Eldrin Ellie is one of our very long standing members and he went to Norway in 2007. Eldrin is very gifted as a musician and makes the most beautiful sound on his trumpet. He is ambitious as a musician and when he came back, he started looking for ways to return to Norway and applied for a bursary to the Trondheim University. He has been successful and will be leaving for Norway this August to study for 4 years. The FBF wishes him great success in his studies.    Monwabisi Bangiwe
We have featured "Bisi" in other newsletters but he continues to make headlines! Bisi has just left for Germany for an 18-month stint in the German production of the Lion King. We will miss his teaching and his ebulliant personality but he has promised to visit us when he can. Good Luck Bisi!!!

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Hot'n Funky in Norway!

"It's been absolutely great to experience this project so close up" smiles Havnevik.   "Since this was our first time organizing Hot'n Funky, we spent a lot of time learning by doing."

The project was inspired by the Field Band Foundation in South Africa.  "We used all the knowledge and competence, not to mention all the experience from our South-African project, as a starting  point for Hot'n Funky" says Havnevik. "The idea was to draw some lines from South Africa to our own society, and through this, develop an increased awareness and interest in the participants, in both the differences and the similarities between our societies."    

The music was the natural focus of the project, but the youth also spent time learning about their South African counterparts. Justice and respect had been chosen as the core values for the project. "It was important for us to make this more than just a week of music and dance" continues Havnevik, "We wanted to make the students use their heads a bit too, thinking about  issues related to poverty, and gaining insights to another culture."   

The project was a great success.  All the musical leaders were exchange students from South-Africa, and are in Norway this year through the project "Bands Crossing Borders." Siyabulela, Thabo, Kagisho and Vusimzi guided the 55 musicians through the week, aided by dance teacher Monwabisi.  From Norway, three former exchange students with experience in the FBF worked on the project.    Among the music taught were well-known pieces like Dali Wam, Bhele mama and Dembese.  

"We will work hard to be able to offer the same event next  year, both in Hordaland and elsewhere in the country."          

See loads of pictures and videos from the project at http://hotnfunky.blogspot.com/

JULY 2009 WORKSHOP 

A very successful (albeit very cold) workshop was held for 10 days in July at the Mmabana Cultural  Centre in ThabaN'chu.   50 youngsters attended the workshop which was run by our Norwegian participants.  They were joined by 2 participants from the 2006 group (Jon-Frode Berg and Tor-Åge Schunemann) who traveled to South Africa at their own cost.  Two  Norwegian youngsters (aged 15 and 17) won a trip to this workshop as part of the "Hot ‘n Funky"  project in Norway.     

 The musical aim of the workshop was to prepare for a performance at the Johannesburg "Tattoo".  The workshop included sessions on team building, problem solving within the FBF, planning required to assist  exchange programme participants returning to the FBF and more.   

The group was addressed by Nana Pule of Aganang about transmission and prevention of  HIV/AIDS.  This is an issue that this particular group of youngsters has discussed previously through other training and workshops, but the presentation was lively and engaging.  It was followed by an opportunity for voluntary counseling and HIV testing.   

The workshop ended  on a high note with a street march through ThabaN'chu, followed by a concert of the music learned during the previous week and a presentation of the "Tattoo" show.    The people of the Mmabana Cultural Centre and the town welcomed the Field Band and we can certainly see ourselves establishing a band quite successfully in the region.

The aim of this exercise was:   
1.  To create awareness of the cultural diversity and its implications within the Field Band Foundation.  
2.  To assist members who are being transferred to other regions to adapt to their new regions in terms of communication.  
3.  To assist the tutors to communicate the field band values effectively and to ensure their implementation in the band and in their lives.  
4.  To showcase the richness of cultures within the field band foundation.   

 

Visit us online at www.fieldband.org.za

 Contact us:  In South Africa ceo@fieldband.org.za in the USA scott.morgan@fieldband.org.za