Music Holidays in Africa

LEARN DJEMBE, KORA OR BALAPHON – IN AFRICA!


Djembe drumming lessons	Kora lessons	Balaphon lessons

For more details please email David Warren at davidwarren202@hotmail.com

Would you like to learn to play djembe, kora or balaphon while living with a family in Africa?

You can combine an interest in African music with the experience of staying in a family compound in The Gambia and living a completely different lifestyle. A great holiday experience and you can still spend time on the beautiful beaches if you want!

You will have your own secure room with bed and basic furniture and eat meals with the family. Lessons will be with a professional musician and will not be at fixed times but to suit your itinerary. You can have as many lessons or as much free time as you want. You can learn the djembe drum, harp-like kora or xylophone-like balaphon. Beginner, intermediate or advanced lessons are available.

The male members of the Jobarteh family are all musicians therefore you will be surrounded by music. Some of them are famous and regularly tour Europe playing at WOMAD and other well known venues. You will have the opportunity to see performances of a wide variety of African music from solo kora and balaphon players to drum ensembles and gigging pop bands. You will also be able to meet the musicians all of whom are very friendly.

Costs

Facilities in Jobarteh Kunda are basic by Western standards but this is reflected in the cost which is unlikely to be more than £60 per week per person for full board accommodation (depending on exchange rates). Lessons are extra but a fraction of what you pay in the West.


Nearby street scene	Local children	Nearby beach

Costs that you are responsible for include getting there, travel insurance, anti-malarial medication, incidental purchases and trips and you will need to take a mosquito net. You can also arrange to have a drum, kora or balaphon made for you which can easily be brought home. Prices vary but are all well under £75, drums being the cheapest.

I should point out that I am not involved financially in this - all the money you spend goes directly to the family or into the local economy whether it be taxi drivers, local musicians, market traders, peanut sellers or cloth merchants. This is the best form of eco-tourism where 100% of what you spend benefits the local economy.

Getting There

Flying to The Gambia is straightforward as there are several package holiday flights every week during the tourist season (Nov to May). Any High Street travel agent can get you there. Flights are often less than £250 return but over £600 over the Christmas period. The Jobarteh compound is only a few miles from the airport as well as being close to unspoilt beaches!

I have stayed four times at Jobarteh Kunda, always enjoyed it and learned a lot about music and African culture. For more details please email me at davidwarren202@hotmail.com.