17–24 July – Afropean polyphony – Anita Mahdia DAULNE (Congo/Belgium) and Klaus STAFFA (Germany)

AFROPEAN POLYPHONY SUMMER WORKSHOP

with ANITA MAHDIA DAULNE Congo/Belgium (vocal class)

and KLAUS STAFFA (rhythm exercises)

July 17th - 24th 2011, Slavonice

Anita Mahdia Daulne returns to the Czech Republic after her Voicescape-organized workshops in the previous years were a great experience to its participants.

SINGING AFRICAN POLYPHONY

In the Lingala language, "Mayaka" means "pearl necklace". Each participants€› voice will become a pearl in a necklace contributing its unique significance to a whole in which the voices intertwine and unite. A play of voices, sounds, hisses, whistling and swinging rhythms will create a bridge connecting the African musical feeling based on everyday life in nature and the urban experience of Europeans. The lecturer who has labeled this kind of search "Afropean music" will offer the participants a possibility to discover their own, perhaps surprising, means of vocal expression and to experience joyful, energetic and emotional music in which everybody is both a soloist and a part of a chorus of many voices. The workshop is open to all who wish, need and have the courage to sing regardless of their experience.

Born in Kongo, Anita Mahdia Daulne is a founding member of the world-renowned vocal ensemble Zap Mama. For many years, she has studied African musical traditions, especially Pygmy, Budu, Zulu and other tribes' singing. She strives to bring the African heritage to the Western world.

Further information about Anita Mahdia Daulne can be found in the LECTURERS section.

RHYTHM EXERCISES

As a complementary activity Klaus Staffa will offer rhythm exercises. He says about his work:

Rhythm and Fun
We can play rhythm on everything. Tables, chairs, paper, boxes, pens, glasses, our body and of course on real drums.
During the workshop, we´ll play some funny rhythm games and do some serious offbeat exercises too. We´ll feel the different elements of rhythm in our body, exploring how to coordinate multiple movements at the same time. We´ll experience on ourselves an integrated method how to learn rhythm and how to let it flow. By percussion patterns as well as improvisation spaces, we´ll learn ethnic and modern rhythms. Together we´ll develop a method how to remember them. We will get to know different measures and concepts of grooves and breaks and songs. Let´s have a lot of fun."

For more information about Klaus Staffa click HERE

THE WORKSHOP

The participants are expected to arrive at Slavonice on July 17th. In the evening there will be a meeting with a screening of a documentary film about the Zap mama group. The lessons starts in the morning of July 18th and totals six teaching days. The classes will take place in a room ocated on the Renaissance town square. Every day, the participants will have 4 and a houlf hours of singing and 1 and a half hours. of rythm exercises. The workshop will be ended by a public performance in one of the picturesque locations of Slavonice on Saturday 23rd and concluded by a group breakfast in the morning of Sunday 24sh The lessons will be given in English and interpreted to Czech.

The price of the workshop is 6550 CZK and includes the classes and a dailyc ommon rich breakfast in a form of a buffet. If requested, we can book for you accommodation in the clean but simple Secesní dům pensioner (see pictures HERE ) in 2, 3 and 4-bed rooms. The price of the accommodation alone is 1400Kč in total or 200Kč per night. Those wishing to stay elsewhere can reserve their accomodation on their own and only pay the workshop+breakfast fee of 6550 CZK . There is a number of other hotels and pensioners in Slavonice and also a camping site few miles from the town. More information is available at the town web site www.slavonice-mesto.cz.

Important notice: we can ensure the accomodation in the Secesní dům just for participants who send the application form till 30th May. Later it is available by demand.

Slavonice is an old, small town, one of the few in the Czech Republic to be preserved in its Renaissance appearance.

The registration form for the Slavonice workshop can be downloaded HERE.

The workshop will be held in English and translated to Czech.

POHOTOGALLERY FROM THE WORKSHOP IN THE YEAR 2010 is HERE

VIDEO FROM THE WORKSHOP 2009:

VIDEO FROM THE WORKSHOP 2008: