Slyboots Music School has a new temporary headquarters at 1526 Main Street (corner of Main Street and East Ferry). The leader in world music and dance in Buffalo is embarking upon a new dance and drum season, with classes open to all ages and all skill levels. Learn the soothing rhythmic percussion beats, taught by master drummer Mohamed Diaby, or enjoy a lesson in West African dance. The Slyboots performers/teachers are ready to get your blood pumping, your hands thumping, and your body moving in ways that you never imagined.
Griffin Brady and his troupe of dancers and musicians are ready to introduce you to the Slyboots phenomenon.
EVERY Monday
6pm Music of Guinea, West Africa — Drum Master Class
7pm Dance of Guinea, West Africa–Dance Master Class
8:30pm Introduction to Indonesian Gamelan Group A
EVERY Tuesday
6pm Djembe Workout
7pm West African Dance and Beyond
8:30pm Introduction to Indonesian Gamelan Group B
$10 – 15 per class
Details below:
EVERY Monday
Drum Master Class with Mohamed Diaby
Two classes – 6pm and 7pm
Come learn West African drumming from the hands of a true master!!
Mohamed Diaby has been sharing the culture of Guinea, West Africa with audiences all over the United States and Canada for the past 20 years. Bonafide master drummer, Mohamed Diaby began playing the djembe at age seven, under the supervision of his elder brother Moustapha. By fifteen, Mohamed joined Africa Djole, led by Fode Yulla. Mohamed later joined Les Merveilles de Guinea as lead drummer, touring all over West Africa, including Sierra Leone. Kemoko Sano, Artistic Director of the world famous troupe Les Ballet Africains, requested Mohamed to join his troupe.
In April of 1995 Mohamed arrived in America to play at New York City’s Symphony Space. Today, Mohamed is a featured Artist in Residence at the Slyboots School in Buffalo, NY and also at Bush Mango in Rochester, NY- teaching both drumming and dancing. He is a featured performer in The Slyboots Circus and the Slyboots Drum Ensemble and performs as a solo act or with his A M A Z I N G Ensemble- Manding Foli Kan Don as he travels around the world sharing his culture.
NEWLY ADDED MONDAY CLASS
Introduction to Indonesian Gamelan Group A
8:30pm
Matt Dunning is a musician and filmmaker from Buffalo, NY. He has lived for extended periods in both Chicago and Surakarta, Indonesia where he spent years playing Javanese gamelan and making experimental films. In 2011 He was awarded a two year artist residency at ISI Suraktarta in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. There he was able to learn from some of the masters of Javanese gamelan. Matt has released some work,most notable with his film The Stirring of a Thousand Bells on the Sublime Frequencies label. Matt also plays in the Buffalo based Indian fusion mega group Bul Bul Tarang Gang, and at his day job can be found selling bikes and at Campus WheelWorks.
EVERY TUESDAY
Djembe Workout with Kasumu JA of Nigeria
6pm
Come explore the history and art of the Djembe and get a wicked workout that will help to build endurance and strength.
West African Dance and Beyond with Erico Borkety Ansuade of Ghana
7pm
If you can walk, you can dance! Feel the ground below your feet, hear live drumming echo in your heartbeat. Utilizing guided movement and gestures, patrons will discover the power African dance has to communicate with the accompanying musicians, the audience and the soul. Focusing on traditional arrangements of dance pieces from West Africa, this course aims to educate and inspire… and get a great workout at the same time! Be prepared to drum, sing, dance, discuss, read and write.
Introduction to Indonesian Gamelan Group B – with Matt Dunning
8:30pm