Join in / Hodina!
Tambo International Art Camp
Pemba – Mozambique
11 July – 18 July 2011
7 days of unique possibilities to experience
the multicultural art scene e traditions of
Pemba – Mozambique
Together with local artists and from abroad you can participate in:
● Work shops of dance, theatre, music, design and more
● Visits to local art communities like the Mapiko dancers, Makonde art, the
Arab influenced Tufo and Damba singing and more
● Performances
● The VI Tambo Festival "Celebrating Cultural Diversity”.
Participation, including food and accommodation: US$ 120,-
Mail: tambulanimoz@gmail.com. Please write to us your art forms of
special interest.
Tambo Tambulani Tambo was funded in 1995 in Pemba to promote art
through own productions, events and debates to improve the conditions for creating art. www.tambo.nl / + 258 82 66 13 400 / 82 46 80 289
Tambo Tambulani Tambo
Educating through Art
Tambo International Art Camp and Festival Tambo “Celebrando a Diversidade Cultural”-
2010 Nanhimbe-Pemba, Mozambique
It is considered the best of the art camps and festivals organized by the Cultural Association Tambulani Tambo
Tambo so far, this being its fifth edition. Like its previous editions, this brought together various artistic and cultural expressions from inside and outside the country to the Cultural Centre Tambo in Nanhimbe-Pemba, at the Northern coast of Mozambique, in order to respond to the slogan 'Celebrating Cultural Diversity'.
Approximately 130 artists were during the week involved in workshops, visits and performances. 1.900 people visited the art camp and festival giving them and the artists opportunities not only to see expressions already known to them but also new experiences in how art can be presented and done. Cultural and artistic exchange, friendships and knowledge were gained between artists and audience.
The local Nanhimbe Youth Choir with its teacher Ntessa presenting his songs composed to bring joy and development to all generations showed once again the rich base of art talents Pemba has.
Mbizo, poet from Zimbabwe, was the first one to arrive at Nanhimbe, the village where Cultural Centre Tambo is situated. Though only speaking Shona and English, he fast felt at home. On the evening of his arrival, Mbizo came to know about a young girls' ceremony at the village. Off he went and stay to the following morning making friendships and coming back to the Tambo camp site with new friends. Also his poetry, speaking of African Nationalism touched everyone and his movement made contact even for those not understanding English or Shona.
Present was Professor Orlando da Conceição from the Mozambican capital Maputo, renowned saxophonist in Mozambique and beyond, and who will be missed especially by the participants in the music workshop that he guided, in which many people had applied for without really knowing what would happen. A few minutes were enough for the group of Orlando to interpret the local songs accompanying them with modern musical instruments turning the workshop into a real party. Party it also was when he appeared on stage with two of the group elements of Kinamatamikuluty where the public was represented in the band through a kid of about 10 years.
From Maputo was also a member of Hopangalatana Chirindza Carlos with his theater monologue, which for about 1 hour and half made the audience laugh and reflect. He taught and criticized the society in respect to excess of alcohol and its consequences at home and in society in general.
For the first time, many in Pemba had the chance to see Mutumbela Gogo live, one of the leading and most famous theatre ensembles in Mozambique. The ensemble brought the play ‘The Daughters of Nora' by the Swedish writer Henning Mankell. It was performed by Lucrécia, Paco, Graca Silva and Yolanda Fumo who also guided the theatre work shop at the art camp.
Os Novos Horizontes (The New Horizents) from the town of Pemba brought a surprise even for the residence coming from Pemba; a theatre play focusing on domestic violence both provoked by the man as by the woman.
Everyone felt the play and got some food for thought to bring back home. From the nearby district of
Mecúfi(Province of Cabo Delgado) PRONANAC presented a theatre play about issues that their rural population are dealing with daily.
The highlands in the far North of Mozambique was represented by the group Mapiko de Mueda
bringing 25 performers. Their drumming and singing called people from a far and the famous Mapiko
mask dance once again left people full of joy and admiration.
Miss Mamy from Nampula, 18 years old, showed that she is not a only singer but also a great performer putting on a show that with her dancing made the whole audience vibrate.
The musical group Companhia Distrital de Canto e Danca de Chiúre(The Song and
Dance Ensemble of Chiure District), though young and inexperienced, dominated the stage and
the seriousness in progressing with their music made them make many contacts, exchange and friends. With the band of Professor Orlando, they discussed how to continue after the art camp had finished.
The workshops were very useful for a society as Pemba, where debates and talks on different art expressions as painting, literature, dance, music, theatre etc. rarely are gaining much attention. The presents of local artists and from other districts, provinces, countries and continents enriched the debates.
Mbizo, the Zimbabwean poet, was one of the biggest inspirations through his vast experience not only from his own country but also from many other countries he'd been to. One of the young upcoming poets in Maputo the young 'King' inspired his fellow local poets to take their poetry forward not only through the wording but also how to present it to the audience. Mbizo and King were also present at a live Radio Show at Radio Sem Fronteiras debating literature with the Cultural Association of Students from Universidade Católica de Moçambique and Nucleu of Young Writers of Cabo Delgado with listeners phoning in.
Artist Cremildo Mathava presented his art work done together with prisoners from Nampula
Prison who had their paintings at the exhibition. Agnes Martins young artists from Maputo also
marked a difference with her art craft and interaction at the art camp especially with her fellow artists involved in the painting work shop that took place during the whole week of the art camp and finished with the painting exhibition on the closing day. With one of the local artists Borge linked to Tambo, ideas were exchanged and programme was discussed so Agnes will be back at Tambo.
Domingos Bie another young artist from Maputo but already with a vast experience in performing abroad with contemporary dance showed his lasted forms. He shared this expression with two dancers Bernando Mussa and Rui V. João from the Cultural Centre 'Casa Velha' in Nampula. Together they guided a dance workshop bringing new ways of doing dance to many of the participants of the workshop.
With the different artists and art forms represented in the activities at the art camp the last two days culminated with a exhibition where paintings, art craft, art modified sandals etc.. could be viewed and bought. The Mapiko Masks were removed from the exhibition as the tradition says that they can only be seen in public when used by the Lipiko, the one performing the Mapiko dance.
During the art camp visits to art communities were made. The beautiful Cultural Centre Mapiko Moderno, situated with a fantastic view of the Pemba Bay (the Third largest in the World), was the scene to dances by the famous Mbanguia. The art craft cooperative Bela Baía carvings of the exciting Makonde sculptures in black wood
gave the participants a possibility to see the environment in which some artists in Pemba are working. The visits
gave opportunity for artists to meet and talk with fellow artists from different artistical and cultural backgrounds.
Some participants went on to visit other cooperatives like Karibu Wimbe and at the Wimbe Beach.
Busy organizing the Tambo International Art Camp and Festival the various disciplines that
Tambo practices were not part of the Festival except from a dance show presenting dances of
Cabo Delgado Province.
The International Art Camp and Festival Tambo 2010 was realized by the good attitude of the participants and receiving art communities, friends and members of Tambo, The Danish Embassy, Helvetas Mozambique, The Finnish Embassy, SolidarMed, Cultural House of Pemba, Merkurfonden, Barbara Kruspan from Project CAP( Art project of Merry Trust) and Markus Nußbaumer(Horizont 3000).
Next year's edition will be in July as always as this in the month in which Tambo is celebrating its foundation (July 17, 1995). It will be running from the July 11th to July 18th.
Warm greetings
Vitor Raposo
Coordinator T.T.T
www.tambo.nl
