We are African Activities.
Providing exceptional African Artists and Bands for schools, festivals, corporations and events. Offering authentic, entertaining and educational experiences across the UK
Meet The Team
Elevate your events, embrace authenticity, and let African Activities redefine your expectations. Join us in creating memories led by the rhythmic beats of African drummers, captivating moves of African dancers, and melodic tunes of African bands.
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.
Ignite Events with Authentic African Atistry
African Artists and bands in the uk
Welcome to African Activities, where we fuse African artistry with event management. 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. Our diverse team of African artists, including drummers, dancers, and bands, is ready to elevate your events. From dynamic team-building sessions led by African drummers to engaging educational programs featuring talented artists from Africa, we guarantee a memorable experience.
Immerse your audience in the captivating performances of our African dancers, the rhythmic beats of our African drummers, and the harmonious melodies of our African bands. Our diverse roster of artists brings an authentic touch to your events, creating an unforgettable atmosphere. Behind every successful event is a team of dedicated professionals. Our artists aren’t just performers; they are ambassadors for their cultures, bringing authenticity and passion to every occasion. Trust us to turn your ideas into reality.
Your Vision, Our Expertise
Transparency and collaboration are at the heart of our approach. Work closely with our team, and we’ll provide a detailed timetable before the event, ensuring a seamless experience. Take home memories and materials to continue the learning long after the event concludes. Your satisfaction is our priority, and our adaptability ensures a flawless execution by our African artists.
Elevate your events, embrace authenticity, and let African Activities redefine your expectations. Join us in creating memories led by the rhythmic beats of African drummers, captivating moves of African dancers, and melodic tunes of African bands.
Let us help you
We have options you may not have thought of.
Long story short
African Activities was born out of Kwame’s refusal to accept the distorted image of Africa portrayed in stories and media here in the UK. Our mission is to restore the balance, dismantle stereotypes, and tell our own stories.
We use the continents creativity as a launching pad to dive deeper into the richness of our heritage. Our commitment is to bring authentic artistic expressions of Africa to the UK and beyond.
At African Activities, we take immense pride in our highly skilled practitioners. Our team consists of gifted, reliable, and experienced practitioners who are CRB/DBS checked and insured. Hailing from Ghana, Guinea, and Senegal, our diverse background allows us to offer much more than just drumming. We also provide a wide range of workshops, including arts and crafts, singing, dancing, storytelling, and art.
Join us on this transformative journey of exploration and celebration!
All workshops aim to introduce positive views of Africa and challenge stereotypes. Activities are unifying, adapting to the differing abilities of those within the group.
We are deeply proud of the service we provide
“The whole evening was a huge success, we love the stories as well as the beats.Â
Such a great way to experience team work, communication and listening skills whilst also being hugely enjoyable.Â
Everyone loved it."
"The children were inspired by his knowledge and energy. The activities were engaging and the children enjoyed each one with the diversity and fun that they offered, they did not stop smiling!
"Keep it up – as a teacher I have never gone home feeling so inspired and thankful."