the Guinean groups Tamala and Petit Guinea. He also offers drumming holidays in Guinea and Gambia.