If you’ve ever wanted to visit Africa, now is your chance!!!
Imagine yourself there! In the midst of the beating drums; people dancing, singing, clapping, sweating from the tropical heat. Imagine yourself being a part of that event, playing the drums, dancing. Imagine yourself lying on the beach, next to the palm trees sipping locally made wine from a half-cut gourd. Imagine yourself walking at the tops of the trees, looking out over the rainforest, listening to the sound of the birds speaking, to the sound of monkeys in the distance.
The experience of a lifetime awaits in Ghana with African Skies Music and Dance Tour.
Upcoming Performances and Events
January 19 – Community Drum Circle #3 – Fundraiser for South Africa’s Moving Into Dance
January 24 – Folklorama Night at Canadian Museum for Human Rights
January 25 – Drumming workshop – Reh-Fit Centre
February 16 – Community Drum Circle #4
February 17 – Live at Stony Mountain (penitentiary)
February 19 – Performance – University College of the North, The Pas
March 3 – Louis Riel School Division Arts Fest
March 7- Nafro Dance Production
March 23 – Community Drum Circle #5
Past Performances:
2024
2023
August 27 – Just Drummin’ at the pē-kiyokē festival, 2:30pm
August 29 – Free kids drumming workshop at Bonnycastle Park, 6:00pm
September 5 – University of St. Boniface drum circle for new students
September 9 – Selichot service, Berney Theatre, 7:30pm
September 16 – Teulon Pumpkin Fest, Drum Cafe performs at 11:30am
October 1 – On-course entertainment at the Winnipeg Run for the Cure (Drummers United)
August 13-19 – Folklorama Africa-Caribbean pavilion
August 6-12 – Folklorama Africa pavilion
August 5 – Pegcity Steppers Activitiy Day, True North Square
August 4 – Emancipation Day Event, CMHR
July 23 – Winnipeg Fringe Festival 4:00pm
July 16 – IRAL music festival, workshop and performance with Dub City Foundation
July 13 – Carman Fair, Drum Cafe performs 7:00pm
July 8 – Soca Reggae Festival, perform with Dub City Foundation 4:00pm
July 1 – Osborne Village bell tower at 12:00, Central Park at 2:00, Provencher Bridge at 6:00, Sage Creek Canada Day Celebration at 8:45
June 24 – Newcomer celebration at Freight House, 1:30, CCFM Patio 340 6:00pm
June 22 – Refugee Day event, Gordon Bell field, 11:00
June 20 – Refugee Day event, Central Park, 1:30
June 17 – Steinbach Summer in the City Festival 4:25pm
June 15 – St. George School, spring celebration, 5:30pm
June 14 – Portage Place Mall, noon, Folklorama promotion
May 7 – Winnipeg Police Half Marathon, on-course entertainment
2022
July 16 – Winnipeg Fringe Festival (Drum Cafe)
July 23 – Folklorama Kick-Off (kids workshops-Jay, stage performance-Drum Cafe)
Aug. 7-13 – Folklorama African Pavilion (Drum Cafe)
August 19 – Winnipeg Beach Bandstand (Drum Cafe)
August 20 – Osborne Village Community Celebration – interactive presentation
August 29 – Red River College (downtown campus) – Noon hour entertainment
July 6 – Portage Place Mall (Drum Cafe)
July 2 – West End Cultural Centre Patio (Nafro Band)
July 1 – Canada Day Assiniboine Park (Drum Cafe)
June 26 – Central Park (Nafro Band)
June 25 – St. Boniface Celebre, Patio 340 (Drum Cafe)
June 18 – Cultures in the City, Steinbach (Drum Cafe)
Nov. 27 Wpg. Moose pre-game party, True North Square
Dec. 5 – Shaarey Zedek Hanukkah family night
Dec. 15 and 28 Zoo Lights Festival, Saloon tent, 6:15pm Assiniboine Park Zoo
Winnipeg Jets pre-game party, True North Square
Nafro Dance presents Call to Earth
Drum Cafe – Les Saveurs D’ La Diversite, La Broquerie, MB
Nafro Dance Productions presents Yofanana,
Elmwood High School International Students Dinner
Ecole Varennes Family Fun Night
Drumming workshop and story of Passover at Rady JCC
CD release with Casimiro Nhussi, Pyramid Cabaret
Nafro Dance presents Mapiko at the Gas Station Theatre.
Drum Cafe performs at Winnipeg Folk Festival
Drum Cafe performs at Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Cube stage, 2:00pm
Drum Cafe performs at Folklorama Kick Off, memorial park, 4:00pm
Interactive workshops at Morris Stampede
Drum Cafe at the Cube stage, Wpg Fringe Festival 6:00pm
Drum Cafe at Folklorama Kick-off, Memorial Park, 4:00pm
Drum Cafe at Folklorama African Pavilion
Drum Cafe at closing ceremonies for Canada Summer Games
Jay drumming for Shaarey Zedek high holiday services
In addition to our series of classes, check out the sessions at McNally Robinson
Classes for Beginners introduce students to the West African djembe drum. Through fun and uncomplicated exercises students will also develop a small repertoire of rhythms, experience the art of playing a drum solo, and learn traditional drum piece incorporating the Ghanaian bell (gankogui) and gourd rattle (axatse).
See “Drumming Classes” tab for details
Classes for Intermediate/Advanced are for those whose have taken at least one full session of hand drum study and have a solid understanding and technical ability with the bass, open and slap strokes. This level will lead students through a further development of ability to improvise on the drums, add more rhythms to the students repertoire and add one or more multi-part drum pieces from Ghana.
Drum Cafe is a series of exciting, interactive, drumming sessions for corporate team building, office party entertainment, school staff team building, school student entertainment, or community entertainment. With groups from 20 – 600, everyone gets a djembe drum to play. More information is available on our website: www.drumcafe.ca.