Music is my life and I use workshops and stories to introduce children and adults to the magic world of music, in particular the making and playing of instruments that were created by humans some 70 000 years ago in Southern Africa using dry kelp, Paw paw leaves, wood, stones and whatever they had at hand. In 2010 I was making music with Vuvuzelas, hard to believe...

Since then I have been the music writer for the new school text books produced by Oxford University
Press. This has included producing CDs of traditional and original songs to help school teachers do their work in a fun, participatory and musical way.

I have been making music and telling stories for many many years now in English, French and Spanish  with audiences all over the world.
I have worked in schools, Teachers Centres, Universities and Festivals and I look forward to telling stories somewhere near you.

E.mail: musicman@iafrica.com
0027 21 6854704
0027 84 2300683
Skype 1: espisanchis

The Castle of Silence in Kalk Bay this holiday season

The Castle of Silence is the most recent story-telling show by Pedro the Music Man and his most musical. As  always with Pedro's shows, it's packed with live music and lots of audience participation. The show features the Kundi harp from CAR, the Mbira from Zimbabwe, the Lekgodilo flute from South Africa, a Tshikona style pipe ensemble, Kudu horns, the Zwingelengele bell ensemble and more.
The Castle of Silence had its premiere run in July 2014 at the Caixa Forum in Madrid, then a summer season at the Kalk Bay Community Centre in December 2014 and another run at the Observatory Family Festival in March 2015.
 
The Castle of Silence is written and directed by Lisa Espi, who has collaborated with Pedro on many shows including The Mermaid from Zanzibar.
The story takes place in a little kingdom on the coast of Africa, governed by a good and wise old king who loves music.  His granddaughter Lulama sings like a songbird and his castle is a happy place where children love to visit.  The king plays mbira and every child plays in the orchestra - an African orchestra full of amazing instruments.
The day comes when a new king takes over.  This king is interested only in getting rich and instead of helping people, he devises a hundred ways of getting money out of them.   He builds high walls and bars to guard his fortune -  but there is something that can get through those barriers to spoil his gold and he is intent on destroying it: music!  The castle becomes The Castle of Silence.
Benjamin the baker's son and the princess Lulama come up with a plan.  Together with all the children, they are going to bring music to the Castle of Silence.
But how do you make music without instruments?  And how can a group of children confront an army of soldiers and guards, and win?
The whole audience helps by making music for the last song each with a small one note pipe which they take away.
There is a special surprise at the end as each child is given a treat from the castle as well as their own pipe and a booklet about the instruments in the show.
The show is aimed at children of all ages from 4 upwards.

Pedro the Musicman, Musician and Storyteller

                                                   Pedro leading the Vuvuzela Orchestra
                                                           Africa Day in Johannesburg

Music is my life and I use workshops and stories to introduce children and adults to the magic world of music, in particular the making and playing of instruments that were created by humans some 80 000 years ago in Southern Africa using dry kelp, Paw paw leaves, wood, stones and whatever they had at hand. Last year I was making music with Vuvuzelas, hard to believe...

I have been making music and telling stories for many many years now in English, French and Spanish  with audiences all over the world.
I have worked in schools, Teachers Centres, Universities and Festivals and I look forward to telling stories somewhere near you.

E.mail: musicman@iafrica.com
0027 21 6854704
0027 84 2300683
Skype 1: espisanchis
Skype 2: pedrotravel12

See some responses to my shows below.

See some of the music I have been involved in.
YouTube links below:

Playing the Lekgodilo harmonic flute, One Person, One Note ensemble in Reading and examples
of traditional ensembles playing in Grahamstown.
http://www.youtube.com/user/PEDROMUSICMAN?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/6/AphqGZsWZxk

The song at the end of the Thulani and the Rabbit story introducing the Xitende musical bow.
http://www.youtube.com/user/PEDROMUSICMAN?blend=1&ob=5#p/a/u/1/rRPY9VjgTtA

Playing with Madosini in Germany.
http://www.youtube.com/user/PEDROMUSICMAN?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/14/WUMnuhhjnn8

One of my Vuvuzela Orchestras making music with tuned Vuvuzelas for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
http://www.youtube.com/user/PEDROMUSICMAN?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/11/YIOTMAA5WKg

A new story telling show by Pedro the Music Man

    "The Mermaid from Zanzibar" 

    The heroine of this story is a sassy, adventurous and very musical African mermaid. 

     It is set in Zanzibar in the year 1873, when slavery has just been outlawed.  

 

                                         

When Zanzi has to fight for her freedom, her friends from land and sea unite to help her.

Like all of Pedro's shows, this is a celebration of world music, made accessible to all. On stage, Pedro makes instruments out of seaweed, shells, flotsam, fishing-rods and even shipwrecked treasure. Shadow puppetry by 
adds an enchanting visual dimension.

The Mermaid from Zanzibar is written and directed by 
Lisa Espi and had a month long season at the Caixa Forum in Madrid in July 2013.

The show is suitable for children aged 4 to 10 and their parents and grandparents will love it too.

 

HIGH SCHOOLS SHOW

"ONE PERSON, ONE NOTE"

Pedro has introduced thousands of young people to African music through his "Pedro the Music Man" series on television and in wide-ranging schools tours in Southern Africa and Europe.

He remains committed to the training of teachers using his own program that enables teachers and their learners to create music within a few minutes. He has seen thousands of teachers in SA and around the world. He was in charge of music for the books Oxford U.P. published for the new Creative Arts curriculum in South Africa a few years ago.

African music is so valuable a subject because it passes on a precious heritage to the South African youth and at the same time is completely relevant to their present day musical sense. African music has influenced just about every popular style from jazz to hip-hop and many local musicians such as Thandiswa Mazwai, Ringo and Busi Mhlongo integrate traditional music into their repertoire.

This show has been created specially for secondary school learners and in the course of a lively, riveting hour that is full of live musical examples, the audience learns about the principles of African music and the paths it has taken in South African and across the world.

The instruments that Pedro makes and plays on stage are from all over the continent and they follow the African principle of making use of whatever materials are at hand (paw paw leaves, tortoise shells, kudu horns, cow bells, hunting bows, gourds and dry kelp).

The title of the show comes from a uniquely African form of music making where each person has only one note to play so the music relies on a very strong spirit of co-operation. Pedro will introduce bell, pipe and horn ensembles with much help from the audience of course.

In fact the show ends with each of the learners in the audience blowing on their own one note pipe to recreate the Tshikona traditional musical event and also to play chords for some of the golden South African repertoire (Shosholoza, Meadowlands, Tiwakamoya...)

"One Person, One Note" inspires the students with the message that the experience of making music belongs to everyone.

The show can accommodate up to 400 students and Pedro leaves a CD of the musical examples used in the show as well as the pipe ensemble for the school's music department to use.

To book phone Pedro on 21 6854704 or e.mail musicman@iafrica.com.

 

   

Pedro with learners from Lentegeur High School 

Pedro leading the Vuvuzela Orchestra

at the Africa Day Celebrations in JHB

Pedro the Music Man CDs

Pedro has over the years created a number of story-telling and music CDs for children. These are available from Pedro directly.  If you live in Cape Town, phone 021 6854704  or 084 2300683, otherwise order by email from musicman@iafrica.com

Pedro's Song and Dance

A collection of favourite songs from Kideo, the kids' magazine programme that featured Pedro the Music Man.   It includes 13 infectious songs composed by Pedro, with lyrics by Lisa Jacobson. They're great for movement and dance, and are perfect for the pre-school classroom and for children at home, aged 2 to 7.

 

   

Seven Stories from The Little Library

These stories were developed by READ with some of South Africa's best children's writers, illustrators and teachers, in response to the need for high quality books for children reflecting their own local world.  Pedro was involved throughout the project, and produced the audio versions, as well as composing all the music and songs.  This cd includes 7 of our favourites.  For children aged 2 to 7.  The books can be ordered from us too.  

   1 Crocodile's Sore Tooth   read by Moses Mphahlele

      2 Yawning is Catching   read by Gcina Mhlope

      3 Mama Mabena's Magic )  read by

      4 Thuli's Mattress          )   Nomsa Nene

      5 Baby Monkey's Bananas   read by Soli Philander

      6 Hic Hic Hiccups read )  read by

      7 The Little Lost Goat  )  Moses Mphahlele

 Two Monster Stories 

Vusirala the Giant and The Terrible Grakwa are two longer stories from The Little Library (see above.) Both these original African stories have the elements of classic fairy-tales, including a fierce monster, and a child hero/heroine whose bravery and clever plan saves the day.  Again production and music are by Pedro.  For children aged 3 to 7. 

 The Lekgodilo Flute

Pedro's signature instrument is the magical Lekgodilo, a flute with no holes, made with kelp, pawpaw leaves or plastic irrigation pipe.  It's the most simple instrument to make, but it takes a long time and lots of practice to play it well, so Pedro has made this child-friendly version with PVC piping and an easy-to-play mouthpiece added (designed for the penny-whistle and imported from Ireland). 

The flute above is made out of a length of piping with a mouthpiece attached to it.
See below how the traditional instrument is made out of a piece of dry kelp on a Cape Town beach.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN1OAXyjf9c

A full pack including flutes in several keys and a CD of flute examples and musical backing tracks in different styles is available.

PRIMARY SCHOOLS SHOWS

Playing "When the Saints Go Marching In" in Cape Town

Touring schools in Cumbria UK

Touring schools in the Eastern Cape

Thulani and the Rabbit
 and other musical stories from 

Pedro the Music Man

THULANI AND THE RABBIT is all about how musical instruments are made and played.
At the heart of each story there is a musical discovery. In the title story the audience meets a crafty rabbit who gets the better of a boy who wants to be a hunter by persuading him to turn his bow and arrow into a musical instrument.   This is followed by a traditional story from Zimbabwe about a crocodile who gatecrashes a birthday party and gets addicted to sweets and mbira music.
Then there is a story is about the smallest boy in the village who finds an instrument, that gives him
the biggest voice out of a simple instrument he makes. 
I  also introduce the Lekgodilo, one of the most magical of all the instruments I play – it’s the worldʼs first flute,  made with dry kelp found on the beach and without any side holes or mouthpiece.

My aim is  to introduce children to the wealth of music that surrounds them, with a special focus on African music and its influence on modern music all over the world.   The show highlights the elements of music and many different musical styles, and I demonstrate how to make and play string, wind and percussion instruments from easily available materials.  It is  designed to provide a real support for teachers, covering specific aims of the arts and science curricula in a fun and creative way.

African music is very seldom played by one musician alone and audience participation plays a very big part in this show.   The children set the scene for each story, making sound pictures of the forest,  the seashore,  the bushveld, or a busy village scene.  Volunteers are brought on stage to create an orchestra of kazoos to end the show in style. 

The show includes a CD of the music played and examples of the instruments demonstrated. 

To make a booking  please phone 021 685 4704 or  084 2300683
or  email musicman@iafrica.com

 

                                              Telling stories on the Iziko Museum lawns



                    Another Lion on the Path
                                                   ( aka The Sweet-toothed Crocodile”)

This show features three stories from Zimbabwe which are great tales with unforgettable characters, and very special music. All of them include call-and-answer singing, and they showcase the mibra and the kalimba, the most complex and unique African instruments.
The first story is about an hyena who learns to sing so he can trick his way into the heroine Karizowe’s cave. Then there’s the lion who can’t help dancing when he hears kalimba music, which is very useful for the man who finds the lion on his path. Finally there’s the story about Nyangara the Python who knows how to cure the village chief as long as you sing a nice song to him.

Some biographical notes

I  was born in Spain and went to live in France with my family at the age of eight.  I came to South Africa as a nineteen-year old with my two older brothers in 1972 to make our living as  professional musicians.  Not long after I arrived here I had the good fortune to be introduced to African music by Andrew Tracey and I began what became my lifelong career, learning and teaching in this field. 
I established the African music programme at the University of Cape Town and went on to establish and direct the music department at the Giyani College of Education. I continue to run teacher-training programs for education authorities and NGOs across Southern Africa.   
As much as I am committed to teaching, I also love my work as a performer, musician, composer and story-teller.   I became well-known in South Africa as “Pedro the Music Man” from my long-running television series in 1990's.  I often  perform at conferences, schools and festivals in Europe and the USA.  In 2010 I created the Vuvuzela Orchestra as a link between music education and the Soccer World Cup. I have performed with Madosini for many years now and are about to publish our first CD as the MadoJazz group playing with Hilton Schilder and Jonny Blundel.


Some comments on previous work

"I was stunned by your workshop. You are clearly very deeply involved with children and their teachers and have honed a manner and style that loses no time in getting people right to the music making."
Patricia Campbell, Professor of Music, University of Washington, USA

"You inspire the children to want to learn more about music, to want to make music and to develop their respect for the music of other cultures."
Director of Childrenʼs Education, San Francisco Botanical Gardens, USA

"It is simply impossible to explain to you how much the staff and children enjoyed your performance... you really breathed a breath of fresh air and enormous joy into all our lives."
John Wesley Primary School, Pinetown, South Africa

"The teachers and the children were enchanted by the performance.  The older children told us that this was the best show they had ever seen at school."
Principal, Newtown Primary School, Wiltshire, UK