Dates: Saturday 19 October
Times: 12pm - 9pm
Space: The Gig Space
Access: There is step-free access via a lift
A special edition of Dembis Thioung’s PENCHMI: The African Drum + Dance Portal in collaboration with Little Baobab.
Immerse yourself in the rhythms and movement of Africa while nourishing your soul with the finest Senegalese food. This unique experience will be led by master drummer Dembis Thioung, along with dance movement artists Oumie Mbaye and Ofelia Balogun — offering a transformative journey through drum circles, traditional & contemporary African dance, and the power of the ancestral technology of rhythm.
The word PENCHMI (in Wolof is written as “Penccmi”) is used to describe the gathering of ancestors, transcending time and space, as well as the gathering of the elders of the traditional Senegalese villages, in the center of the community under a baobab tree. Penchmi is the space to discuss matters of LIFE, FREEDOM, and PEACE. Most importantly, it serves to remind us of the LOVE and RESPECT shared amongst each other.
Dembis takes pride in being guided by the highest Senegalese value of "TERANGA": welcoming, sharing and supporting each other in happiness always, valuing wealth not for its quantity but for the generosity extended to others. "TERANGA" represents the essence of Senegalese culture and it can be translated with the word hospitality.
FLOW OF THE DAY
12pm: Welcome + registration
12.30pm: Get together & warm-up
1pm: Drum circle with Dembis Thioung. Drums will be provided, participants are encouraged to bring their own.
2.30pm: Traditional West African Sabar + Djembe dance led by Oumie Mbaye and Dembis Thioung & participants that prefer drumming, holding the rhythms.
4pm: Dance Your Roots - connect with inner body wisdom & open up the expressions of your ancestral corporal archive led by Ofelia Balogun. With Dembis Thioung & participants that prefer drumming, holding the rhythms.
5.30pm: Penchmi Drum + Dance Portal - expressions of freedom in magical rhythms of unity.
7pm: Finest Senegalese soul food at Little Baobab + socialising
9pm: Farewell