Achimota Community Art Project

What is Achimota? The name means, 'don't ask, just listen'. It's a living, growing concept, a band which is making a name for itself in Gauteng.

Achimota plays a mixture of traditional music, with songs such as Mbube (When the Lion sleeps), and more contemporary music, with a slight Kwaito influence. Several danceable Latino songs, such as La Bamba, are also incorporated into the sets, which include a repertoire of many originals - and more than 50 songs.

Achimota is a five-piece band, capable of playing acoustically, or with a PA and microphones. There is good liaison with the audience: we will play what they require, according to the mood of the occasion.

I’ve been working with band leader and song composer Mike Mbatha, who lives at Orange Farm, for about five years. I'm Derek: I live near Melville and met Mike busking there on marimbas. Today I promote the band and drum for them.

We formed the group Chapungu, which over two years went on to record the CD Sons of the Sun, appeared on Take5 children's TV show, visited the Khomani San in the Kalahari, toured countrywide round SA campuses with the MTN ‘'Multi-Talented Nomads', played at many schools and did numerous gigs.

Things moved on … Mike and I worked with a community project called Isidingo, which went performed at Aardklop Festival 2004. We did a play called the ‘'Magic Marimba Tree', ran workshops in the townships, and played gigs at the main festival.

Some of the core members of Isidingo then formed Achimota.

Achimota has played at the ‘'Green Africa' poetry and music evenings every month during 2005 and 2006.  The band also performed at esoteric fairs, art exhibitions, weddings, churches, parties, poetry evenings and corporate functions.

In 2005, Achimota made a live recording, called Live at Otherworld. They played at a San festival in the Cradle of Humankind, and in 2006 the band played at a Bushman festival near Cullinan, outside Pretoria.

Achimota has played at many cultural events in Newtown Cultural Precinct, at the request of Johannesburg Development Agency. We also played at the launch of Joburg Carnival 2005, and helped to create the carnival’s radio adverts. In 2006 and 2007, the band played every alternate Saturday in Newtown, as part of a busking programme organised by the Newtown Development Project.

The band is listed on The Drum Café's books, and is playing corporate gigs and weddings on a regular basis. Bright uniforms create a nice ethnic/modern flavour.

Achimota is also a community project, which encourages about 20 Orange Farm kids to learn culture and art. The children gather after school to learn gumboot dancing, pantsula dancing, Zulu dancing, marimba playing and drums. Recently the kids played at the Alliance Francais as the opening act for a musical evening.  

The band now features maestro guitarist Dax Butler, who adds a warm, jazzy feel to the music. We are also busy producing a full-length album with Brendan Jury.
 
Achimota community art project does:

1. Marimba band: gigs, events and festivals
2. Dancers and drummers available
3. Lessons, workshops
4. Customised marimba manufacturing

Phone Derek at 083 548 5916, Dax at 082 754 3250 or Mike at 072 235 5988.