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More artists to be announced soon. Stay tuned!

Camp Afro Foli Drum and Dance Retreat 2024

 

We are super happy to announce that Camp Afro Foli is BACK!!

Camp Afro Foli Drum & Dance Retreat 2024 brings you world-class artists in a 3 day retreat on the beautiful beach of Noosa North Shore Retreat.

There will be workshops in African dance, dundun dance, African drumming, dundun drumming and loads more.

Join Rhythm Culture for Camp Afro Foli Drum and Dance Retreat. The camp will run over three days where there is shared apartment style accommodation. This will be a self – catered event. Every apartment has its own kitchen and two bathrooms. Please bring your own food and a shared BBQ is optional on the Friday night. There is a bistro and bar onsite for meals, snacks and drinks. You can also BYO alcohol. Apartments are two bedroom and sleeping will be appx 6 people per apartment, 3 per bedroom.

 

 

There will be lots of workshops and an artist performance on the Saturday night.

Three days of movement, fun, cultural workshops and performances, with international and interstate artists bringing Africa to the Sunshine Coast.

Enjoy beautiful beach surroundings, world class talent and be immersed in West African culture with workshops in djembe, dancing, dundun drumming, and dundun dancing. Loads of action to choose from and the promised gift of rhythm for your hands and feet.

 

THE ARTISTS

EPIZO BANGOURA 
Abdoulaye Epizo Bangoura is one of Africa`s leading percussionists . A former member of the famous Ensemble Koteba of Ivory Coast he was born into a family of Griots, highly respected and honored members of this community of musicians and storytellers, keepers of their ancestral traditions and customs, a true living memory of Africa.

Epizo immortalize his culture through his songs, music, dance and legends. His father started to teach him how to play an instruments at three years of age. A few years later he started going to school where he became a member of school bands. Epizo then performed in front of Guinea ex President  Ahamed Sekou Toure. He then started his first tour in Europe with music and dance directed by Audre Toure the wife of the President. As a griot he is a respected historian, and considers it his responsibility to transmit his oral ancestral traditions through music: the drum, dance and chants.

Epizo has toured world-wide, bringing his inspiration teachings to many cultures through master classes. To chronicle the musical story of Abdoulaye we must start in the 80s when he move from Guinea to the Ivory coast then Paris (France) working with various bands such as Mory Kante, Salif Keita, Doudou N`diaye Rose, Kassamady Diabate , Sekouba Babino Diabate as well as teaching dance and percussion classes. He formed the first version of “African Express” at this time: a band combining elements of traditional and contemporary styles of music. In his song Epizo mixes the past with the present; the legends of the old empire with today`s social realities. His music shows remarkable use of fable and allegory, as well as refence to the old values of country, family, wife, children, and work. Many of his texts talk of very concrete and current problem with an awareness that African is short on today.

In the early 90s, Epizo moved to the United State to perform with several Jazz musicians and groups such as Don Pollen, Abdoulaye Ibrahim (Dollar Brand), Ed Blakwell, Mark Helias, Jane Cortez, Papa Ladji Camara and Regina Carter. He performed regularly with African Express in New York City where he founded the Fareta Drum and Dance School. In 1996 he moved to Australia after previously touring there on two occasions.

A multiple award winning musician and true multi-instrumentalist Epizo plays not only the traditional Djembe (percussion) of his native Guinea but all percussion, including the Western Drum kit, Congas, Piano, Guitar, Balafon (African xylophone), Kora, Goni (African Guitar), Doun-douns, Sangban, Kenkeni, Bass, and Gongoma. With a strong belief that rhythm and dance go together Epizo has performed with a severals dance company in Guinea, France, and the USA and has received critical acclaim for his clever mastery of rhythm and rare dexterity.

ALMA VELASQUEZ HUICHULEF BIO
Alma Velasquez Huichulef is a dancer, percussionist, choreographer, Body Expression
Teacher – graduated from the Higher Institute of Artistic Education, specialized in African
dances from the West coast of Africa. She belongs to the first nations of the current
Argentine territory, the Mapuche Nation and she is African descent with roots in the north
and south of Africa. She is an artistic reference of Afro-matrix expressions with national and international experience, a Cultural Manager and teacher who has produced, provided, participated and promoted in different meetings, seminars, festivals and professional training in Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Uruguay the dissemination and research of Afro-Argentine, Afro-descendant and African arts such as Yendou Africa Festival, Des mestizaje, Africa in Patagonia and Niamakala among others. She also organized reflection meetings around the construction of identities, promoted the construction of public policies and carried out affirmative actions to strengthen the rights of Afro people in Argentina. She participated as a dancer, musician and choreographer in “As I am an Afro woman” dance video of the Ministry
of Culture of the Argentine Nation and as assistant director of the black root of tango in the video of “Passion by Gotambo Hidden Rhythm”, winning video of the World Tango Festival. She participated as a dance performer in groups like Didjen Dgaye, Africa Donaba, Dundum Magic of West Africa, Africa Dance in Guinea-Africa, as director and choreographer in the Nni Fare Company and B.A.P. Self-convoked ballet from Buenos Aires and Percussionist in the Cheick Güeye Ballet. She has performed and participated in festivals such as BsAs Celebrate the Afro community, La Semana de África, Somos Nuestra Herencia (MCN), Soy de la Virgen no Más, FITTNA International Festival of theater and Native American traditions, Dance in Tecnopolis among others.

African dancing

Bec Combs has been drumming and dancing for 20  years and has been taught by renowned teachers in Australia and overseas.  Bec began learning drum and dance in Melbourne in 2004 and with a love of West African music and culture and a flair for business management then relocated to the Sunshine Coast in 2012 and established Rhythm Culture.

Bec has been to California in 2017  and West Africa in 2018 studying West African Dance with some of the worlds best teachers.

She shares this knowledge and years of practice with her students in regular classes and workshops. Bec teaches the West African dance class on a Tuesday evening and runs both drum and dance workshops all over South East QLD.

Rhythm Culture Team Building

Nathaniel Combs has been studying West African drumming for 20 years and teaching for over 15.

His extensive knowledge and passion in West African drum and dance is contagious and mesmerising.

Nathaniel has spent many hours traveling, studying and training Balafon, Djembe and Dundun in Guinea and Mali. Nathaniel has been taught by many renowned teachers of Djembe including Mamady Keita and Bassidi Kone.

Nathaniel creates all Rhythm Culture drumming programs, facilitates drumming workshops and classes, performs and curates Rhythm Culture performances as well as CAMP AFRO FOLI!

 

Shivani Schoereder

From the moment Shivani took her first Yoga class back in 2009, she knew that there was something deeply powerful in that practice that she was keen to explore. Her life has been completely transformed ever since through the power of Yoga and meditation. Her great passions are: continuous learning and practicing the deep philosophies of the East, and sharing the tools she has learned over the years with others so they too can bring more peace, contentment and joy to their lives.

She also loves spending time in nature, singing devotional songs and drumming.

Camp Afro Foli Drum & Dance Retreat begins with registration on Friday July 19th 2pm followed by drum and dance workshops. Saturday night is party night!! This is a self catered event. There are a range of activities, workshops and beautiful surroundings to have you rested, rejuvinated and totally pumped full of West African dance, drum and culture! Camp Afro Foli Drum and Dance Retreat activities include djembe, dundun, African dancing, dundun dancing and more.

CAMP AFRO FOLI ACTIVITIES

  • Djembe Drumming – One of the most popular West African instruments. The djembe is a hand drum with three fundamental sounds but a million (that’s a guess) ways to play them. There will be several workshops each day for different skill levels.
  • Dundun Dance – Like to drum and dance at the same time? Then this is the class for you!  Move around your drum with funky dance moves and invigorating drum rhythms! Drums are provided and workshop will be to live drumming.

  • Guinean Dance–  These workshops will be open and will be to live drumming. Experience traditional West African dance and work up a sweat! 
  • Performance – Saturday night is party night with performances from our guests Artists and Rhythm Culture Artists.
  • Yoga – Wake up and start your day with a refreshing, warming Yoga session. Prepare your body for movement and stay centred amidst all the camp excitement

 CAMP AFRO FOLI GUEST ARTISTS

WHERE?

Noosa North Shore Retreat. There is a vehicle ferry which costs $10 each way and this must be paid in cash to the ferry operators.

SLEEP

Accommodation is shared two bedroom apartment style with 6 beds per apartment. There is two bathrooms and a full kitchen in each apartment. 

Every bed has its own bedding but please bring extra blankets for warmth if needed.

Every effort will be made so that friends or groups will be in apartments together. 

 EATS AND DRINKS

This is a self catered event. This means you will need to bring you own Friday lunch and dinner. Saturday breakfast, lunch and dinner and Sunday breakfast and lunch. On the Friday night we will be doing a shared BBQ around the pool. If you would like to be a part of this please bring BBQ style food. You will have cooking supplies in each apartment. You can BYO alcohol, but please drink responsibly. For extra meals, snacks or alcoholic drinks there is a bistro and bar.

PRICING

Camp Afro Foli Drum & Dance Retreat

(Please note Artists may be subject to change without notice due to unforeseen circumstances.)

Full Camp – Early Bird Special Starts 15/03/2024

$450.00

If you don’t use Paypal you can make a bank transfer. Please ensure you put your full name in as the reference. Our bank details are: BSB 633 000  Account: 199 937 822

Includes Friday, Saturday, Sunday tuition, Accommodation, Africa Night Performance,

If you have any queries about the camp including accommodation, food etc please contact Rhythm Culture not the venue.

 

 Camp Afro Foli Program 2023 (2024 Program Coming Soon!)

 Friday July 28
 Time  What’s On – Rosella Room What’s On – Outside
 12:00PM Registration
 1:00 PM Drum – Bassidi Koné – 1hr
 2:15 PM Dance – Bec Combs –1hr
 3:30 PM Dance – Lady Chica – 1 hr Drum – Nathaniel Combs – Dundun – 1hr
 4:45 PM Dance – Kwame Tosuma – 1hr
 6:00 PM Drum – Bassidi Koné – 1 hr
 7:30 PM Opening Circle, Acknowledgement of Country, Dinner – Shared Barbeque / Self Cater
Saturday July 29
 Time  What’s On – Rosella Room  What’s On – Outside
 7:00 AM Yoga – Shivani Schoereder
 8:00 AM Day Registrations
 8:30 AM Dance  – Bec Combs – 1hr
 9:45 AM Dance – Lady Chica – 1hr Drum – Nathaniel Combs – Dundun – 1 hr
 11:00AM Dance – Kwame Tosuma – 1 hr
 12:15PM Drum – Bassidi Koné – 1 hr
 1:30 PM Lunch – Self Cater
 3:00 PM Dance – Lady Chica – 1hr Drum – Bassidi Koné – 1 hr
 4:15 PM Dance – Kwame Tosuma – 1 hr
 5:30 PM Break
 6:00 PM Dinner – Self Cater / Bistro Gathering (Eats and Drinks Available for purchase)
 8:00 PM Party night! Performance with Bassidi Koné, Kwame Tosuma, Lady Chica, Nathaniel Combs, Tsoof Baras, and friends.
 Sunday July 30
 Time  What’s On – Rosella Room  What’s On – Outside
 7:00 AM Yoga – Shivani Schoereder
 8:00 AM Day Registrations
 8:30 AM Dundun Dance – Pascale Richy – 1hr Drum – Tsoof Baras – 1hr
 9:45 AM Dance – Kwame Tosuma – 1 hr
 11:00AM Dance – Lady Chica – 1hr Drum – Bassidi Koné – 1 hr
 12:15PM Lunch and Pack Up/Clean Up – Self Cater
 1:30 PM Dance – Lady Chica – 1hr                                           Drum – Bassidi Koné – 1 hr
 2:45 PM Dance – Kwame Tosuma – 1 hr
 4:00 PM Goodbyes, safe travels and see you next year!!
 NB: Program and artists are subject to change without notice.

 

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