Drum Circle Workshops
at
St. James Cavalier
As
part of its year-long project called Ritmi, the Third World Group,
in collaboration with leading percussionist Renzo Spiteri, will be
organizing a series of 10 drum circle workshops on consecutive Mondays
starting on 8 October, 2001.
These
drum circle workshops will be held at St. James Cavalier and are open to
the general public. According to Renzo Spiteri, “They are mainly
intended for those people who would like to lay their hands on an ethnic
drum and discover music and rhythm for the first time. But they are also
intended for those who would like to share the experience of playing
ethnic drums, mainly djembes, in a group format.”
Renzo
Spiteri has years of experience as a performer and educator in Malta and
abroad. He studied drums and percussion under Charles Gatt at the Johan
Strauss School of Music and Jazz Improvisation under Paul Abela. In 1998,
he graduated, with Honours, from the University of Malta, with a thesis
about “The Role of Percussion in West African Societies”.
Between
1998 and 2000, Renzo Spiteri studied and played in Milan, collaborating
with musicians in the jazz, fusion and classical fields. During this
period he studied percussion classical repertoire with Prof. G. Bianchi,
first percussion player at the Teatro alla Scala. He furthered his studies
in jazz improvisation at the Milano Jazz School and the CEP Institute of
Music and studied privately with Brazilian percussion player Gilson.
Renzo
Spiteri has played with various musicians, working in live and recording
situations. In
jazz and fusion music he worked with ‘Pastishe’, an afro-jazz
band, ‘Coroline Ensemble’ and the jazz-rock band ‘Pangea’ with
whom he also recorded a CD. In the classical field, he worked with various
orchestras in Milano and also formed part of the esteemed ensemble “Solisti
dell’Orchestra Mozart”. In May 1996, Renzo Spiteri performed a solo
percussion concert at
the University of London during a week-long International Symposium
of Inter-Cultural Music, one of the pieces being a premier work by Maltese
composer Charles Camilleri.
He
is probably best known locally as producer, composer and main performer of
the spectacular show called 2000
Rhythms which was presented in December 1999 and as musical director
and performer of Voices.
The
main instrument which will be used during the drum circle workshops will
be the djembe, a goblet shaped hand drum, skinned with goat or
antelope. Likely to have originated among the Malinke
peoples of West Africa, the djembe has a very wide sound spectrum which
generates a great richness in pitch. The open mouth shape of the barrel is believed to
have come from the traditional grain grinder.
The fair-traded
djembes that will be used in the workshops were produced in Okoroase, in
Eastern Ghana. Okoroase is the centre of drumbody production in Ghana.
Some 1000 carvers in the area are now gainfully employed in the
drum-making business for export. This has prevented youth from escaping to
the nearby city of Accra, where job opportunities are limited. Drum-making
has brought work to their rural doorstep, and with it came development,
such as transport and electricity, as well as improved living conditions.
The
drum circle workshops at St. James Cavalier are open to people from all
walks of life who are 16 years and over. No musical knowledge is required.
The group will consist of not more than 12 people.
The djembes and all other instruments will be provided by the fair trade
cooperative that runs the world shop L-Arka in St. Paul’s
Street, Valletta.
The
fee for all ten workshops is Lm20. There will be a charge of Lm10 to be
paid once for the use of the djembes. This amount will be deducted from
the price of the instrument for those participants who eventually
decide to buy it.
Participants
can choose between Groups A and B. Both groups will be meeting on ten
successive Mondays starting on 8 October and sessions will be held at
St. James Cavalier. All sessions for Group A start at 5.30pm and all
sessions for Group B start at 7.00pm.
Places
are limited and applications will be accepted on a first-come-first-served
basis. Applications (including name, address, tel. no., and email address)
and cheques (Lm20) made out to the “Third World Group” are to be
sent to Stacey Ebejer, c/o L-Arka, 306, Triq San Pawl, Valletta.
Tel. 244865
All
workshops will be in aid of the
Third World Group, an established non-governmental voluntary
organization that has been actively committed towards poor and
disadvantaged people since 1974.
More information is available on the websites of the Third World Group (www.webgtd.cjb.net) and the Ritmi project (www.ritmi2002.cjb.net). Email: ritmi@mail.com
Adrian
Grima
25
September, 2001
Renzo Spiteri (2000)
The Traditional Djembe