We are African Activities.
Providing African drummers for schools, offering authentic educational experiences across the UK
Our Team
Since 2005 African Activities has been quietly building a strong reputation for exceptionally high quality, fun and thought provoking events covering team building, education and events. From birthday parties to conferences we are able to adapt to meet your needs. Our team will work with you to ensure your event meets your needs, with a full timetable of the day before the event and materials to help you to continue the learning after we have gone. We are able to adapt to meet your needs. Meet the team that makes it happen…
Kwame Bakoji-Hume
Founder of African Activities, SEND workshop specialist
Kwame was born into the drumming and herbalist tradition in Buipe, Ghana.
Sponsored to advance his education at the Ghanatta college of arts in Accra, Kwame went on to become the artist in residence at the Centre for National Culture in Ghana.
Pape Thiam
Dance and Dun Dun specialist, Primary workshop expert as seen on CBeebies
As seen on CBeebies, Pape Thiam is an exceptional DunDun player, multi instrumentalist and talented dancer.
Originally from Senegal, Pape is now based in the UK. Pape works with numerous bands and often travels through Europe and the Middle East.
Annette Zakaria Wincott
Percussion specialist, performer, guitarist and poetance
Playing drums from 10 Annette has been performing and running events for 12 years. An expert in unlocking the creative potential of others.
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Kulcha Lee
Visual Artist and Nyabingy Drummer for schools
Awarded the National Community Champions excellence award, voted Gloucester’s most active community leader and commended by Jamaican High Commissioner as an ambassador of Jamaican Culture.
Cheikh Diop
Djembe Master Drummer, Dancer, African drummer for schools
Cheikh Diop has performed at music concerts in the UK and Europe: Chelsea Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Disneyland Paris, Natural History Museum and BBC Headroom Project.
Cheikh Diop has facilitated many national and international team-building shows in the corporate field for companies such as NHS, BBC, IBM.
Karim Mbaye
Griot and Sabar Master Drummer
Karim is the UK’s leading Sabar drum player from Senegal, he was born into a Griot family. The Gewel or Griot train as a musicians, singers, storytellers and historians.
Karim has toured the world playing with artists Alioune Mbaye Nder, Salif Keita, Ismael Lo and Baaba Maal and played alongside the late great legend Ray Charles in Paris.
Emmanuel 'The Magnificent' Okine
Drummer, Dancer, Acrobat, Circus Skills, musician, performer
Emmanuel is from Ghana where he has honed his musical and acrobatic crafts from the age of five.
He now combines traditional African music and acrobatics with skills learnt elsewhere have trained with a Chinese State Circus master. Fire eating, juggling and extraordinary feats of balance are to be expected, all to the sounds of music from Africa and beyond.
Oumar Sagna
Master Drum and Dance Teacher
Originally from Senegal where he worked as an artiste for many years in several Dakar based companies. A skilled dancer and percussionist, he teaches with an enthusiasm that is infectious.
Since coming to live in the UK in 2005, Oumar Alex has passed on his love of West African music and dance to people from many different cultures. He is a skilled and passionate teacher.
Jali Fily Cissokho
Kora
Senegalese master musician Jali Fily Cissokho is griot and an outstanding Kora player. The Kora is described as a 21 string African harp/lute.
As Griot he comes from a family of musicians whose skills and traditions have been passed down from generation to generation. Yet, as a citizen of the 21st Century, he is also attuned to the rhythms of the present and future, creating a unique natural musical blend that spans centuries and continents.
Palaye Seck
Dancer
Hailing from Senegal, Palaye Seck brings you a show seen rarely outside of it’s homeland. The ‘Simb’ Lion Dance tells the story of Senegalese lion legend through a spectacular show of drum, dance and acrobatics.
Palaye is experienced with leading large audiences in dance participation having worked with Reed Recruitment and at Womad festival.
Kwajo Bakoji-Hume
The next generation
Kwajo supports band performances and workshops on bell, shaker and the base drum known as the Dun Dun.
Vieux Bakayoko
Drummer
Vieux is a djembefola and is an accomplished player and teacher.
He has provided numerous performances and workshops. His clients include Womad festival, BBC Radio, Korea International Festival of Art, Warwick Arts Centre, Rhythms of the World Festival, Acoustic Festival of Britain, Stratford Fringe Festival and many many more.
Janet Youngs
Event Planning
Janet is always happy to chat things through on the phone or via email and will work tirelessly to ensure your event is successful.
Oumar Camera
Dance and Djembe specialist
Born into a drumming and dancing tradition in Guinea, Oumar quickly rose to be the lead soloist for Ballet Nafaya and went on to dance for several national ballet groups, winning prizes including best actor/dancer in the Festival d’Alliances. He is a skilled drummer and tours extensively.
Lotte Bakoji-Hume
Marketing
Lotte would be delighted to hear about your requirements to ensure the best fit for you.
Diana Ross
Finance and Funding
Diana helps keep our finaces in order. Keeping us on track to deliver our work.
It Could Be You!
Admin Assistant (funding)
We are currently recruiting for this exciting new role through the kick start program.
It Could Be You!
Event Coordinator/Trainee Artist
We are currently recruiting for this exciting new role through the kick start program.
Let us help you
We have options you may not have thought of.
Long story short
African Activities was created by Kwame as he did not recognise the vision of Africa depicted in stories and the media here in the UK.
It is born of a desire to redress the balance, to tell our stories and to tackle the stereotypes that run rife without them. By providing African drummers for schools we are able to use this as a spring board to go deeper.
We are driven to bring authentic artistic expressions of Africa to the UK and further afield. Here at African Activities we pride ourselves on our highly skilled practitioners. We provide gifted, reliable and experienced practitioners; CRB/DBS checked and insured.
We are Ghanaian, Guinean and Senegalese practitioners. We love what we do and are about much more than ‘just drumming’ we also offer a variety of arts and craft workshops, singing, dance, storytelling, art and more!
Our back office staff are also passionate about what we do and will be determined to ensure your school workshops are a real success.
Why not give us a call to discuss your event?
“Thank you the drumming was a big success”