The Gambia Blog

Children dancing to Baraka

Just a quick note to draw your attention to the latest Nyodema fund raising event, taking place in Bognor on the 23rd August.

World Music and Arts Festival
.  Sunday 23rd August
.  The Regis Centre, Belmont Street, Bognor Regis, West Sussex
.  11am to 8pm
.  FREE

In the two years since its formation, Bognor Regis based charity, Nyodema, has brought a variety of outstanding world music to the town and through which raised money to help hundreds of children in The Gambia, West Africa lead a better life. However, Nyodema, which means “Helping Each Other” in Mandinka a West African tribal language, isn’t just about helping people in Africa, it’s about the local community too: giving local people a chance to enjoy (and participate in) music and arts from around the world.

Nyodema’s next event is their annual World Music and Arts Festival on Sunday 23rd August at The Regis Centre in Bognor Regis. The festival opens at 11am with mardi-gras masking making, craft stalls, children’s games, jugglers and African Drumming.

Tuareg jewellery Among the craft stalls, traditional hand-crafted silver Tuareg jewellery will be on sale from Mouhamed Ahnou, a Tuareg artisan from Niger. Sales of Mouhamed’s jewellery will help to fund life-enhancing projects for his village, such as constructing a grain store, establishing a pharmacy, supplying school books and planting fruit trees. The Tuareg rarely visit the UK and this is a rare opportunity to buy direct from the artisan.

Highlights of the day include:

11.30am West Sussex Guitar Club
The outstanding guitarists from the West Sussex Guitar Club will perform a variety of pieces from around the world.

1.00pm Six-Fifteen
Popular local trio, Six-Fifteen, will start the line-up in the main hall with a lively mix of bluegrass and jazz.

1.00pm, 2.00pm and 4.00pm African Drumming workshops

2.00pm Dub Side of The Boulder
A talented group of local 14 – 16 year olds playing a short set of reggae numbers.

2.30pm Beeja Indian Dancers (performance and workshop)
Beeja, a London based dance theatre company, will present an exciting insight into the Indian classical dance form ‘bharatanatyam’. A spectacular, colourful and vibrant celebration of dance and rhythm, this performance and workshop will introduce you to this sophisticated dance form in a way that is enjoyable and fun.

3.00pm Sam Brown
16 year old Sam, from Elmer, is an outstanding solo guitarist and recently won a Scholarship to the West Dean International Guitar Festival.

3.30pm Beeja Indian Dancers return to entertain you

4.00pm Children’s Mardi-gras parade

4.20pm Mundo Pequeno
Meaning “Small World” in Portuguese the bands name reflects their mutual love of different music from around the world. With a heady mix of Latin grooves, African rhythms and jazz harmonies, Mundo Pequeno’s music has the power to move both your heart and your feet.

6.00pm Baraka
Following their popularity at last year’s festival, headliners Baraka, will make a welcome return to this year’s event. Global beats, intricate rhythms and soaring melodies produce a unique sound guaranteed to get you dancing. Featuring musicians from Ghana, The Congo, Dominica, Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland, Baraka represents world music at its best.

Entrance to the festival is FREE, however, donations will be very welcome with all money raised going towards Nyodema’s health and education projects in The Gambia, West Africa.

Nyodema would like to thank its sponsors including Grassroots Grants, Telephony Business Solutions Ltd, Careline Services Ltd and The Gambia Experience

For More Information
Telephone: 07974 472137 (Kathryn)
Email: nyodema07@yahoo.co.uk
Web: www.myspace.com/nyodema