MEDIA RELEASE

The Hon Tony Burke MP
Minister for Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship Minister for the Arts

INAUGURAL AUSTRALIAN ARTS IN ASIA AWARD FOR EAST TIMOR

An Australian musician working in East Timor has taken out one of the new Australian Arts in Asia Awards announced by Arts Minister Tony Burke in Sydney tonight.

Minister Burke presented the award to Tekee Media who took out the Music category for their musical publication Lian Husi Klamar: Musika Tradisional Husi Timor-Leste (Sounds of the Soul: The Traditional Music of East Timor), written by musician Ros Dunlop.

“These awards were created to recognise, celebrate and promote the Australian artists contributing to stronger, deeper and broader cultural links with Asian nations through their work in their countries,” Minister Burke said.

“Our relationship with East Timor is significant, and the contribution of Australian artists is demonstrated by the 2 nominations we received from artists engaging with East Timor.”

“Tonight we are celebrating this artist taking out the award for the Music category, along with the remaining 13 awards shared between Australian artists and arts organisations engaging with their counterparts from China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Mongolia.”

“I congratulate Tekee Media on their creativity and dedication, and thank them for their contribution to our relationship with East Timor through their strong collaborative partnerships with arts organisations in East Timor.”

Lian Husi Klamar: Musika Tradisional Husi Timor-Leste (Sounds of the Soul: The Traditional Music of East Timor) is the culmination of an extensive 10 year project in East Timor. The author recorded the traditional music of East Timor, a deeply hidden culture in danger of extinction, thus preserving it for future generations.

The book is published in two languages, Tetun and English and communicates the rich and diverse culture of Timor’s music making to the world. The book is further enhanced with paintings by Timorese artists, whose works depict various aspects of traditional musical culture.

There are transcriptions of songs in both western and Indonesian notation and also has an accompanying CD and DVD.

Tekee Media is a music-based organisation that is committed to helping the East Timorese revive their indigenous music and put it to practical contemporary use through the East Timorese education system. Their Sounds of the Soul publication is the culmination of a 10 year project to record and preserve the traditional music of East Timor.

The Australian Arts in Asia Awards were created to help promote the Australian Government’s commitment in the national cultural policy Creative Australia to the increasing engagement of artists and arts organisations in cultural exchanges building collaborative partnerships with their international counterparts.

For more information on the awards, visit: http://arts.gov.au/asiaawards

Thursday, 1 August, 2013

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Tony Amaral 2013

Dear Timor/Australian Cultural Exchange Supporters,

“Freedom of Expression” is a painting that powerfully expresses the spirit and soul of Timor (klamar) and, as such, we believe it deserves to be hung in a public place for all Timorese and visitors to view and enjoy. We are inviting individuals and organisations to become involved in this worthy project by joining a consortium to purchase the painting for display in a place of prominence, in a significant museum in East Timor.

This large, imposing, oil on canvas painting, is a worthy testament of Timorese traditional heritage in a contemporary setting. Tony is a Timorese artist who studied at the National Art School in Sydney and now exhibits his work internationally. In July this year, he held an exhibition in Sydney that included this very significant and meaningful painting. An image of the painting along with the artist’s biography and statement on the work can be viewed below.

Donations towards the purchase of the painting can be made online to

Account Name: Tekee Media Inc
National Australia Bank
Account number: 563397005
BSB:082 125

or a cheque can be sent to :

Tekee Media,
17 Callan St
Rozelle NSW 2039

If you donate online, please write Freedom of Expression – or Painting as reference to the deposit and send an email to rosdunlop@tekeemedia.com with the amount you have donated so you can be sent a receipt. Your name will be also be added to list of donors to be displayed with the painting. If you wish your donation to remain anonymous, please advise when you email Ros. The cost of the painting is $7,500 .

Thank you for considering this investment in Timor’s cultural heritage and we will keep you posted on our progress.

Kind regards,

Ros Dunlop
Tekee Media Inc
rosdunlop@tekeemedia.com

About the Artist, Tony Amaral

Tony Amaral is a visual artist. He was born in Timor-Leste in 1984 and grew up in Dili, Timor-Leste during the time of the Indonesian occupation. His first teacher was the Indonesian artist Yahya Lambert who lives in Timor-Leste. Tony joined Arte Moris Free Art School in Dili in 2002 as one of the first students of the school, (founded by Swiss artist Luca Gansser and his wife Gabriella). The art school began as a collective of artists who lived and worked in the grounds of Arte Moris. During this time Tony took part in many projects and exhibitions, nationally and internationally. He travelled with exhibitions to Australia, Indonesia and Switzerland. During the civil unrest in 2006 he took part in the peace campaign of posters and Murals throughout Timor to help restore peace to the troubled country. His work hangs in the Presidential Palace in Dili, East Timor.

In 2008 he was awarded a scholarship to study art at The National Art School in Sydney, Australia. He was the first Timorese artist to graduate from the National Art School. He attained a Bachelor of Fine Art in 2011. He was also awarded the Chroma Prize for Painting in his final year.

After graduation he returned to East Timor as Artist in Residence at Arte Moris Art School, he is now the artistic director of Arte Moris. In this capacity he has curated a number of exhibitions, served as an inspiration and mentor for artists and students in his homeland. He gave his first solo show in Dili in October 2011 called Dame ba rai nebe’e maka iha problema – Peace to this troubled land. It was the first solo exhibition by a Timorese artist in Timor. The exhibition used mixed media abstract collages with a focus on local newspaper cuttings and bold colours and stencils to tell a story of a nation that is continuing to experience a crisis of faith in development and governance, which in turn is having an impact on people’s sense of harmony. This exhibition was received with critical acclaim.

In 2012 he gave his first solo exhibition in Sydney At The Vanishing Point gallery in Newtown. He was also invited to participate in the 15th Asian Biennale in Bangladesh, and was the first Timorese artist to participate in this Biennale.

Growing up in a country under occupation has had a profound influence on Tony, expressed through his art.

Freedom of Expression, 2013, oil on canvas, 260cm x 140cm , Photograph by John Lee

Artist Statement

The relationship between me and my art is not far from my lulik. A lot of the ideas in my new work are about the traditional belief system of the Timorese, which is called lulik. Lulik is at the soul of the traditional animist religion of the Timorese. Symbols of this religion can be found in my work, for example; rocks, trees, the cosmos and the ancestors. When I was little, my family would do things together. At night time my father would point to the stars and tell me that all the stars were avo (grand parents), he also showed me which ones were abo fulan (the moon), abo fitun (the stars) and abo tasi (the sea).

When I moved to Arte Moris with my fellow art students and the founder, Luca Gansser in 2003 we found more than 50 rocks, old rocks which described a family, a mother holding a child, the father and the family, these were lulik rocks. This was an old sculpture which had been part of the Indonesian Museum.

I paint my tradition, the ancestors, the spirits, but I never have seen them, these things are from the old lulik. I like to paint about something that I am scared of, and something that I never imagined. I paint from the stories I am told; for example, when I was little grownups might say ‘be careful with the dark’, and then mention someone who has died, or an ancestor with one eye, or a certain name. Then they would say, you might dream or see this ancestor and Timorese revere their ancestors.

I have never seen my old lulik because of the new religion, (Catholic). Timorese have two ways of believing, Catholic and animism and the two often get mixed up. In the districts the people might do old lulik before the mass starts. Some traditional symbols of animist religion often decorate the outside of the Catholic churches in Timor.

I have never seen my old lulik but as an artist I do have my own lulik which I have expressed in my recent artworks.

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This grandmother is the wife of Senor Joao, the Lia na’in in Ainaro

We had surprisingly good weather for the wet season. The roads seemed to be as rough as they were on my first trips to Timor in 2002. There was an absence of traffic along our journey, and villages en route were very quiet now that the UN and other foreign peace keeping forces had left Timor.  I hardly saw any other malae(foreigners) on my travels through the districts during the following fortnight. Not much has changed for many of these villages since my first trip.  Still many of them have no electricity or intermittently, infrastructure is minimal, the roads as terrible in remote villages as they ever were, and many Timorese still walk long distances for their daily water. For those Timorese with businesses which serviced the needs of the malae, faces were long as they ponder what seems to them to be an economic slowdown. As I gave out the books, and watched Timorese of all ages turn the pages of the book, I wondered how many of them had ever held a book before, let alone one they could keep.

These children are from a family who I had stayed with during research in Camanasa I had just given them a copy of the book.

It was wonderful seeing so many of the musicians who I had recorded years before, and be able to personally give them a tangible product of their performances. They were amazed that I was back there with a book to give them – and particularly delighted when they saw themselves in photos in the book or the DVD.

Ros giving books to the Baros family in Suai Loro, this family sung the song “in beluk” published in the book

When we were driving further east down the mountains into Hatudu our brakes failed. Luckily the toyota we were driving was a manual and four wheel drive! I nursed it down that first mountain in first gear low range, gripping the wheel and hoping that we really wouldn’t see another vehicle (we didn’t!).  When we got to the bottom we asked some Timorese in a truck if there was a mechanic in Hatudu who could help us, they said they didn’t know anyone and advised us to keep driving to Same for help – I was not happy about that!  A teenage boy overheard us and said his uncle was a mechanic and took us to him. Like so many Timorese in the remote villages I have encountered, they are generous and helpful to a fault. This mechanic turned out to be fantastic and a hell of an improvisor. With hardly a tool, he worked on our toyota for hours and managed to find some glue to do a temporary fix so we could get back to Dili. He apologised for not having any proper tools to do the job. He told us he had worked for 12 years for the UN as a mechanic and that he was sure if we took our time and kept topping up the brake fluid we would make it back to Dili. Three litres of brake fluid and a day and half later we limped into Dili, we might have broken a record for the slowest journey from Hatudu to Dili,(the distance is not much more than 160 kms). The final mountain down to Dili took us 3 hours to negotiate. Our nerves had taken a beating on this journey, but we had managed to distribute more than 300 books to that part of the country in spite of the obstacles.

Fernanda da Costa, the Director of Gruppu Lafaek (who recorded the Makikit dance in Suai Loro and images of this group can be found in the book)

Two days later with the brakes fixed and after meetings to organise book distribution to some places I would not get to, due to time constraints, we reloaded our toyota with hundreds more books and set off along the north coast to the east.

Senor Salvatore da Costa Pereira, a Lia na’in who shared his knowledge of the traditional music, he is also pictured in the front cover of the book “Sounds of the Soul”

I had been assured by a friend of mine that the lia na’in (cultural custodian) from Fatulia near Venilale, Salvatore Pereira was still alive. He had shared so much of his knowledge of the musical culture in his area with me over the years, and now he was very old and frail. I so much wanted to give him a copy of the book myself, and now it seemed I could. This meeting was the personal highlight of this trip. When I arrived to Senor Salvatore Pereira’s house and emerged from the toyota with a copy of the book, he saw me coming and struggled out of his chair and held one hand out while he steadied himself with the other, when I gave him the book he hugged it to his chest with tears in his eyes. In our first meeting he told me that the traditional music would die with with his generation I promised him that I was going to write a book documenting the music,  I think he hoped rather than believed it would happen. He said to me with a big smile on his face, “Thank you, now our music won’t die after all, I am so happy”!

Ros with Senor Salvatore da Costa Pereira after giving him a copy of the book, “Lian Husi Klamar”

We continued our journey down to the south coast through the Vikeke district, negotiated potholes and stony roads, and to top it off  bogged for half a day on the mountain in the village of Babulo situated near the south side of Mt Matebean and in spite all our efforts remaining bogged. A group of farmers came along and hooked a rope up to our toyota and as they heaved on the rope they sang a tebe (traditional dance) they leant back on the rope and pulled then simulating the movements of the tebe stamped their legs and pulled harder as the song progressed. I forgot I was supposed to start the engine, I was spellbound by their song and actions, here was the traditional music in its practical usage – to help ease the workload! However, their singing was in vain the truck didn’t budge! While we pondered how we were going to escape the muddy bog I decided to take copies of the book up to the Xefe (village chief) who had six months earlier been such a wonderful host to us when we were gathering information for the book. He was in Dili, so I left copies for the schools in Babulo and also got his contact details. When I went back to the toyota my friends and the local villagers told me that we needed to contact the Xefe who could organise help (the local roadside assistance service!)  but no-one knew the Xefe’s number, I laughed and told everyone I had just got it!, So we phoned the Xefe in Dili, and he phoned a trucking company down the bottom of the mountain and called us back to say help was on the way. Half an hour later with reggae music pumping loudly from inside the cabin a huge yellow truck appeared, hooked us up with a cable and plucked us out of the mud as fast as a cork being pulled out of a bottle! We headed for Iliomar after that, two hours along the road we were stopped by a huge tree that had fallen over the road, we tried to build a stone bridge over the tree so we could drive over it! Needless to say due to our poor bridge engineering skills we had to admit defeat and retrace our steps back to Baukau, which added another ten hours to our trip. We arrived in Baukau after midnight and camped on a friend’s verandah. We resumed our journey east the next day on the north coast road this time – truly the best road in Timor! Near Los Palos I called in to see Justino Vallentim who had helped so much with the fataluku songs and culture, and was about to start the fataluku translation of the book. He he grabbed me by both my shoulders and said “the book is wonderful, just wonderful!” I grinned back and said – “this was a community project my friend!” One of the final drop offs was to a musician and director of a music group in Los Palos. He was astonished to see me, he smiled broadly and said “you came back! malae never come back, they take what they want of our culture, make money from it,  but they don’t give anything back,” to which I replied, “ I was always coming back and I will always keep coming back”!

Senor Abilio dos Santos with Ros after receiving the book, delighted that so many copies were being given to the Timorese

Copies of the book are now in the libraries, many of the schools, lia na’in, Xefe suku and with the many musicians throughout Timor who gave their knowledge, time and performances for recordings.  The response of the Timorese to the book has been gratifying and overwhelming, I am proud to have been able to be of service to the Timorese people in the writing of this first book on the traditional music of Timor.

Joao Baros, Raraun Player receiving a book

The book was launched in Dili, East Timor (September 2012), Sydney Australia (October 2012)  Blue Mountains, Newcastle, Bathurst, Canberra. In Darwin, Melbourne and Ballarat in 2013.

Ros Dunlop speaking at the launch of the book at the US Embassy in Dili September 2012

Gruppu Rebentu dancers at the launch of the book at the US Embassy in Dili October 2012

Jose Ramos Horta, Ros Dunlop and Laurian from Berkelow Books, at the Book Launch, Berkelow Books Newtown October 2012

Abel Guterres with Ros Dunlop at the launch of Lian Husi Klamar in Sydney

The book continues to be ordered world wide. The Timorese now have access to the books as a result of the distribution drive in January. Plans a foot for  a mass printing of the children’s book Lafaek has a party so that children throughout Timor can have copies of this book. The Teacher’s college in Baukau is already creating teaching programs using the material in the book.   Translation of the book into fataluku and Baikeno is in the pipeline, as Timorese from these ethnic groups don’t really speak tetun.   Thanks to the U.S Ambassador’s fund for its support enabling the publication of the first book about the traditional music of East Timor Lian Husi Klamar Sounds of the Soul.

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Come and see this recent work of Tony’s, all the work is for sale. Rich in colour and content this work tells the story of his country and his people through his paintings.  The opening is November 15th 6-9pm do come along if you can. The exhibition runs until the 9th December Thursdays – Sundays and is worth the visit.

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Author and musician Ros Dunlop made her first trip to Timor-Leste in April 2002 with Timor activist brothers Robert and Martin Wesley-Smith. Ros and Martin gave concerts of Martin’s audiovisual pieces about East Timor. They were enchanted by Timor-Leste’s land, people and culture – especially it’s traditional music. Wanting to give something in return, Ros began visiting Timor-Leste regularly to record this special music. To do this, she needed the help of many Timorese citizens. The skilled musicians who were acutely aware of the importance of recording their music for posterity and the translators and assistants who helped to organise the recording sessions. These artists from Arte Moris Art School and the young Timorese from the audiovisual archive, Centro Archivo Max Stahl Timor-Leste understood the importance of a permanent record being made. Without their help this project would not have happened.

To order multiple copies contact rosdunlop@tekeemedia.com.

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Venue is the beautiful historic Chapter House part of the St Mary’s Cathedral complex, which creates an intimate setting. There is easy access to parking nearby at the Domain and Cook & Phillip pool carpark and public transport via trains to St James Station and buses to College and Elizabeth Sts. We would love to see you there!

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fotos.sapo.pt/saponoticiastl/albuns/?aid=212

www.facebook.com/ArteMorisTimorLeste

If interested to buy art works, email admin@artemoris.org by the 8th October and shipping can be organised via Australia.

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Tony Amaral is a Timorese Artist who is a recent graduate from the National Art School, Sydney, Australia. He is currently artist in residence at Arte Moris. His first solo exhibition opened at Arte Moris Gallery, Arte Moris Comoro, Dili, East Timor on September 24th. It will run for 2 weeks. Tony is an consummate artist, the exhibition is powerful, and deserving of international recognition. Tony says” We all know that the function of the news media in a democratic nation is an important one. For instance, the role of journalists is to help build a national conscience and affect social transformation. In part, the job of artists is the same.” In his first solo exhibition Tony has used mixed media collages with a focus on newspaper clippings to create a retrospective on the past half – year.  He has used Timor’s local papers along with bold colours and stencils to tell a story of a nation that, to his mind, is continuing to experience a crisis of faith in development and governance, which in turn is impacting people’s sense of harmony. Below is an image of the painting at the centre of the exhibition. The work is for sale, please do contact Tekee Media via email or artemoris through facebook www.facebook.com/ArteMorisTimorLeste for a link to full images please go to : or if you are a facebook friend of Ros Dunlop go to facebook for the album of full size images. There are still paintings for sale from this wonderful exhibition with prices ranging from $200 to $900 US. click on the thumbnails to enlarge. Better quality images on above sites.

IMAGES OF ART WORKS BY TONY AMARAL

[Show as slideshow]

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musicians from Suai (click on all photos to enlarge)

children from Bessilau School rehearsing for the concert

Students from Hadahur, Jacob, Mica & Sesca rehearsing aria from Cosi Fan Tutti

Performers were made up of students and staff from the school, Timorese and Internationals.  Performances were given on piano, voice, classical guitar, violin and a variety of ensemble pieces. The students of these instruments commenced studying them via web cam in the past few months, in the case of the classical guitarist only with 2 lessons to date! The long term vision is that these students will be taught and mentored via  skype and they will start to teach students when they feel confident enough to start, with the International teachers backing them up from afar.  The first violin and guitar students of these teachers commenced lessons this July!

Aurelio Ximenes having a web cam lesson.

This trip a program of music education was introduced to a remote mountain school, Bessilau. Australian music educator is Rachel Scott renowned for introducing similar programs in Australia in remote communities. It was felt that a similar method could be used to introduce music to schools in Timor Leste.  When Rachel approached Hadahur with the idea of training teachers with no musical background to deliver music programs in schools we thought …well why not!  What was started was a huge success beyond any of our expectations,  the staff and students at Bessilau school embraced the program so wholeheartedly and enthusiastically On the day Rachel arrived at Bessilau (after only 3 hours in Timor Leste and a road trip of astonishing beauty, views and daily life so typical in Timor), the whole school had assembled to greet her in true Timorese fashion to walk a corridor between two lines of children singing and a presentation of tais.

By the time she had completed the week the same children and staff were sad to see her go! The principal of the school wholeheartedly embraced the program to the extent that he took part in every class enjoying himself as much as any child!  We are confident that as each stage is introduced to the school over the next few years it will be hugely successful  and become part of the daily curriculum!  This program has been made possible by a grant awarded to Hadahur by the ISME (International Society of Music Education) and Gibson Guitar in their Community music award, which  Hadahur has been awarded  for 2009. (please see Rachel’s report on her week’s work at the end of this blog).
  Bessilau School & Students    typical classroom in the school

The above photos taken on the day the instruments were unpacked at the school.

  some photos from the classes, there were lots of smiles & laughter & noise!!!

Traditional Musicians came from Cova Lima (Suai Loro) and Maubisse and Liquica giving wonderful performances of the traditional music of those districts,  many people in  the audience had not seen traditional music being performed before, certainly not of the calibre presented in this concert. The traditional music co-ordinator, Manuel Pereira performed and organised the musicians of Maubesse, and Liquica, Manuel was the first musician whose music I recorded as part of the Traditional Music Project, a consummate musician and he co-ordinated a spectacular performance. The Dancers from Suai Loro and a guitarist (playing on hand made guitar, somewhat larger than commercially made ones) and  violinist accompanied them.  These performers had an added surprise, as the Director of School Spectacular NSW was present at the concert, and there specifically to see these performers in action  so that he could invite them to School Spectacular…either this November or November 2010.

Manuel Pereira, Student playing the lakadou.

Dancers from Suai Loro

This concert was the fruition of 15 months since we first commenced lessons.  Teaching of students began last year out of two rooms at the back of the Motael Church  generously lent to the music school by Father Alves. In May this year  Hadahur  had to find other places for lessons, moving equipment to a temporary facility in Lahane,.

Although the school is launched, it is operating in several locations around Dili until much hoped for land is secured, hopefully we can give news of this before too long.  The location for web cam lessons is a room in Centro Juvenile in Taibesse so students can have regular web cam lessons in voice, violin, piano and guitar!  These lessons are given by professional teachers in Australia, some of whom went to Timor this July to work with students (Wendy Dixon – Voice, Ella Bennetts – violin, Ros Dunlop keyboard/clarinet). Four school concerts were given, with the above musicians and Rachel Scott (who was conducting the classroom music program and brought her bright purple cello to Timor….t’was a hit, both the cello and the concerts! A shame there was no time for more! School children, indeed Timorese had not seen the like of such concerts before!  As a team these musicians worked together very well, very hard, a lot of  convivial times were had and personalities were well matched!

Milka Pinheiro having a skype violin lesson

Ella Bennetts (violin teacher), giving a little boy his first lesson.

Wendy Dixon meeting some of her voice students after months of lessons on web cam.

One of the rare moments of relaxation and fivolity for Ros Dunlop, Rachel Scott & Wendy Dixon,

There were two  soirees  leading up to the concert in the President’s palace and an impromptu concert two days after the Saturday night concert in a bar/restaurant “Motion” who are known more for their rock concerts, we figured maybe a dozen people might come….the place was packed!  The music school, the kind of music making and concerts it gives is timely!  There will be more regular events at Motion given by the students of Hadahur.  At all concerts, audience members were astonished at the standard of the talent and hard work achieved by students who have had so little tuition. Feedback from the concert has followed those of us travelling back to Australia  all the way home!

Singers from the acapella group Ko Le Le Mai, who performed in every concert.

Milka Pinheiro has been learning violin, mostly on skype for a year now, and played confidently and  musically with her teacher Ella Bennetts and the Director of the Music School Antonio de Padua. Milka has just commenced teacher 4 young children violin under the supervision of her teacher Ella Bennetts.

Ella & student in his first lesson

The singers who had all been working with Australian vocalist Wendy Dixon all gave solo performances and with a few others have formed an accapella group, delighting all who attended concerts with arrangements of traditional songs. Mica, Sesca , Milka and Jacob all gave solo performances in various concerts.

Antonio de Padua accompanying the singers, Jacob, Sesca & Mica.

The Dili audiences were amazed and delighted to learn that there is a classical guitarist in town, Aurelio Ximenes who has only ever had two lessons (via web cam), is largely self taught and passionate about playing. Initially very nervous in the first of the mini concerts he became more at ease as he performed,  he proved to be a focused and sensitive performer. Aurelio will commence teaching two young guitarists the classical guitar this week. As his confidence in teaching increases he will teach other students.

Antonio de Padua, the Director of the music school and pianist displayed his love of Chopin in concert, but during these intense days of workshops and face to face lessons, …some conducted from the hall opposite the church in Becora….even for a while the walls of the lovely old Hotel Turismo were bursting with musical activity from a number of rooms, Antonio discovered he loved playing chamber music, so many chamber pieces (for clarinet, violin, purple cello and piano were added to the programs).  We have discovered there are Malae (foreigners) in Dili who also play instruments to a reasonable level who are keen to play ensemble music, so, in the interim periods when there are no international teachers coming to Dili there will still be possibilities for chamber performances.

It is hoped that now that more prescriptive lessons have been planned for the early childhood classes that the Early Childhood teachers will be ready to open the doors for young children for music classes in January 2010.  At present the music school is concentrating its efforts and resources on educating and increasing the level of performance and skill of those Timorese who will be the teachers of the music school Hadahur. We envisage that the school will expand enrolments in 2010.

Early Childhood music class training teachers.

Report from Rachel Scott on the initial setting up of the classroom music program:

……The music programme is Bessilau was a huge success. Of course the children loved every minute – and why wouldn’t they? But there were a few other interesting things that happened at the school as well. The teachers all joined in – and had as good a time as the children. A good example was  the head teacher at the school. In the first lesson, he walked in, told children off, and prowled up the back. Within ten minutes, he was joining in, with a huge smile on his face. On day two, he was actively helping the children who were struggling. By day four, he was up the front, almost co-teaching with me – still with a huge smile on his face. By the teacher training day, he was the one checking that teachers knew what to do, and had driven around the district, picking up teachers who had gone home already. He is now a huge supporter of the programme.

The teachers are incredibly excited – and extremely grateful. They have agreed to teach the children as best as they can, and to also arrange performances for other schools. We have proved that music surpasses all language barriers, and cultural barriers – and I see this programme as simply growing from success to success.

The children learnt very quickly – and this can only help other areas of their learning – problem solving, memory, gross and fine motor skill development. Another thing this programme has developed is the children’s sense of self-esteem – something that is sadly lacking with these little people, and something I am so pleased to have increased. This alone is invaluable. I cannot truly express how important I believe this programme is – I shall talk about it until I am blue in the face, and would happily relate story after story to any policy maker or funding body. I believe this is some of the most valuable work I have ever done in my life…… Rachel Scott

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click on the photos below to enlarge them!  babadoks

            Woman playing babadok            gong  lakadou & swords

Manuel Pereira giving thanks for the babadok  Manuel & student playing lakadou

  demonstration of the playing of the Tohi (bass drum)

  a fearsome Tohi warrior!

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