Come join us for a beautiful weekend of West African and Afro-Cuban drum and dance workshops! The retreat is located at Iroquois Springs in upstate New York, only 90 miles from New York City! Last weekend of the summer! Great music, great surroundings, great people, great experience!

Click here to see the upcoming, 2010 schedule!

Click here to read testimonials from last year's Retreat!

Featured Teachers: Dance: Baba Richard Gonzalez - Puerto Rico/Cuba Youssouf Koumbassa - Guinea, West Africa M'bemba Bangoura - Guinea West Africa Kadiatou Kante - Guinea, West Africa	In addition to all the fantastic drum classes, see what other exciting events will be included this year!! New Classes: Balaphone classes with Griot Famaro Diabate. This year we are fortunate to have Famaro with us to teach balaphone. The orgin of the xylophone. The balaphone classes are for any level and please bring a balaphone if you have. We do have a limited number of instruments, so there may be a sign up at the camp. Come learn these beautiful melodies and harmonic patterns! Balaphone is the ultimate meditation! Afro-Cuban Folkloric Music and Dance Workshop Dance Taught by Baba Richard Gonzalez Featuring Mr. Jose "Apache" Rivera and guests (drummers). Neo African Styles: Yoruba: Guiro or Agbe, Iyesa and Bembe Bantu: Yuka, Makuta and Palo Arara: Asuano Creole Styles:  Rumba, Yambu, Guaguanco, and Columbia The African Naciones: whose music and dances will focus on are the Yoruba of south west Nigeria, Bantu or Kongo from West Central Africa including Gabon, Angola and the Congo, and the Arara of the Dahomean empire from the area known to us as Benin and Togo.
Drum: M'Bemba Bangoura - Guinea, West Africa Laurent Camara - Guinea, West Africa Mangue Sylla - Guinea, West Africa Sekou 'Pablo' Dembele - Ivory Coast, West Africa Ibrahim 'Kolipe' Camara - Guinea, West Africa Michael Markus - USA, Guinea Style Balaphone: Famaro Dioubate - Guinea , West Africa Cuban Percussion Class: - USA Bring your congas and your claves!!	And...Cuban drum classes with Mr. Jose "Apache" Rivera: For the past few years the Afro-Cuban percussion classes have been a hit! All levels welcome, feel free to bring your djembe, or claves if you don't have a conga. Having basic understanding of Afro-Cuban rhythms goes a long way!
This year we are excited to add more time to drum and dance. Especially for those of you coming from farther away, take an extra day and join us for dinner Thursday through Sunday lunch! Or if you can't get up there Thursday night, you are welcome to join us Friday morning! Also, you are welcome to sign up for the weekend starting Friday night. See the registration form. If you need other options (one night etc.) please e-mail us and we can accommodate you.	Added dance teacher from Guinea, Kadiatou Kante! (Female) Ivory Coast & Mali style djembe with Pablo Dembele: will be teaching Ivory Coast and Mali rhythms. Take advantage of learning styles from different countries. Michael Markus classes: As requested, Michael will be incorporating techniques for how to improvise into all of his classes, for each level he teaches. Beginners can solo too! MORE days, MORE Dance, MORE Drum! New Events: Fashion show: Check out the hottest new fashions that Rock Hill has to offer! Open mic: Not restricted to drum and dance, share a poem, sing a song, show us what you do! Movies: This year we will view some old footage from Guinea and Cuba.

Costs:

Thursday evening thru Sunday afternoon $525
Friday Morning thru Sunday afternoon $425
Friday evening through Sunday afternoon $325
Saturday only $150
Private room $15 per person (per night)
Children 8-16 Friday Dinner- Sunday Lunch $175
Vendor fee (table provided) $50 1 day - $75 2 days - $100 3 days
Drum Rental $30 for weekend, $10 per class

**Early Bird Registration: Save $25 submit by August 25, 2010

EXTENDED TO SEPT 6th!

(doesn’t apply to Saturday only )
?Discounts available for teachers and students:

***Attention teachers and groups. If you are a teacher and/or have a group of students, please e-mail us about possible discounts for bringing a group. Youth groups are encouraged. All classes are by level and instructors are very accommodating.
E-mail: info@magbana.com with questions.

Iroquois Springs

Iroquois Springs is a beautiful 200 acre, multi-use facility, the ideal environment for a retreat. The kitchen staff prepares delicious cuisine, offering both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.
To learn more about Iroquois Springs, check out www.iroquoissprings.com

Accommodations:

are dormitory-style cabins with shared bath. Private rooms with private baths are available for an additional $30 per person, but these fill up fast as space is limited. The majority of cabins are not heated. You will need to bring your own non-fitted bed linen and towels, clothes for warm and cool weather and your drum. If you do not have a drum, we can provide one for an additional $30 for the weekend. If you plan to rent a drum, IT MUST BE RESERVED IN ADVANCE. While children are certainly welcome, please keep in mind that childcare will not be provided.

Rent a Drum

If you plan to rent a drum, IT MUST BE RESERVED IN ADVANCE. While children are certainly welcome, please keep in mind that childcare will not be provided.

Carpooling:

We are happy to help arrange carpooling for those in need of transportation to the retreat. Please check the appropriate box on the registration form. Due to high fuel costs, be prepared to share carpooling expenses (gas, tolls etc.).

Please submit all registration by SEPT 6th!. PLEASE!!

Also, a note about the Jewish holidays. I am sorry that our camp falls on a high holiday, it was the only dates I could book it. I hope it didn?t cause to much turmoil and anguish. I hope you can join us regardless, and am happy to write a personal letter to family members excusing you and why you must go drum and dance yourself silly. Join our clud: Djews for Djembes!

Dance Teachers:

Back to Top




Back to Top

Drum Teachers:

M'Bemba Bangoura:(See above)

Laurent Camara is a true virtuoso of the djembe. In 1973, Sekou Toure, former dictator of Guinea, presented Laurent with the Best Drummer medal, an honor that has not been given to anyone else. He was the lead soloist for over 25 years of Les Ballets Africains National Company of Guinea. He has toured the world several times over and has personally defined a large amount of the djembe repertoire. Laurent is a true icon in the African music world.
Back to Top



Mangue Sylla was born in Conakry, Guinea. He started playing music at the age of 10, and soon became a professional musician. In 1993 he joined Les Merveilles de Guinee, under the leadership of Kemoko Sano, and performed throughout Africa. In 1998, he moved to New York City and is one of the most sought after doundoun/sangban/djembe players around. Mangue travels extensively in the US teaching and performing.
Back to Top


Michael Markus is the founder and artistic director of Magbana Drum & Dance nyc. Along with a BFA in percussion performance from Ithaca College, he has mentored with accomplished Guinean master drummers and dancers and travels almost yearly to Guinea. He has presented at a multitude of venues ranging from college music and dance departments, to music/dance conferences, public and private schools, to inner city community centers all across the East Coast, Mid-west and Canada. In 2001, Michael released a series of 11 educational percussion CDs demonstrating the rhythms from Guinea. In addition to playing on several CDS from various master drummers, in 2004 Michael co-produced and released a CD of his group Magbana. He has also created commissioned pieces, composing and directing choreography for such groups as Ethos Percussion, which debuted his work at the Symphony Space in New York City. Recently, Michael was a guest performer with Forces of Nature at the Apollo Theater for part of their annual Kwaanza celebration. Michael is also co-owner of Wula Drum which manufactures instruments from Guinea and distributes worldwide through their office in Brooklyn, New York.
Back to Top

Famaro Dioubate was born to a griot family in Conakry, Guinea. He is the grandson of El Hadj Djelli Sory Kouyate, a living legend of the Mandeng balafon. Famaro made a strong name for himself and moved to the United States in the late nineties. He is in high demand as a free-lance musician, playing everywhere from nightclubs to Carnegie Hall. In addition to producing and recording two of his own CDs, Famaro has also been featured on many other projects including Cheik Smith-Sherif, Sekou Camara, Mory Kante and Fula Flute.
Back to Top


Kadiatou Kante was born in the village of Siguiri, Guinea,West Africa. Encouraged by her parents to develop her artistic talents her love of dance became her chosen path in life. At age 7 Kadiatou began her formal training under the tutelage of Master Artist Kemoko Sano, the Director of the world class performance ensemble, Les Ballets Africains. Kadiatou's talent, enthusiasm and dedication landed her positions in some of Guinea's most notable West African performance companies, including Les Merveilles, The National Circus of Guinea, Soleil d'Afrique, and Ballet Fareta. She spent several years touring throughout Africa until she came to the United States with Les Merveilles in 1999 to perform at Disney World. Today Kadiatou continues to teach dance and perform throughout the United States and currently resides in New York City. Back to Top



Sekou 'Pablo' Dembele Born in Ivory Coast, West Africa, into a Griot family, Pablo played music all his life. Pablo was a lead drummer with KOTEBA, and performed with Ali Keita, Oumou Sangare, Salif Keita, Toumani Diabate and many more. Since 1999 Pablo lives in New York City performing with many groups such as Sidiki Conde, Balla Kouyate, Feraba, Drum Cafe, Mamadou Diabate. Back to Top






Ibrahima "Kolipe" Camara is a Master Drummer from Guinea West Africa. In 1992 Kolipe jonied Les Merveilles De Guinee, working with the world renowed director and choregrapher, Mohammed Kemoko Sano. After 3 years with the Merveilles De Guinee he joined Le Solei D?Afrique " The Sun of Africa", and toured out of Africa for his first time, playing in Belgium as a lead percussionist. In 2000, Ibrahima Kolipe Camara joined the national company of Guinea, Les Ballets Africaines, internationally recognized representatives of West African Culture. As a lead drummer for the Ballet, Kolipe toured throughout Africa and the United States. Since 2005, he has been living in New York; teaching, touring, and performing with a number of talented groups, continually pleasing crowds as a dynamic musician with a powerfully positive presence.



Jose 'Apache' Rivera

Back to Top