African Marimba Music Workshop
Half Day • Full Day
The African marimba builds on the percussive element of the African drum by adding harmonious melodic expression.
Using soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas to build an ensemble, participants get the wonderful opportunity to learn, play and create wonderful rhythms and melodies as a marimba band, and to have a great time whilst doing so.
If you are interested in hiring our professional marimba band for an event, see more here.
African Mbira (Kalimba) Music Workshop
Half day • Full Day
The African mbira is a beautiful instrument with a sound that has traditionally been used in the southern parts of Africa as a spiritual pathway for guidance and healing.
We teach using the mbira nyunga nyunga (or kalimba) from Zimbabwe, and our workshops can be one-on-one, or delivered to groups. Our mbira workshops typically include singing and are a lovely way to relax through music.
We also facilitate mbira dzavadzimu (nhare) workshops.
African Singing Workshop
Half day • Full day
As the African proverb goes, "if you can talk, you can sing".
Singing is a wonderful collective and creative outlet, documented for its far reaching mental and physiological benefits.
Our focus is on traditional songs with elements of mbube styles of singing, as well as call and response - in languages such as Shona, Ndebele, Xhosa, Zulu and Tswana.
Singing African folk songs is a great way to learn about southern African culture and to experience the warm spirit of the continent.
African Dance Workshop
Half day • Full day
Rhythm and movement are central components of African cultural expression.
Our dance workshops are a great way to explore traditional movements from the continent. We cover both southern African traditional as well as contemporary African dance in general, and our workshops are suitable for all ages and all ability levels.
African Storytelling Workshop
Half day • Full day
Storytelling has always been a central part of life in Africa. We tell stories to preserve our history, to impart knowledge and wisdom, and to entertain our children and one another.
Our storytelling is not only done through narration, but we tell our stories through song and dance as well, and this has always been an important part of African cultural expression. Our storytelling workshops can be passive, where participants get to listen to stories from the continent with live instrumentation and participation, or they can be centred around participants learning how to tell their own stories.
Workshops incorporate an opportunity for everyone to share and perform their own stories.
For more information
To enquire about booking an African music, song, dance or storytelling workshop, use the tab below.
Workshop Set-Up
We deliver all our music workshops by ear, the traditional African way, which enables students to more freely engage their senses and be present in the music and experience as a whole.
Our workshops require no previous experience or knowledge of music, song or dance - or of African music or culture in general.
Workshops can be as short as 30 minutes long, typically better suited for complete beginners and young children, or as long as one hour to one and a half hours. Bookings can be made for half a day, a full day, or over several days.
Workshop And Concert Combo
Combining a day of workshops with a live show is a fantastic way to not only treat participants to something special, but to also enrich their experience.
Our Taste of Southern Africa show presents a wonderful collection of folk songs from southern Africa - sharing with our audiences a taste of ancient rhythms, sounds and stories from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana, using the marimba and mbira, accompanied by singing, drumming and dancing.
The concert can tie in participatory activities or general audience involvement, giving listeners a more in-depth and memorable cultural learning experience.