• Education Programs and Workshops
• School Projects
• Collaborations

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EDUCATION PROGRAMS and WORKSHOPS

In Ottawa, we have public classes for ages 9 through adult in drumming and dancing styles of Ghana. See the classes page for current details. Some members of BaobabTree can be booked for teacher workshops, conferences etc. Please contact us: info@baobabtree.org

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SCHOOL PROJECTS

Chelsea, Quebec Canada
and Dagbamete, Ghana
Together with the elders of the village, Kathy Armstrong and Rory Magill have fostered exchange programs between Dagbamete and the region of Ottawa-Gatineau, including fund-raising for the village school and health clinic. These projects include a wide scope of exchanges. Everything from books and educational supplies donated by individual students and schools on a one time basis to a very successful seven year twinning of the Chelsea Elementary School (near Ottawa) with the Dagbamete school. Both performance groups have raised awareness for the village by performing in school and community settings.

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COLLABORATIONS

Some of our recent collaborations include:

• Rake-star jazz orchestra
  Ottawa's kinetic ensemble blended their exotic jazz with Akpokli's traditional Ghanaian music using high-life style horn arrangements by Rory Magill
• Choeur Classique de 'lOutaouais Ottawa /Gatineau
  performances with this outstanding amateur choir directed by Robert Filion. David Fanshawe's "African Sanctus" was presented as well as a selection of Ghanaian and South African folk musics, which involved the whole choir accompanying Akpokli in traditional dancing and singing.
• Sogo African Rhythm Ensemble (www.childreninart.org), Burnt Mills, Maryland USA
  Baobab Youth Performers travelled to Maryland for an educational exchange. As a result of that exchange, Maryland music teacher Louis Persic decided to establish a similar group at the school where he teaches. Through Lou Persic's dedication and the help and guidance of Kathy Armstrong, Sogo African Rhythm Ensemble was born in Burnt Mills, Maryland, USA. Baobab Youth Performers and Sogo have shared exchange visits and have forged a fast friendship across the border between Canada and the US. In July, 2001, Lou accompanied Baobab Youth Performers on their first visit to the village of Dagbamete, Ghana, making the ties even closer among Baobab Tree friends.
• Cantabile Choirs of Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
  In 1999, Cantabile Choirs, with musical guests Baobab Youth Performers, presented Out of Africa, an evening of African Folk Song, calypso, jazz, and blues. As a measure of the success of this exciting collaboration between two groups of vastly different musical styles, Cantabile invited Baobab to return the following year for their similarly themed "Songs of Freedom" concert. When reflecting on the previous year's exciting finale, Cantabile Artistic Director Dr. Mark Sirett remarked that the synergy between the two performing groups created one of the most thrilling musical experiences of his professional career.

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