TRIP TO AFRICA
Join us on our exciting trip to Guinea! We will make this trip an unforgettable expedition to study, observe and participate in the fascinating drum & dance culture of the Malinke, Sousou and Pular people. While we will be drumming quite a bit we will also experience traditional Guinean dance and experience the connection to Africa. Through this experience, we will grow as musicians and experience profound personal changes as we develop and explore our new relationships with our teachers, friends and the environment.
The trip is for over 3 Weeks in November 2010. Our home is based in Simbaya Gare , a village suburb not far from the capital Conakry, Guinea. We will be guests at a traditional compound where will enjoy a safe stay, comfortable accommodations and a welcoming African family. Our facility includes single (a few) or double room occupancy, toilet (African style) and bathing facilities, a drum and dance space, places to relax and unwind, and all of our African friends who will help you find your way.
We plan to make two (or more) side trips on our non-drumming days: One to a famous market and incredible waterfall in Kindia. Here you can make incredible fabric purchases or simply enjoy the views and the people. Kindia is a large village with country restaurants, large open-air produce and fabric markets, a couple of discos, and more balafons central! We also plan a day trip to Kassa ni Soro, a pristine beach off the coast of Guinea for lots of Sun and Surf and a picnic! A trip to Roome is also very likely!
Alan Tauber, Director of The DrumConnection has family in Simbaya Gare a stones’ throw away. “This trip will be a great way to meet the family, make friends and associations whom you will never forget. This has been a dream of mine for 6 years. Now, it’s time and it benefits everyone.”
WHY GUINEA?
...the best Malinke drumming in the world!
Guinea offers some of the greatest drummers in the world and Alan has selected the best teachers who are patient, kind and truly passionate about the music.
Some nights you will enjoy candlelight when there is no electricity. You will see the Moon and Stars like never before as we are very near the equator. The days are warm and it usually cools down a little at night with a slight ocean breeze. For your comfort you may wish to purchase a good room fan. Ask us about what to bring; a comprehensive list will be provided to all registrants.
With proper Travel Clinic advice from your doctor, and the mosquito nets provided and a little bug spray at hand, any mosquitoes should not be a problem. In November, the days and nights tend to be a bit cooler and the mosquitoes a bit less. A sorcerer lives nearby and if he’s available, we’ll make a trip to speak with him about any health concerns. The DrumConnection has connections with many people in Guinea who can be helpful to us. You will be treated very well as we create a family together! There are traditional healers and more modernized hospitals and a great doctor from Germany if we need care. But a safe trip is what we expect.
YOUR TEACHERS
YOUR HOST
THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
Over the course of over two weeks, travelers may participate in group drum, dance classes five days a week. During your stay you may also attend balafon and/or Fula Flute classes as you wish and available.
Near the end of our trip we take a pirogue (interesting boat) to the paradise island of Kassa for relaxing, swimming and a picnic. It doesn’t get more like paradise that this!
Traveling to Africa can seem hard or crazy to some people. It is best to do it in a safe and structured setting that we provide. What you will gain as a participant and traveler will, very likely, change your life. An immersion in the culture and music of Guinea like this is not to be missed.
The DrumConnection trip is designed for newbie travelers to Africa as well as veteran West Africa dancers and drummers. The experience is real and you will be safe. Guinea is so culturally rich, it will change what you believe about the world and yourself. A trip of this nature will bring you into contact with perhaps some of the most open and generous people you have ever met. Though financially poor, these people have hearts as large as the widest seas!
REGISTRATION FORM and details more info >>
Study djembe, dunun and dance in Guinea with us this November!
“Thank you Alan, Your great work continues to inspire, even in the face of violence and war--ESPECIALLY in the face of the darkness. Blessings to you and Fanta in 2010--may the Drum Connection grow and spread the beauty of Guinean drumming far and wide! Next year, I hope to travel with you on this great trip.”
“I just read the email you wrote Alan. I can’t thank you enough for this incredible experience. I am amazed at how much I learned and not just on djembe. But, for me, it was about the people of Guinea. They made me a brother and we became very close.
Thanks for changing my life!!”
“It amazes me that we became part of a family within a day and were so welcomed. For me, for the first time in my life, I felt at home. The instruction in all the instruments was fantastic and the teachers were extraordinary. Thank you for making this at all possible. It was, as you said, life changing!”
Alan Tauber & The DrumConnection present:
Djembe/Dunun, Dance & MANDE Music
in Guinea, West Africa!
November 18, 2010 to December 13, 2010
Join us for the trip of a lifetime, studying djembe and dunun drumming in Africa with Masters of the craft. A true cultural and musical immersion in Malinké music.
Boston area’s The DrumConnection is hosting an unforgettable journey to the birthplace of the djembe. In this 2 Week trip you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the music and culture of Guinea. Study drum and dance, attend festivals and celebrations, learn about the country and its people and discover the magic that IS Africa!
781-648-0066 info@drumconnection.com
Led by Sayon Camara (Sidia, Kourousa, Guinea), our team of teachers was hand picked by Alan Tauber, Director of The DrumConnection Boston (professional djembe player, teacher and musical director), to represent the highest in authenticity, approachability, and openness. Sayon Camara is our Master Teacher and will supervise all of the course material and instruction. He and our assistants and other artists are dedicated to the old traditions - proud to play and dance it the way their ancestors did, with a keen attention to detail, folklore and fun!
ALAN TAUBER, (Boston, MA) will be your host. This will be Alan’s 9th trip to Guinea. Alan has played and studied with all of these instructors and has picked them with great care. He has a nice, calm way of introducing ‘newbies’ to Africa and has a lot of tricks to help you navigate the experience. Being on the ‘inside’ will give us some definite advantages in solid planning and preparations. If you are a professional, you will be instructed at your level, as well.
