“The world without griot would be as dull as rice without sauce”.
–Senegalese proverb

To the African Man, Woman and Child a sense of rhythm is innate. This sense is instilled from birth, and is present in everything they do.
To genuinely understand this, one must experience the essence of the African soul, of their music, drumming and dance in their positively striking culture.

"If you want to know who I am, go to where I came from. The truth will never die" -Mbaye

Pape invites you to come and learn the traditional music and dance of his home land.
Lessons include:
~Sabar Drum ~Djembe Drum ~Tama (talking drum)
~Sabar Dance ~Djembe Dance

You'll learn about the history of Senegal with tours to Gore Island, Bazaars, Markets and Mosques. You will also experience traditional spiritual healing ceremonies and you'll attend some of the best street parties you've ever seen!

You can also see how drums are carved and skinned -by hand, and you can purchase your very own Sabar or Djembe....just ask Pape about this.

Integrated into village life, you will live amongst welcoming, good-humoured, friendly and hospitable people.

Experiencing the community life around meals, rituals and cultural ceremonies, you'll be well associated with this beautiful village.

Yoff is located by the beach...for all the Aussies,you won't feel to estranged from the glorious Australian coast!

The dates for 2011 are from 06 June to 01 July 2011. The cost of the 4 week workshop is $2,200** USD or $1,100** USD for a 2 week workshop.

**Note cost of workshop does not include airfares.

For more detailed information read:
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1429qWOMSaL81nb4mzzzmTSmNhYrS-3sMbiy-YtmuBpY

You should find almost everything you need to know in this document!

Meet Medjioure, your dance instructor:

Testimonials:
"I am blessed to have had the wonderful opportunity to spend 2 weeks in Yoff with Pape and his family as part of his 4 week tour in Jan 2011. It was an experience I will never forget. Pape spoilt us rotten with sharing his music, culture, food, colour and spirit of his hometown and more importantly his loving family.
I highly recommend a full 4 weeks time there.
Aside from doing the scheduled dance classes, experiences such as trips to the Islands; Sabar street parties and the sacred fetish ceremonies are not easy to come across if you go to Senegal alone.
The whole duration of the tour, Pape and his family devoted their time, generousity and knowledge to make our stay in Yoff such a wonderful experience. Anything we wanted, they would always find a way with open hearts and local practicality. There are many tours out there but for me, this one was in a way a more personal experience and different because of Pape's own genuine heart.
The accommodation was perfect, food was delicious and everything was well organised. Thank you Pape and family for welcoming us to your home, your hearts and culture and educating us."
-Dominique Rada, USA - Jan 2011

"Pape and his family's workshop will challenge your view of how life should be and show you a less complicated way of living where family and community come first.
As a guest of the Mbaye family I was privileged to view and participate in the many ceremonies and parties that life in this west African fishing village revolves around. Ceremonies that few, if any, tourists would ever get to see, while at the same time learning the art of drumming, dancing, cooking traditional dishes, Wolof language lessons and sightseeing. The Senegalese are amazingly warm, friendly and humorous people who enjoyed sharing their lifestyle with us. I would return in a heartbeat... and will definitely be back for more." -Liz Murray N.S.W, Australia - June 2011

“The workshop was amazing! We went to about 12-15 ceremonies, which were unique experiences that I could not have found anywhere else. Pape is a very inspiring teacher; he is already a wealth of knowledge, but he is still constantly striving to expand and improve his musicianship and his teaching. I would recommend this program to any musician or dancer, amateur or professional.” - Brian of Boston, U.S.A - 2010 Workshop.

Sydney Morning Herald Press Release:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/09/20/1032054957113.html