The drum cafe is an innovative network of creative and performing professionals with the central aim of re-defining drum as a powerful medium of social change, and was formed by EDWARD KABUYE the Artistic director of the Talking drums of Africa in 2006 and joined forces with other professional Artists. The first drum cafe, (workshops and performance) was hosted by Alliance française DE Nairobi in September 2006 also the second
and third, and supported by various individuals, cultural and artistic institutions. Since then the Program has enjoyed support from government, younger and older artists, organizations such as UNESCO, Sarakasi trust, Amref, Unity college and the Go down
Arts center who supported and hosted the fourth edition.
Drum Cafe aim is to perpetuate the art of music by realizing a plan and a space to facilitate a platform for show casing the expertise, display the skills, develop diverse links between practitioners in professional artistic and cultural pursuits and also impart our knowledge to a younger generation of artists.
Ever since its first public performance and workshops in September 2006 at the Alliance Francaise in Nairobi, the Drum Café project has generated great interest in the public culminating in the need for continuity and create new and diverse audiences. It is
therefore evident that there is a great demand for the production of cultural sound compositions devoid of western connotations that will stand the test of time.
OBJECTIVES
1. Decentralize to the public in East Africa, authentic African
drum music as part of a social-economic development, peace and friendship initiative.
2. Establish a music conservatory specializing in indigenous music that will serve as an ethnomusicology research centre and a cultural tourism site in East Africa.
3. Set-up an effective infrastructure of partnership to promote authentic music and arts with clear cut channels of rewarding practitioners
4. Training of broadcasters on art media so as to popularize au-
thentic music and promote cultural brands.
To work towards the promotion of Arts for social change in east Africa and beyond. The Drum cafe support existing groups of Arts for social change in a widest sense of facilitating training and further development of Arts skills and enhancement of performances. We
identify, develop and promote the local available talent and provide a mechanism for fair and sustainable relations between the Artist and the Community. Also will help in promoting groups in or linking groups to other interested programs around the world.
Art allows people to develop their self confidence as well as create an awareness of their role in society. To gain confidence is to gain new motivation. In society, everyone has a role to play whether they are leading or supporting the work. Communication enhancements are a great way of learning to listen to each other to enable the
rhythm to work. A regular and synchronic rhythm in music, in life or in the society is the root of success. Welcome to the Drum Café and stimulate a fresh awareness of body and non-verbal language. This is a unique experience for all of us to transform the way we perceive each other, to improve the way we work together and to be proud of
leaving in a world of diversity. Interactive Artistic methods break down barriers of hierarchy, age, gender, culture and language. Arts a great ice-breaker and gets the groups communicating, listening to one another and working together as a
team to create harmony.
“The Drum café ” encourages diverse approaches to building an effective infrastructure of drum music industry. The programme is designed to give participants an opportunity to
rehearse, exchange experiences and perform at professional standards. Drum Café aims at re-defining music in east Africa with the aim of forging new performing styles.
- “The Drum café ” understands that it cannot achieve the results it seeks alone therefore we build connections with other institutions and organizations, network of artists that share our commitment to arts development.
- “The Drum café ” purpose is to spear head and support the development of drum music and to work with other partners to build a more just and sustainable platform for professional artistic exchanges locally and internationally.
- The Drum café” highlights knowledge and practice in the field that advance artistic effectiveness, nurturing a growing community of practice among artists; and explore the system wide change in art that have the potential to expand our collective impact.
A combination of working, sleeping, eating, drinking, entertainment discussions and demonstrations of various activities directly and indirectly linked to attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
The total experience of the crux the Drum Café 2010 is to offer a stage for world cultures to express the unique contribution of arts and culture in conflict resolution.
In 2009 we laid key building blocks for Drum Café 2010. Workshops, research and visits to similar activities and initiatives in Africa and Europe resulted in a project plan and a mobility campaign which followed there after.
We have combined cultural entrepreneurship and development cooperation with one another in a quite special way. Our existing activities have been anchored and we have shifted our boundaries to create space for new activities and our (inter) national networks have grown.
The Drum café has grown strongly since 2006 both in terms of activities and organizational. The Drum café last year developed and profiled itself much more as a cultural entrepreneur. Engaging in development of a creative industry in Kenya, this could not happen without the right doe for entrepreneurial common sense. For us, it is
all about the right mix between development and realizing social change.
On the way towards ultimate cultural entrepreneurship, the Drum Café has for the first time invested in a new total concept: The Drum Café 2010 Peace Arts Festival/Conference; this will be the global hot spot for culture, development and social change towards peace sustain
We have taken Culture in a broader sense and, in addition to cultural and artistic activities in the strict sense (performing arts, visual arts, cultural and architectural heritage, literature), we have also included the cultural industries, i.e. sectors which combine the creation, production and marketing of goods and services and the distinctive feature of which is the intangibility of their cultural content, which is generally copyright-protected, these industries include printed works and multimedia, the press, cinema production, audio-visual and phonographic production, craft industry and design.
Contacts : The Drum Café
Kenya Cultural Centre Buildings
P. O. Box 43031-00100. Nairobi, Kenya
+ 254 0208078213 Cell phone: +254 720204271
Email: drumcafe2010@gmail.com
Source : EDWARD KABUYE
