Fusing Cultures: East African Taarab, Danish Classical Music and Latin Afro Cuban Rhythms

By Stefano

Ketebul Music is currently running a creative music workshop dubbed Fusing Cultures. The workshop funded by a grant from the Danish Culture Fund, DANIDA, and executed by Sarakasi Trust will focus on Taarab music from the Kenyan Coast. Taarab music is popular among the coastal communities of East Africa. Taarab music encompasses an integral part of the East African coastal culture that is a blend of Arabic, African, European and Indian culture.

The project is aimed at promoting fusion of Danish and Kenyan musical cultures as well as builds the capacity of percussionists in Kenya.

Ketebul Music has invited three musicians and performing artists from Denmark and Kenya who will act as facilitators of the workshop. The musicians invited are;

Kim Jezus: A Danish accordion player, performer, actor and rhythm educator. Kim will be the lead facilitator of the Fusing Cultures workshop.

Kim Jezus

Nyota Ndogo: A Mombasa based, Kenyan singer who performs Taarab and Taarab influenced pop music.

Nyota Ndogo

Yohanier Ramon: A Danish based Cuban percussionist who is much sought after in the Latin music scene.

Yohanier Ramon

Participants for the workshop are Taarab musicians and percussionists drawn from Nairobi and Mombasa.

The workshop, which is being held at the Godown Arts Centre, started on the 4th of June and will run through to the 8th of June. A culmination of the workshop will be a performance at the Sawa Sawa festival 2012 by the participants of the workshop featuring their facilitators Kim Jezus, Nyota Ndogo and Yohanier Ramon. The group going under the name Taarab Fusion will showcase material developed during the five-day creative workshop.

Ketebul Music would like to invite you all to be a part of this exciting and innovative project by attending the Sawa Sawa Festival at the Carnivore grounds on the 10th of June 2012.

For more pictures and day to day updates on the Fusing Cultures workshop, visit our Facebook page HERE.

For information on the Sawa Sawa Festival, click HERE.

For information on Sarakasi Trust and the Danish Culture Fund, click HERE.