: Class Schedule
Beginning Latin Percussion
Monday 7:15 - 8:15pm
| Free
Instructor: Josh Jones
| Location: CR I
Class meets year round
Introduction to Afro-Cuban rhythms for congas.
Beginning/Intermediate Djembe
Sundays 10am-12:30pm
| Price: $5-$20 (sliding scale)
Instructor: Jesse Servin
| Location: Theater Space
Class begins July 11. Class meets year round.
The class will cover djembe and dunun parts, song, and history. Please bring your own drum. Recorders are welcomed and highly encouraged.
*10 AM - 11 AM: Beginner/Intermediate class with Jesse Servin: $5
*11 AM - 12:30PM: Drummunity class with featured guest teacher $10-20.
This is an ongoing fundraiser class for Abdoulaye Diakite. All profits, after paying the location and guest teachers, goes directly to the support of Abdoulaye and his family during his time of recovery from carbon monoxide poisoning. Please see website for more details about Abdoulaye, his condition, and initiatives currently in motion to raise awareness and support for his recovery.
Abdoulaye is a master drummer from Senegal, West Africa. He is of the Fulani ethnic group and is a master trained in many traditional rhythms with a focus on Bamana rhythms. He toured the world with the National Ballet of Senegal as the lead soloist for approximately 18 years before coming to live in the U.S.A.. Abdoulaye has been a pioneer of West African djembe drumming in the S.F. Bay Area, and has been teaching here for about twenty years. He organized the first West African drum and dance camp in California (Camp Tambacounda), co founded the dance troupe Ceedo, and has been taking students on organized tours with him to his hometown Tamabacounda, Senegal for over ten years. What distinguishes Abdoulaye from most other teachers is his extensive knowledge of the history, language, song, and dance of the rhythms he teaches. Abdoulaye is spiritually connected with the djembe and insists that the djembe is a clean drum and in order to play it correctly we need to have an open heart with one another, or else we will be blocked by the spirit of the djembe itself.
Domingo de Rumba
1st & 3rd Sundays 3:30 – 6pm
| Free
| Location: Cafe Area
This community jam session is open to community participation for drummers, singers and dancers who play “rumba”.
Intermediate/Advanced Afro-Cuban Conga Class
Saturdays 1:15-2:45pm
| $15/class
Instructor: Master Percussionist Sandy Perez
| Location: CR I
Class meets year round.
Develop your clave! Master percussionist Sandy Perez will be teaching
Afro Cuban rhythms including rumbas guaguanco and columbia, palo,
iyesa, guiro and comparsa. If students are interested and ready we
will also expand into the Bata drums. Learn percussion breaks and
variations, refine your hand technique and expand your understanding
of the clave!
Ramon "Sandy" Perez, a master Batalero/Conguero, and principal/lead
percussionist for 12 years with Grupo Afro-Cuba de Matanzas, is widely
known for his expertise as a percussionist and instructor. Sandy
Perez, who is a direct descendant from the legendary Villamil family,
brings an encyclopedia of knowledge and continues the legacy of
Afro-Cuban folklore from the cradle of African Culture in Cuba:
Matanzas. Sandy joined Grupo Afro-Cuba de Matanzas at age 17, and
within a few years he earned the position of principal drummer and
soloist; a privilege he maintained until his move to the US. Grupo
AfroCuba is a legendary folkloric group from Matanzas, Cuba. They are
known as the originators of "Bata Rumba," and famed for their mastery
of the full spectrum of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and dance. Sandy
was a featured artist at the 1996 Havana Jazz Festival and was invited
to perform at the 1996 Afrocubanismo! festival in Banff, Canada.
Although the roots of his techniques are founded in Afro-Cuban
folkloric styles, his open-minded approach has enabled him to adapt to
styles ranging from Cuban popular (Salsa) to Latin fusion and
avant-garde jazz.
Traditional Afro-Peruvian Cajon Classes
Saturday 12-1pm
| $10/class
Instructor: Pedro Rosales
| Location: Theater Space
Class meets year round.
For the last 19 years Instructor Pedro Rosales (De Rompe y Raja Cultural Association Co-Founder) has been exposed to Peruvian cajón technique from the true masters of the instrument such as Ernesto Sandoval, Eusebio Sirio "Pititi"(RIP), Manuel "Manguey" Vasquez, Lalo Izquierdo and Braulio Barrera. These classes are intended for cajón players seriously interested in learning the tradional way of playing Festejo, Marinera, Peruvian Valse and Lando. Classes will be complemented with exercises to recognize cajón areas and also to develop routines. A guitar player will be brought once students show confidence with the rhythms to fully understand cajón-guitar interaction. Please bring your own cajón or one can be provided for an extra $5.
