Samatou 2024: 2nd-5th November (4 days)
Camp Samatou is now full đ
Camp Samatou
Location
Anglesea Valley Lodge
1.5h drive from Melbourne, the site is set amid natural bushland. Swimming pool, kangaroos, comfortable dormitory accommodation.
635 Wensleydale Station Rd, Wensleydale
 EVENING ACTIVITIES
- Meet the teachers storytelling. This gives our special guests an opportunity to to tell us a bit about themselves and life in Africa.
- Dance party with DJ Lam Lakiz. Bring your best outfit!
- Talent night – what have you got? Past talent shows have included singing, magic tricks, Capoeira, stand up comedy, belly dance. Surprise us! All entries welcome.
- Wassawumba show with special guests – our advanced drum & dance ensemble plus African artists. Get ready to be blown away.
KIDS CAMP
Do you have a child between ages 4-12? If so they are welcome to join our Samatou Kids’ Camp program. They will be looked after during class hours and engaged in a variety of workshops – art/craft, dance, drumming, yoga, Auslan, sports and bushcraft.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING
Bedding (sleeping bag and pillow)
Lunch for Saturday
Drinks for evening party
Djembe / dundun
Dance pants, water bottle
ACCOMMODATION
Range of dormitory configurations including 6 x 4-bed cabins, several 10-bed rooms and some much larger dorms. Mattresses provided. You will need to bring all other bedding.
You are also welcome to pitch a tent on a grassy area under the trees!
FOOD
This camp is fully catered, except for Saturday lunch (BYO). Nutritious and wholesome breakfast, lunch and dinner plus morning and afternoon tea.
Please specify upon booking whether you have specific dietary requirements. Our chef is very accommodating.
DAILY WORKSHOPS
Each day will packed full of workshops – you’re welcome to attend whichever you like
- West African dance classes will be accompanied by a full drumming ensemble in the hall or outside, weather permitting. All of our artists are highly experienced teachers who are patient and friendly.
- Soukous / Mutuashi These Congolese dance styles embody a whole new rhythm and feeling. Get your hips moving! Perfect for beginners.
- Djembe classes Please bring your own djembe along to the class. If you are hiring one, this will be allocated when you arrive (see Mitzi or Simon). There is also some opportunity to play dundun in these classes but the focus will be on learning djembe accompaniments, technique and solo phrases.
- Dundun classes will teach sangban, kenkeni and dundunba parts for traditional West African rhythms.
- Dundun dance This is combining simple dance moves with playing dunduns (stick drums). Drum supplied but arrive early.
- JITI drumming from Zimbabwe. Reinterpreted and transposed from the n’goma and mbira of the Shona people to the djembe and doundoun of the Malinke by Chris Berry, Elliott is excited about teaching you ‘the bounciest rhythm in existence’ đ
- Yoga Please bring a yoga mat! See you bright and early in the hall. Sheridan will take you through some gentle stretches to prepare for your active day of drum and dance.
For all drum classes you’ll need to bring your own djembe or hire one for $10 per day. For dundun and dundun dance classes, drums are provided on a first-in, first-served basis. If you have your own set of duns, please bring them!
Drummers are welcome to drum for dance classes.
COST
GUEST TEACHERS
Naby Bangoura
Dancer, Guinea
Naby Bangoura is coming all the way from California to join us at Camp Samatou!
Naby learned traditional West African dance during village ceremonies and celebrations in Guinea, West Africa. At age 15, Naby started dancing professionally with Les Merveilles de Guinea. In 1998, Les Merveilles brought him to perform in the United states. Known for his energetic and fluid dance style and soaring spirit, Naby has been performing and teaching high energy West African dance, Guinea style, in dance studios and dance workshops all over the world.
Mohamed Bangoura (“BangourakĂ©”)
Djembe Fola, Guinea
Mohamed Bangoura is described in Guinea as the man with âHands of Fireâ or âthe Lion of Matamâ
He is regarded by many connoisseurs as one of the best amongst the Master Drummers of this world. His life totally dedicated to the music and his traditions, mesmerizing audiences with his out of this world skills, talent, power and virtuosity.
Bangouraké is a true master through initiation and ability.
Mohamed was born in Guinea, West Africa in a village called Bourramya-Koubya. Mohamed started to play at the age of 5 years old and has been surrounded by music throughout his life.
Elliott Orr
Drummer, Byron Bay
Widely respected as the leading proponent of African drumming in Queensland and Northern NSW, Elliott has been playing
African drums and encouraging others to do the same since 1991. When he moved from Adelaide to Brisbane in 1994 teaching, performing and making African drums became his all-consuming full-time passion. Now, local to Byron Bay Elliott continues to extend his network through regular weekly workshops with adults in the community, school groups, in the disability sector and with corporations and numerous organisations. Elliott has travelled to Guinea, Ghana and the Ivory Coast to study African drumming. Over the last 29 years Elliott has taught somewhere in the vicinity of 30,000 people how to play African drums These classes have occurred throughout Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand.
Sibo Bangoura
Drummer, Guinea
Guinean percussionist Sibo Bangoura grew up in Matam – the heart of Conakryâs arts precinct â surrounded by a family of griots. His mother was a singer and his father a
balafon player. Sibo absorbed the rhythm from his infancy and began to study percussion formally at the age of 12. At 14, he joined Boka Junior ensemble and then played with Ballet Matam for many years, until he moved to Australia.
Sibo currently resides in Sydney and travels to China, Japan, Singapore and Thailand to teach and perform. He plays with his brothers Mohamed and Epizo Bangoura and has a successful 8-piece band Keyim Ba.
Fred Nii Addo
Dance, drum & flute, Ghana
Fred Nii Addo, a Ghanaian virtuoso in the realms of dance, drumming, multi-instrumentalism, and award-winning musicianship, has found his artistic home in the vibrant state of Victoria, Australia. With a rich tapestry of experience woven over many years in the world of performance, he is a luminary in his field. Fred’s mesmerizing flute melodies and captivating vocal prowess have left audiences worldwide enchanted. His achievements include an impressive touringrepertoire, having graced stages in Sweden, Israel, Egypt, the USA, New Zealand, and numerous African nations. Fred Nii Addo is a true global ambassador of rhythm and harmony, a maestro who transcends borders with his artistry. At Camp Samatou Fred will teach a kpanlogo drumming workshop and perform on the Sunday evening.
Odai Affotey
Dance & drum, Ghana
Odai Affotey is a traditional custodian of Southern Ghanaian drum and dance knowledge. Growing up in the coastal village of Nungua, Ghana, Odai spent his youth imitating the movement and rhythm of his ancestral legacy. At the age of seven, he was an integral part of the Suadey Cultural Group which later evolved into the Nokoyejen Cultural Group. In his youth, he held directorial and choreographic roles within the Edinkra ensemble and later went on to dance as part of the internationally acclaimed Kusun ensemble, which toured West Africa and parts of the Northern United States. Later in life he held performance and teaching responsibilities with the Salaka Ensemble led by Sydney-based Tuza Afutu, which toured prolifically around Australia as a cultural exchange troupe. Odai will teach traditional Ghanaian dance and perform with his Ghanaian compatriots Fred and Emmanuel on the Sunday evening.
Miriam Lieberman
Song & kora, Sydney
Miriamâs songs are soulful collections of stories beautifully told through kora (West African harp) guitar & her unmistakable voice. Amongst the themes are a love for the natural world, stories of transformation, motherhood, love, loss and the power of imagination. The music is coloured by Miriam’s
transformational time studying in Latin America & West Africa that have left an imprint on her musical style. Miriam’s singing workshops are always hugely popular at camp.
Simon is highly regarded as a teacher of world percussion. He has lived and studied traditional djembe, dundun, balafon and kora in Guinea West Africa with Master drummers Lamine Soumah, Aliou Sylla and the world famous Les Percussions De Guinea. He is well known for his insightful and innovative teaching style which is both fun and challenging. With a background in classical and jazz his versatility and broad knowledge of music gives students a unique entry into the world of African drumming.
Mitzi has studied West African dance for over 15 years and has travelled to Africa (Ghana, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal, Gambia and Mali) and also to the United States to further her knowledge by learning from the masters. She is a natural teacher and over the 10 years of teaching African dance she has developed a unique style which provides a relaxed and open environment which is cherished by her students.
Emmanuel was born in Accra, Ghana and is of the Ga ethnic group. From a young age, he was drawn to percussion and played with friends on Milo tins and boxes. Emmanuelâs talent was spotted by a local who took him to Team Afrique â a local drum & dance ensemble – where had the opportunity to study traditional rhythms from Asanti, Ewe and Ga regions. From the age of 19 Emmanuel performed for weddings, funerals, parties, political events and festivals in Ghana. In 2015 Emmanuel arrived in Australia and he is now a sought after musician. He currently plays with Asanti Dance Theatre, One Spirit Africa, Jali Bouba, Melbourne Djembe and Sun of Africa Drum & Dance Ensemble.
Sheridan discovered a passion of yoga 4 years ago and hasn’t stopped doing it since. Early in 2024, she completed her yoga teacher training in Bali in multiple sytles of yoga. Classes are accessible for everyone, and options are given for all levels. Sheridan loves being creative in yoga, so classes are different and dynamic.
Program
(may be subject to change)
