A Celebration of Afro-kiwi music

Dougal Records and Auckland City Creative Communities present:

A Celebration of Afro-kiwi music
Gahu, Kinka Drummers & Tariro Marimba Band
Aotea Markets, Aotea Square Saturday November 6 12-2pm

Gahu - A combination of African and jazz musicians improvise over hypnotic cross rhythms. This is the basis of the polyrhythmic sound that is Gahu.

Performance highlights for Gahu in 2004 have been:
The National Jazz Festival in Tauranga, World Jazz Series @ the London Bar, Hamilton Gardens Festival, Rotorua Streatfest, The first Ghana Independence Day celebrations in New Zealand, Bay of Islands Jazz & Blues Festival and The ‘Live in the Libraries’ series for NZ Music Month. In 2003 Gahu played The Auckland Festival, Grey Lynn Festival, Jazz on Ponsonby and the K’Road Karnival.

The music of Kinka is an exciting and energetic event, bestowing performers and audience with strong feelings of well - being. Each drum in the ensemble holds a 'support' or 'answer' rhythm which combines with the other drum motifs producing an exciting music of rhythmic sophistication. Lead drummer Yaw (YB)Boateng directs the changing rhythms while improvising, singing and dancing.

Helen Clark speaking about the group at the “...very first Ghana Day celebrations in New Zealand... I think that what was happening on the stage there shows how special the bringing of new ideas and new customs to New Zealand can be.... what I love to see is people from different backgrounds coming here, mixing with the locals and producing new sights and sounds, I think that’s really special and that’s going to be the New Zealand of the future..”
Mt Albert Hall, Auckland March 7 2004

“Many of the African poly-rhythms and chants with their percussive energy were moulded into energetic dance movements by Yao (sic) Boateng that defied easy description as dancing and drumming united to become one. ..
It was difficult to sit still with the infectious beat. See and hear them do not miss.”
Andrew Buchanan-Smart Waikato Times Feb 2004

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