Drumming News from David Visiko

News from David Visiko, including more dance and drum classes by Sekou Soumah...

Digest:

1) If you would like to be added to this email list: Please send
me an email at DjembeDave@yahoo.com with the email that you want taken
off and I will remove it. I think you are also able to self-remove
too. Thanks

2) Sekou Drum and Dance Classes (September)

3) David "Dauda" Visiko Drum classes for Bend & Redmond & Parks & Rec
and COCC

4) Bio for Portland instructor Sekou Souhma

5) Performance Troupe Fe Fanyi

6) Dance Collective

7) Oba Addy Concert & Fe Fanyi performs too!
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2)
Sekou Soumah (amazing drum and dance instructor out of Portland!) See
BIO BELOW
The more we support his classes the more consistent he will visit us.
His classes are Amazing and well worth it.

Saturday and Sunday, September 5th and 6th and 19th & 20th
Saturday Classes: Dance 4:00-5:30 p.m. Drum 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Sunday Classes: Dance 11:00-12:30 Drum 1:00-2:30

Cost: $15 for dance $20 for drum
Where: Terpsichorean Dance Studio
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3) David "Dauda" Visiko Classes
Start back up in October

Redmond: (Mondays) Starting October 19, 2009
6:00-6:30 Beginners 6:30-8:00 (all)
Class cost: $12 a drop-in or Class #1 or Class #6 $50 for five
consecutive classes

Bend: (Wednesdays) Starting October 21, 2009
Class cost: $10 a drop-in or Class #1 or Class #6 $50 for five
consecutive classes

Where: Joy of Being Studio (Alleyway behind 155 NW Hawthorne) Access
alley from Harriman Street.
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4) Sekou Souhmah Bio

Sekou Soumah is a talented dancer and drummer from Portland, Oregon.
Sekou made his professional dance debut in 1998, when he began
performing and touring with the acclaimed Northwest African American
Ballet. The NWAAB was a very important stepping stone in his early
dance career, taking him to venues as far away as Edinburgh, Scotland
where the ballet headlined for the Fringe Festival in 1999. Sekou
worked as a dancer for the company from 1998 -2002.

In the year 2000, Sekou began apprenticing with several of Guinea’s
best drummers and dancers: Alseny Soumah, Mouminatou Camara, Youssouf
Koumbassa, Mamady Keita and Moustapha Bangoura, dancers of Les Ballets
Africans, Guinea’s premier ballet ensemble. Studying under these
master artists, Sekou developed both skill and a deep respect for the
music and culture of Guinea West Africa.

In 2005, Sekou joined a small group of elite percussionists by
becoming an accredited professor for the Tam Tam Mandingue School of
Djembe Percussion, founded by Mamady Keita. In 2008 he earned his TTM
diploma which is the highest level one can obtain in the
organization.

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5) Fe Fanyi West African Drum and Dance troupe

This is a performance troupe for those students who are taking regular
classes with me to perform rhythms taught in class on the djembe and
dunun. We will soon be adding an elements of dance to the troupe as
well. See #6. To join the troupe you must be a regular student and
come to rehearsals. This can be a time commitment, but is also very
flexible. If you are interested please email DjembeDave@yahoo.com
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6) Dance Collective

One of the reasons that I invited Sekou was to start a dance
collective so that on the weeks that he would not be in town, the
dancers could still practice to live drumming the moves he has taught
in workshops. What this does is keep the moves fresh in people's
minds, gives the Fe Fanyi Performance troupe practice with the rhythms
and keeps a close relationship with dancers and drummers so that when
Fe Fanyi peforms, dancers and drummers will perform together! Devon
and Suzanne have offered to co-lead this study and Fe Fanyi will
provide live drums.

If you are interested, please come to Sekou's dance classes so that
you can get the instruction and then join the women who will be
studying on Sundays at COCC campus. If you would like to show up this
Sunday as a drummer or dancer, please be prepared to play Soli-
rapide. Again, this is not a class but a dance study for those who
attend Sekou's Souhmah's workshop.

COCC dance space (Maz Studio?) for 4-7PM Sunday's, starting this
Sunday.
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7) OBO Addy concert
This Saturday, August 29th at NW Crossing Farmers Market

OBO is an icon in the NW, lives in Portland and is from Ghana. Hear
great percussion and traditional rhythms from Ghana. You do not want
to miss this. 10 am-2 p.m.

Fe Fanyi has been invited to perform Obo's break from 11:30-12:30.
Dancers...we will be playing Soli-rapide too.

Thanks,
David "Dauda" Visiko