Projects

  1. Cameroon

    GME continue to work with the Baka Pygmies, particularly a group that live in a village called Banana near the border town of Moloundou. In 2005 & 2006 GME also worked in Ethiopia, organising a festival of traditional music and dance in Arba Minch. Ever since then we have been planning a similar festival in Cameroon

    In 2009 "The Adventurists" asked us to organise their end of rally party. Since a stage and PA would be needed for this in the evening they agreed that we could use this in the day for a traditional music & dance festival. So in January 2010 GME organised the "Under the Volcano" Festival in Limbe, South-West Cameroon. Performers from 7 of the 10 regions in Cameroon took part and we hope to make it bigger and even better next year. Some of the performers (including the Baka) also played their modern music at the evening party

    You can see some videos of GME's work here

    So far the following projects have been set up with the Baka :

    • providing ID cards for the Baka people, thus protecting their human rights
    • distribution of basic necessities
    • establishing a Music House - Baka Cultural Centre
    • basic medicine

    The Baka wish to develop :

    • good use of the Music House
    • capacity building: new-life skills, helping them to make informed choices
    • a medical centre that practices both Western and forest medicine
    • the recording of Baka Music for release in Cameroon to raise their status as musicians and provide a way to earn a living
    • the promotion and protection of the Baka way of life

    In order to help the Baka as much as possible GME have started working in partnership with the Forest Peoples Program and CED, a Cameroonian NGO.

    GME run educational workshops for children and adults of the songs, rhythms, music and dance of the Baka.
    Su Hart and Denise Rowe also offer day workshops of song and dance inspired by their visits to the Baka – for more info contact su@baka.co.uk

    More information about the Baka HERE

  2. Ethiopia

    GME have helped organise the Arba Minch Festival of Music and Dance in 2005 & 2006, funded by the Christensen Fund. In 2006 GME helped to set up a local organisation, GUGHE who ran the festival in 2007 & 2008.

    The 2009 Festival was cancelled by the Ethiopian government and some of the organisers arrested. They have since been released, but it seems the government does not want the indiginous people to be too proud of their heritage. We hope that the festival will happen again.

    See more information about the 2007 & 2008 Arba Minch Festivals and GUGHE HERE

    Music, pictures and videos of the festivals that we helped organise can be seen HERE

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