Tanzania


Tanzanian dances

In this workshop you will experience an exciting journey to Tanzania. You will get to know traditional and maybe also more modern Tanzanian dances in the encouraging and clear guidance of Julia Milao. The class is suited for dancers of all levels, but previous dance experience is useful. Check the instructions for enrollment on the workshop page.

Julia Milao

Julia Milao started with African dance in Jyväskylä in 2007, and in 2009 she found her way to the Bagamoyo college of arts. There she graduated in 2012 with excellent grades, dance as her major and theatre as a minor. During her three years in Tanzania, she got to learn theatre, acting and directing, as well as traditional Tanzanian dances and choreography, and also gained general knowledge of TAnzanian music. Outside from school she added to her skills by visiting dance groups in different places and training with a local acrobatics group. After returning to Finland, she has been working as an African dance teacher, giving workshops and weekly classes, and as a performer in several groups. Read more one Sisi Majitu Africulture’s homepage.


Tanzanian rhythms (ngoma)

In this class, you will get to know Tanzanian rhythms with Ally Milao. The main instruments used are traditional Tanzanian ngoma drums (see the video below) that are played either with two sticks or with bare hands. No previous drumming experience is required although it does of course help. Mention if you need to borrow a drum when enrolling for the class! Check the instructions for enrollment on the workshop page.

Ally Milao

Ally “Zakoo” Milao started his artistic career at 14, first as a dancer, and moved then to drumming and making drums. In 2000, he opened his own shop that sells drums, and that nowadays also sells paintings, handicrafts as well as drumming and dance classes. Together with his wife Julia he has founded in Bagamoyo, Tanzania the arts centre Sisi Majitu Africulture that aims to serve as a base also for other artists in the region. The last few years Ally has lived in Jyväskylä and teaches regularly there. Apart from Tanzania and Finland, he has performed and taught vlasses in Kenya, Holland and Belgium. Read more on Sisi Majitu Africulture’s homepage.


Ilimba

This year the workshop program includes a rare opportunity to learn the basics of playing the Tanzanian ilimba or “thumb piano”! Ilimba is played by pressing the instrument’s metal keys with one’s thumbs. The same type of instruments can be found in different parts of Africa, but the ilimba is an instrument of the Tanzanian Gogo people. Ilimba is used both as a solo intrument and together with other instruments, as well as for accompanying dance and songs. Maybe the most famous ilimba player was Hukwe Zawose (1938/40–2003).

The ilimba intensive course is a two-day workshop, meaning that on Sunday we will continue where we left off on Saturday; the course fee (50 € – possible reductions) includes in total four hours of teaching. The loan of an instrument is included, as well. If you have your own ilimba, it’s tuning should be checked in advance.

Petra Käppi

Petra KäppiPetra Käppi is a performer and musician specilized in traditional Tanzanian music and old Finnish traditions. She has studied ilimba playing and other local music during her several study trips to Tanzania. Petra works mostly in the field of children’s culture in the Culture Cooperative Uulu in multi-arts and multicultural concerts and workshops, where music, dance and theatre are combined. Music and dance have accompanied Petra since her childhood: musically oriented school class, learning piano at the Tampere conservatory and a long history as participant of the Samba School Roseira and a member of the dance group Oba Oba as well as studying ethnomusicology at the University of Tampere are important elements in her background.


Mzungu Kichaa, Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble, Moussa Diallo

Mzungu Kichaa (Denmark/Tanzania)

Mzungu Kichaa, or “Crazy White Man”, was born in Denmark, but grew up in Tanzania, where he learned to speak swahili fluently and later got involved in music. He is well known in Tanzania and all around East Africa as one of the pioneers of Bongo Flava music style and has worked as part of the jury for Bongo Star Search, a talent search competition on TV (much like Idols or Talent).

www.mzungukichaa.com

Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble (Finland/Benin)

“Weather Report meets Fela, you might say. They are good enough.” This is how Rick Sanders of fRoots magazine wrote about Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble.

Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble impresses it’s listener not only with intense moods and joyful yet virtuoso performances, but also with fresh and carefully crafted songwriting. As composers Noel Sazonou and Janne Halonen are enough far apart to make the cocktail something completely new, yet they both possess enough musicianship to complement each other’s works.

Drawing inspiration from the roots of Afrobeat, they use their jazz experience to expand on Voodoo rhythms with a modern urban touch. In November their second Album “Fire, Sweat & Pastis” was released in Finland, and only few months later it received the Ethno Album of the Year award.

www.helsinkicotonouensemble.com

Moussa Diallo (Mali/Denmark)

The award-winning Malian-Danish bass player Moussa Diallo has a long career in playing pop and rock music in his other home country Denmark. In recent years, he has been using music from Mali, his other home country, as his main source of inspiration.

www.moussadiallo.com

Schedule

Doors open 20.00
22.00 Moussa Diallo
23.30 Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble
01.00 Mzungu Kichaa

DJ’s

DJ Cliff
DJ George MTV

Age limit 18 years.

Advance tickets 22 € (from Tiketti), at the door 25 €.

Also combination tickets available from Tiketti:
Friday & Saturday 42,50 €
Thursday, Friday & Saturday 49,50 €