'I am a Ghanaian musician, craftsman and educator of African arts and culture, born in a community where drumming, dance, songs, art, and craftsmanship are part of everyday life. My inspiration is my mother, who sings all the time when doing housework and on the farm. I found my passion first in the art of drum making, which led naturally into music making, dance and singing. I made my first drum using recycled oil cans with plastic bags stretched across the head. I was initiated into drum making with one of the best drum makers and drummers in Ghana. I learned much about traditional ways of making many African musical instruments, their history, uses, rhythms and songs. After my apprenticeship I developed my own unique way of making musical instruments, but still kept traditional techniques and values alive. I started making drums for local groups and drummers who would visit the workshop to play drums while everyone worked. Any time someone played on a drum I made they would say, "this drum is powerful!". I love everything I have done in my life as I believe my experiences have prepared me for what comes next.'
SAMUEL Nkrumah Yeboah,also known as Powerful, is a Ghanaian international musician, teacher and master drum-maker based in Totnes, Devon in South West England and in Accra, Ghana. Samuel is the founder of Powerful Drums, making authentic African drums and percussion instruments, and Nkabom Music and Dance Ensemble from Ghana (Nkabom means bringing together). He is registered with Devon Arts in Schools Initiative (DAISI), Musicians Union of Ghana, Devon Arts Culture, and is on the preferred artist list of the South Carolina Arts Commission. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of South Carolina for his humanitarian work in 2008.
WORKSHOPS, PERFORMANCE, DRUM MAKING & HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS
WORKSHOPS: Inspiring, Educational & Fun
Samuel leads workshops specializing in West African drumming, percussion and singing for schools, colleges and universities. These workshops are tailored to cater for the specific demand or context of the music. He also runs workshops for people with learning disabilities, prisoners and businesses. He has many years of experience teaching in Africa, Europe and America and is available for workshops anywhere in the world.
Sam has run workshops for:
The Prince's Trust - business empowerment & team building workshops
New York University - drumming and singing workshops
Exeter, Dartmoor and Newton Abbot prisons in South West England - 'Turn your life around' workshops
A range of schools and colleges in England and America including Dartington College of Arts - drumming, singing and percussion workshops
PERFORMANCE
Samuel started performing from an early age in Ghana at community gatherings such as festivals, naming ceremonies, funerals and parties in various regions of Ghana.
Since the year 2000 he has performed as a solo artiste, collaborated on many music and dance projects in the UK and Ghana and has toured America with his band Nkabom Music and Dance Ensemble as well as performing for the premier of the animated film 'Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa' by Dreamworks in Los Angeles.
He started UnityTrain, a colourful energetic African music and dance group with members from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, England and France as well as performing as a guest artiste for other bands in the UK such as the album project Harpaphonics, which was listed as no. 5 in the top ten best World Music albums of 2009 in the Sunday Times. He is interested in musical collaborations and projects all over the world.
For African music or dance performance groups for festivals or other events
big or small, Samuel would be happy to discuss your needs.
See contact details below.
DRUM MAKING
Powerful drums is the home of authentic African drums and percussion. We work together with family, apprentices, and other fair-trade instrument makers to produce the finest African drums and percussion instruments for professional musicians, schools, and community groups e.g. Devon Music Services and University College Falmouth, Dartington Campus. Our aim is to make quality authentic African drums accessible to all. We also run workshops in drum-making and repairs.
If you are interested in learning to make drums or be a distributor for our drums see contact details below.
HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS
It is heartbreaking to see children in communities that have no schools, no medical care, no clean running water and sometimes no food or shelter. Samuel believes that children in Africa and other developing countries have the strength to be able to pick themselves out of extreme poverty. All they need is a platform to help them to do that.
Vision
Samuel’s vision is to work together with people from all walks of life to build a centre to provide employable skills training, formal education and healthcare for vulnerable children in Ghana, West Africa. Samuel is the founder of Nkabom Artistes and Craftspeople Association. He is also the president and co-director of Project Okurase. The centre in Okurase will also have an accommodation building for international student internships and for people from around the world to come for training in music, dance and the arts, and to do humanitarian work in the schools, medical centre or with women and children in rural communities. Samuel stated,
“In ten years time, I want to see that the centre is built, is running and is self-sustaining. . . and is a model that is being replicated in other communities that need it. We have a sustainability plan for the project. We want to see the Centre built, providing health care for children, people learning skills, taking those skills ahead in their lives, passing them on. That is what we want to see in ten years time”
Mission
- The mission of the humanitarian projects is:
- To promote unity
- To empower people to be able to support themselves
- To unite artistic talents, to share skills and give training to vulnerable children and women
- To use music, dance & drama to address health and environmental issues
- To generate cross-cultural understanding and participation
- To build a platform for talent development in the arts
- Project Okurase focuses on the development of:
- A family-based model for caring for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC)
- A model for job and skills training for youth, young adults and women
- A model for family and village-based formal education with special emphasis on girl children
- A model for a community of green design or sustainable architecture
Samuel Nkrumah Yeboah has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the Medical University of South Carolina for his outstanding contribution to human development through his work with children and women in Ghana and South Carolina.
Achievements to date
- A green architectural design for a 16 buildings complex was drawn up in collaboration with Clemson University
- A training program for compressed earth brick-making was established by the people of Okurase and made over 60,000 bricks to be used for the job-training building scheme
- 100 village children were registered on the National Health Insurance Program
- An after-school program was created in the village of Okurase
- 12 orphan children were enrolled into school
- Much-needed surgery was facilitated through the use of project funds for four children and one grandfather
- A fruit-drying & spice-making program in the village was initiated in partnership with United Support of Artists for Africa
Needs
Project Okurase relies to a great extent on the donations and voluntary work of those who share a common vision to make positive improvements in the lives of those in need.
We are looking for volunteers who can help with the following:
- Building in Africa
- Fundraising
- Administrative work
- Documenting the process
- We are also looking for funds to help provide:
- Building equipment and machinery
- Other building materials
Project OKURASE is an independent project that is the vision of African people to find solutions to African problems. It is an environment that engenders respect, where people can learn and appreciate each other's cultures. It includes partnerships with people from many places.
The major organisations involved are:
- Nkabom Artists and Craftspeople Association in Ghana
- Project OKURASE UK
- Project OKURASE NGO, Ghana
- The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
- Gethsemani Circle of Friends
For further information go to www.projectokurase.org
CONTACTS IN THE UK
Samuel Nkrumah Yeboah
c/o Waulk Music
Manor Cottage, Berry Pomeroy, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 6LH, UK
http://www.grissanderson.com/waulk.html
0044(0)7940179598
CONTACTS IN GHANA
Post Address: PO Box AC 197 Arts Centre, Accra, Ghana
Tel: 00233244273405
powerfuldrums@yahoo.co.uk
www.projectokurase.org