WOMAD

Issa Sawane

From Senegal

ISSA SAWANEVIRTUOSO PERFORMER AND TEACHERIssa comes from the Casamance region of Senegal. He is an outstanding and athletic dancer having been an artist from a very early age. He has performed with groups in the Gambia and in Ziguinchor and in 1992 founded his own group Casadimanca in the village of Abené. As director and lead dancer Issa has steered the group, Casadimanca to become one of the most popular groups in the Casamance region. They perform regularly at the Festivals in the region and in December 2000 opened the Abené festival. Issa has a wealth of knowledge of the dances, rhythms and songs from Mandinka traditions of West Africa. In experiencing his teaching, people will gain the full flavour of the traditional Senegalese dance expression. He leads dance classes with different abilities up to advanced level and is used to coaching professionals. Based in the UK for nearly two years Issa has worked as a guest tutor for Adzido has runs a regular open dance class at the Medussa in Brixton and is a popular tutor for the Drumcall festivals. He now has a regular class in Bristol and will be working with Step Africa and St Pauls carnival in the summer 04 teaching in schools and for young people. He has been impressing audiences with his dynamic performances at Larmer Tree, DrumCamp ,Africa Festival in Camden, Africa Oye and at the Intercultural summer School Tribe of Doris. Together with drummer Matar they offer an intoxicating teaching team to people of all abilities guaranteed to refresh and enliven an understanding of the African dance and drum expression. MATAR SAWANEProfessional drummer and teacherMatar is an outstanding soloist drummer direct from Senegal. His style and range of musicianship is thrilling to hear and watch and would inspire any young drumming hopeful. He is a versatile rhythm master and plays a range of West African drums, the djembe, bougarabou, sabar and serouba. He has been leading the drummers of the dance group Casadimanca and performs regularly in Ziguinchor and Abene, in the Casamance being an expert on traditional rhythms from Guinea, Mali and Senegal. As a tutor Matar is inspirational and delivers his teaching with great dynamism, clarity and humour. He is equally experienced tutoring private pupils to professional level as well as enthusing groups of beginners.In 2001 he released a CD ‘Mockoulo’ which was recorded live in Abene and mastered in Holland. He can be heard playing solo djembe and singing beautiful Mandinkan arrangements.Together with dancer Issa they offer an intoxicating teaching team to people of all abilities guaranteed to refresh and enliven an understanding of the African drum and dance expression.