comes into the school

As Emmanuel Gomado started this successful group in 1989 by paying attention to children Odehe nowadays spends - wherever they are on tour - much energy in school projects to show pupils the liveliness of African music as a main part of the African soul having in mind the aim of a multicultural thinking world.

Within their tours in 2001, 2003 and 2004 apart from concerts and workshops  in whole Germany Odehe was running extensive  school projects, which were met with inspired aproval by students, teachers and parents. In keen lessons all age groups were filled with enthusiasm and could thereby get involved spontaneously in rather unusual move- ment forms. Thus in their imagination a lasting impression of African culture developed.

In Ghana as in whole Africa singing, drumming and dancing is common usage. Rhythm determines here the whole life, not only feasts and rituals, also in everyday life it is omnipresent. Rhythm is swinging in the African kitchen - for instance while pounding Yams or rice, it accompanies  the fishermen pulling the nets, sets craftmens hammer and plane going, structures individual and joint work. Dance figures developed often from everyday life movements, thus telling  occasionally a proper history. 

Likewise rhythm is one of the most important elements of the plays, with which children grow up in Africa. It produces a vital field of force for activity, attention, creativity und community spirit. Rhythm  is im- mediately expressing the human sense of live - joy and  mourning, excitement and composure is communicating itself here.

In children and youngsters the direct contact with people from far countries arouses immediate intrest in other cultures and their distin- guishing characteristics. Moreover by meeting African culture through Odehe they find spontaneous access to rhythm and movement and thus to a body feeling, which in the western world frequently gets lost for humans already in their youth. To experience rhythm internally and

to express it in motion strengthens self-awareness and self-confidence and definitely encourages by display of creative power the development of adolescents.

Since 1985 Emmanuel Gomado lives part of the year in Germany and teaches mainly here and in Skandinavia children and adults in African dancing, drumming and rhythm work. Because of his long- standing just as manifold experience in teaching in Africa and Europe - among other things he also teached for two years at a school for handicaped and deaf people - his lessons are methodi- cally reasoned and well structured. Moreover he has the ability in an utmost lively atmosphere to give  adequate learning impulses related to the age group and to take all students along on a trip to Africa.

OFFER 

Apart from single events  project days or a project week "Africa" can be individual arranged with the following components. Dates with the Odehe ensemble kann be booked within the tours, school workshops with Emmanuel Gomado - possibly accompanied by a member of the ensemble - can be inquired throughout the year.

Prices vary depening on the individually arranged program.

Concerts / performances

Workshops / trainings  for students, and/or teachers 
in rhythm and movement (drumming, dancing)

Presentation of the workshops learning outcomes 
by students and Odehe in joint performances

Cookery course for african food 

African hair plaiting 

African games, tales and stories

Kids concerts / performances for small children

Games. songs and stories in motion

Mini workshops - drumming, dancing, singing

Small joint presentations of the kids and Odehe