Samba Fever

For the past two months, Mark, who volunteered to teach samba, has trained six different groups in al-Wallajah, al-Ma'sara, Hebron, Aida refugee camp, Silwan and a group of deaf people. Some groups received workshops twice a week, others, like Silwan just started playing and are waiting for a new trainer. Because after two months of drumming, Mark went home. These days he is editing a video clip of his latest project in Palestine: two rappers from Dheisheh refugee camp recorded a song with four drummers from al-Wallajah. Coming soon!

Thank you Mark for all your patience, understanding, teaching and facilitating the workshops!

"It's has been nearly two months since I arrived in the West Bank, with some drum sticks, a head full of rhythms and few Arabic words as part of a Musicians without Borders project that aims to bring samba percussion to Palestinian groups of young adults. Samba being suited for group drumming as it is very inclusive. Individuals can play a simple pattern but be part of a complex and beautiful rhythm that makes it impossible not to swing your hips or tap your feet to.

Samba workshop for the deaf in Aida Youth Center in Aida refugee camp

I had lot's of ambition to teach different styles of drumming, to give the four different groups a large 'repertoire' but also to sow the seeds for ongoing bands. The reality has been of course much more difficult. It has been eye opening to see the everyday realities of lives under Occupation affect the workshops, which at times have been cancelled due to killings, protests, checkpoint delays and today because of tear gas in and around the community center.

Surdo, the big Brazilian drum, means deaf because the sound is
so low and loud that even deaf people can 'hear' it. Abdullah is deaf and definitely proves that he can feel the rhythm!

Samba fun in al-Wallajah

Fabienne and Ahmad from Musicians without Borders and also the participants of the different groups, have been amazing in regards to helping me settle in and to deal with any of these arising issues. By now I have run many workshops with five different groups, from villages to refugee camps to youth centers. It is great to see the rhythms that in the first weeks were impossible for many have now been played in front of audiences cheering and dancing. But the greatest moments are when you see the faces of concentration slowly relaxing into a smile, when the drummers start to enjoy the rhythm and their input into it.

Learning a new rhythm on the caixa in al-Wallajah

Learning a new rhythm on the surdo in al-Wallajah

Still lot's to do before I go and I hope to also take away a rhythm or two taught to me by the participants. Whilst some of the groups might need more samba trainers, local or international, to come, I am hopeful that at least two of the bands have enough samba fever to continue learning by themselves."

Silwan Samba

For two months we are lucky to have the amazing samba trainer Mark with us in Palestine. After coaching samba groups in Hebron, Aida refugee camp, al-Ma'sara and al-Walajah, he started today in a new location: Silwan, Jerusalem. In cooperation with Madaa Silwan Creative Center and with the help from the center's staff we held the first practice today. 



Mark writes:

"As the workshop progressed more and more participants came and joined. Amazing how quickly they learned a rhythm, two musical breaks and how to stop and start. It seemed that all enjoyed themselves, even with neighbors and nearby people in cars clapping and drumming along. And it was also good stimulation and a break from the oppressive everyday realities for the young adults in that area. Great day. Can't wait for next week."

Deaf Drumming!

"But they are deaf!"
Yes, they are. But deaf people can drum too!

Today was the first Samba percussion training for deaf people from the Bethlehem district. To make things more complicated, we have

• an English-speaking Samba trainer: translation English - Arabic needed;
• deaf participants that understand Palestinian sign language: interpreting Arabic - sign language needed;
• a deaf participant that understands lip-reading: translation Arabic - lip reading & facial expression needed.

Soon we all got used to this three way translation and we could focus on the music. Our amazing Samba volunteer trainer Mark Rietema started with a warm-up in which every person had to share his name in sign language and express in a movement how his or her morning was. Deaf people give people two names: one name that can be spelled (for example M-a-r-k) and one name that is chosen by deaf people and expressed with a movement (for example 'combing' Mark's hair in the front). During this warm-up, we found out that Mark had been in a hurry in the morning, Amineh had fed her rabbits, and poor Abdullah had left his house at 8.00 o'clock, arrived at 8.30 at the meeting point, and waited until 10.00 for the Samba training to begin.

After some clapping and rhythm exercises it was time to take the drums. Mark taught them some basic rhythms, a stop sign and a break sign. Any visitor to this workshop would never have guessed that these youth are deaf: they are amazingly talented and they were playing together as any other beginners group with people that do hear.

Halimah playing the Caixa

Khaled playing the Surdo

Amineh playing the Repenique

Magedah playing the Repenique

Mark shows the girls a new rhythm

The Surdo's keep the beat

At the end, during the evaluation of the workshop, the mother of one of the participants expressed her wishes for this training:

"my son is very shy and sometimes people don't treat him well because he is deaf. I want him to become more secure and less shy. Today I saw that he was very happy to play the drums, and when he is happy I'm happy. I hope that drumming will make him believe in himself!"

Thank you Mark for your great work, thank you Magedah for your sign-language interpreting, and thank you Im Khaled for translating lip-reading to your son. Thank you Habshe for taking the pictures and arranging us the space in Aida Youth Center. Amineh, Halimah, Magedah, Abdullah and Khaled: you rock!

New Video Showing Our Work

We are proud to present the new video about Music Bus Goes Palestine made by Tamador Abu Laban:

A Beautiful Message for Pretty from Halimah

Halimah, one of the MwB trainees, is deaf. She has recorded the message above in sign language for Pretty. Pretty is one of the youth leaders from Rwanda Youth Music, the MwB program in Rwanda. She has fallen ill and trainees from other MwB projects around the world have written letters to Pretty, wishing her fast recovery and sending her love.

The following text is an interpretation by Magedah and Fabienne:

"Hello. This message is for Pretty.
My name is Halimah. I am from Palestine.
I take the music training.
When I started, I wasn't happy and I was afraid, because I thought I can not do music.
But when I continued the music training I succeeded and I became happy.
The music training gave me more trust and I thank everyone that works in this music project.
I pray always for you Pretty that you will get better.
Don't be sad or worried.
I want to see a picture of you.
And I want to meet you, insha'allah, when you will be healthy again.
Bye, Kisses!"

Thank you Halimah for your beautiful message, and thank you Magedah for translating all the workshops into sign language! 

More messages from Palestine:
 letters from music workshop leader Amanda and rappers Nadim and Anan

Pretty reading the letter from Anan

Music Workshop Leader Training PART 1

During the last two weeks many activities took place: we held another Music Workshop Leader Training in Bethlehem for 30 trainees, two samba percussion workshops in al-Ma'sara and Hebron, a workshop for 30 kindergarten teachers in Ghirass Cultural Center, and 11 music workshops in al-Azzeh refugee camp, Aida refugee camp, a psychiatric hospital and a center for children with cancer and other severe illnesses. Indeed, too many activities for one blog post! Today I share some pictures from the Music Workshop Leader Training with MwB trainer Christiaan Saris and Fabienne van Eck, pictures from the other events will follow later.

Chris, thank you for your great commitment! We are all very inspired by your beautiful work.

Imagination exercise: walking like a very old man...

Who is giving a secret sign to stop or start clapping?

Warm-up with Chris: taking a shower

Percussion with sticks

Car Dance

8-4-2-1-1-1-1 Dance

Thank you Sineen and Ahmad for making the pictures and thank you HLT for the beautiful training space.

Samba Trainer Wanted!

Looking for a change? Looking for a challenge?

Do you drum to a Palestinian beat?

Are you ready for a life-changing opportunity?

A samba trainer…

We are looking for a professional percussionist with samba experience to coach beginner samba groups in Palestine. The position is voluntary with expenses (flight, accommodation, food, local transportation) covered for two months, starting in January 2013.

…to teach talented young Palestinians…

You will work with young people who have drive and ambition but no opportunities. Many young people in the samba groups have suffered emotional trauma, and almost all are deeply affected by the on-going occupation.

…as part of a community music project in Palestine…

Music Bus Goes Middle East is a project of Musicians without Borders and Holy Land Trust. It uses community music to address problems in the conflict-ridden society in Palestine. Our music and nonviolence training projects and activities for children are enormously successful throughout the West Bank. In 2012 we expanded the project with rap and samba activities for youth. We are now looking for a samba trainer to guide the groups in improving their musical skills.

…and make a difference!

Do not underestimate the challenge. You need to be able to maintain control of a roomful of young men and women (age 16-24). Palestine can be a challenging place to live and work because of the ongoing occupation, poverty and cultural issues. You will need to be able to inspire the youths as well as coach them, and display a high degree of cultural sensitivity.

How To Apply?

Please send us your CV and a letter explaining your motivation before December 1 2012. Short-listed candidates will be contacted and invited for a Skype interview with the local project manager.

More Information

For more information or to apply please email fabiennevaneck@gmail.com