Traditional Master Drummer, Percussionist, Bass Player, Teacher.
As a Master Drumnmer with an extensive background in teaching children from kinder to secondary, Kofi can offer drum, dance , singing and African Culture workshops for large or small groups.
Kofi provides the drums.
Kofi has been teaching drumming for the past 15 years. He is familiar with translating the complex patterns common in African music in a way that Westerners can understand. He is a patient, concise and encouraging teacher who is able to teach any skill level and ability.
Kofi's knowledge of every aspect of his culture allows him to teach it as it would be learned in Africa, with the accompanying songs and dances.
Kofi has developed technology which enables him to play all the parts of a traditional ten piece drumming group.
He adds West African drummers and dancers for events from the small and intimate to dynamic performances on any scale.
Every performance is designed specifically for its audience.
As you have probably heard, the sessions have been FABULOUS! Everyone loves Kofi, wonderful focus and enthusiasm...and not just from students!! Staff are raving about it! One of our teachers came and joined in for the full 2hrs on her day off...so thanks again for helping it all come to fruition!
Thanks again for your participation - honestly, Kofi's energy and talent added such a wonderful vibe to our day. We are SO glad you all could join us!
Being able to see and feel the amazing rhythms which Kofi dreamed up was such a vital ingredient to the dance program and really brought a rich and deeper understanding of the movements for the school’s participants. I really look forward to working with Kofi again on future projects!’
It was a wonderful day yesterday - probably the best ‘incursion’ we have ever had!!! Everyone without exception enjoyed the experience.
The workshop was a huge success. Considering the Members just jumped off a bus after having a camp shuffled around Kofi did an awesome job of getting them up and moving! They loved it. And the staff enjoyed a bit of a dance around too haha! Thanks very much and pass on our thanks to Kofi – he was GREAT!
The response from both young people and adults was overwhelming and the session was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Youth Services would highly recommend Kofi and will work with him again in future.
Many thanks to Kofi for participating on the stage at Celebrate Mooroolbark on Saturday and getting the children so involved. It is what the festival is all about - family.
I loved Kofi's performance last Friday night - it really "made" the night and it was such a great ending!!
It was a great night! Thanks so much... it was nice to know I could just trust him to turn up and provide a great experience. People had a ball!
"Kofi was an engaging performer who had a unique way of getting kids of all different ability levels involved. He was a great communicator and the students all still talk about the session and performance."
African culture creates community and builds bridges. Kofi Kunkpe is an Ewe Master Drummer, bass player and teacher from the Volta Region of Ghana, West Africa. A resident of the Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia, he has run workshops and performed throughout West Africa and New York, Victoria, NSW and beyond. The workshop at Port Fairy was designed to give participants a taste of African culture. Fun, focused and accessible.
Kofi's passion is the traditional drumming of his tribal group, the Ewe people from the Volta Region of Ghana. This drumming style is not for the faint hearted, requiring a commitment to learning parts that played alone may appear simple. The challenge is placing each part within a complex polyrhythmic structure. To truly understand the rhythm and cultural context, the dance and the song must also be learned, or at least engaged with.
As a child Kofi studied a wide range of musical instruments at Peter King College of Music in Elobo, Nigeria. In 1996, at the age of 16, he returned to Ghana to study traditional drumming and dance with Agoro Theatre Company, based in Cape Coast. He became a professional member of the group in 1998.
Working with Agoro, Kofi travelled throughout Ghana and to Burkina Faso, promoting, performing and teaching traditional dance and drumming. Since this time he has performed and taught with a wide variety of Ghanaian and international companies including Asanti Dance Theatre (Ghana / Australia), African Footprints International (Ghana) and Wild Moves International (Australia). He also worked with Anansi Travel NGO (USA) as their djembe instructor between 2004 and 2012.
From 2007 to 2010 Kofi was employed as the Performing Arts Group manager of the Freespirit Foundation (Poland) in Moree, Ghana, teaching performing arts to disadvantaged children from the region.
In 2004 and 2006 Kofi toured to New York to perform with the Elemina Dance Ensemble (Ghana).
In 2012 Kofi moved to the Yarra Valley in Warburton, Victoria, Australia. Since this time he has performed and taught extensively throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria and New South Wales. He conducts regular classes in his hometown of Warburton and works as a percussionist with many of Melbourne's best African performers.
Kofi is also a skilled bass player and is currently working with several, high profile African artists including Sudanese singer Ajak Kwai and Lamine Sonko.
Kofi is fluent in English, Ewe, Twi and Fanti.
ADDRESS
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City, AA 99999
CONTACTS
Email: support@mobirise.com
Phone: +1 (0) 000 0000 001
Fax: +1 (0) 000 0000 002
