baobab tree

West African Drumming, Song and Dance


The Brackenhale School

At one time, The Brackenhale School was having tremendous difficulties with pupil behaviour. A new regime was put in place, and we were invited by Bracknell Forest Council to spend 8 weeks in the school, teaching traditional West African drumming to Key Stages 2 and 3. We taught four different groups four completely different pieces of traditional music, complete with songs. On the last day, we bussed in a 9-piece drum and dance collective, Jelimasa, for a performance in which the children demonstrated their new-found skills to 400 of their friends, classmates, and parents, followed by a wild West African drumming and dance spectacular, led by Baba Kone, Djembe and Balafon (West African xylophone) master and griot from Burkina Faso. We raised the roof!

The Brackenhale Team

Alicia Davies: Djembe, Doundounba
Bucarr Ndow: Djembe, Doundounba

Jelimasa:

Baba Kone: Lead Djembe, lead Balafon, musical director
Thierry Malard: second Djembe
Paul Zimmerman: Djembe
Lou Ciccotelli: Doundounba
Simon Abbott: Doundounba
Alicia Davies: Second Balafon, Doundounba
Woly Diouf: Dance
Pap Thiam: Dance
Kat Miles: Dance

The results:

"The whole experience has inspired and motivated the students far more than could have been imagined. This is not just limited to the classes involved in the project, but has also spread across the whole school. The pupils have reinforced their knowledge, and gained confidence and self-esteem from the project. Well done and thank you."

Angela Rooke ,Head of Music, Brackenhale School, Bracknell Forest.