Blog
Sep 15, 2010
Theatre Within’s 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute - A Benefit for Playing For Change Foundation
Theatre Within presents The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute, A Benefit for The Playing For Change Foundation, at the Beacon Theater in New York City, on Friday, November 12, 2010. This year’s Tribute will be a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of artists to celebrate the life, music and creative spirit of John Lennon. We are honored and thrilled to be included in this year's event!
Sep 07, 2010
Help PFCF Provide Musical Intruments to Children in Mali
Our newest music school in Kirina, Mali, is nearly complete - now all we need are the instruments! By making a donation, you will help provide instruments to children at the school, and support the local Malian craftsmen who are building them. To learn more, please follow the link below. http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/provide-musicial-instruments-to-children-in-mali/
Aug 16, 2010
Amelia’s Blog, Week Three: Progress and Potential
The last two weeks have been hectic, hard but happening. In the second week I began defining key challenges at the school. The school currently has two main and accountable teachers and Pokie the visionary and director at the school. With the help of Titi, a Playing for Change Band member, and resident of Guguletu, I connected with local musicians and began to envision the potential at the school...
Aug 12, 2010
Electric Avenue Festival Set for Historic 5 Points in Denver, Colorado
On Labor Day weekend the streets of Historic Five Points in Downtown Denver will be closed off for the largest outdoor festival of its kind in the heart of the city center. Featuring a stellar line up of independent live music, Electric Avenue Music & Arts Festival boasts headliners Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Living Legends, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Pnuma Trio and even a Michael Jackson Tribute band aptly named “Who’s Bad” among others...
Aug 02, 2010
First Week at Ntonga Music School
My return to the Ntonga Music School has marked a week of opportunities, musical moments and challenging moments. As most remember, I studied at the University of Cape Town last spring volunteering at the Ntonga Music School every Sunday morning. This experience inspired my thesis in which I researched the Legacy of Apartheid in South Africa, with a focus on the Cape Flats, (the region where this school is located)...
Jul 22, 2010
A Delightful Return!
I was filled with exultation as the plane made its final descent into Cape Town. A year since departing, with a thesis on the Legacy of Apartheid in hand, I am returning to a country that inspires my efforts to fight for justice to continue my work with the Ntonga Music School, a community which has blessed me with its passion and dedication to music and youth...
Jun 24, 2010
First Month of Classes at the Bizung School of Music & Dance
The Bizung School of Music and Dance opened on May 17, 2010. Over 150 students have registered for classes and school is officially in session! PFC Band member Mohammed Alidu and his brother Abdul "Abraman" Rahaman have put together a comprehensive program of drumming, dance, xylophone, gonje, and singing. It is the 1st school of its kind in the Northern Region of Ghana. Copy this link and paste to your browser window to view the most recent photos from the school: http://tinyurl.com/2cz7tua
Jun 04, 2010
Music school in Kirina, Mali: work in progress (English/ Español/ Français) by Francois Viguie
A few months ago, the Playing for Change Foundation started its third music school on the African continent. The school is located in the village of Kirina, 40 kilometers south from Bamako, Mali. Kirina is a griot village without any electricity network and a place where the inhabitants live in little houses with straw roofs made of bricks that have dried from the sun's heat. The Griots play an essential role in the Malian culture: they transmit the oral traditions trough music and poetry. It is now our third trip to Kirina, thanks to our great friend and musician, Mahamadou Diabaté, brother of one of the greatest Kora players in the planet, Toumani Diabaté. (click “READ POST” to continue)