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