Win a $100 gift certificate for Music Together Tri Valley for you and your child, (or for someone you know who has children)! Suitable for infants to children aged around 6 years. This is a wonderful, fun and interactive way to spend quality time with your child, stimulate their musical development and connect through the power of music and dance.

The Music Together Program

Have you noticed their eyes light up when they hear a song? Do they start cooing and wiggling when you sing a nursery rhyme? Chances are you've seen glimpses of the music-maker inside—now it's up to you to bring it out to the fullest! When you sing in the car or dance in the living room, you are setting the model for your baby, who is listening and observing as you play with music. With Music Together, you can learn lots of musical ways to interact and bond with your child, supporting their development in these important early years. From babyhood through the early elementary years, Music Together nurtures each child’s natural musicality. In family classes, grownups learn together with their children and then re-create the fun at home with our recordings and songbooks. This is just what young children need to develop a love of music.

A Tribute on the 1 Year Anniversary of his Death

Image by Michael Lium-Hall at www.hemma.ca

 "We have been deeply touched by the outpouring of love from virtually every corner of the world and are grateful to each and every person who has shared how they have been touched by our beloved Madiba.", says the Chief Executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The Nelson Mandela Shuffle

Mandela's Inspiration of the Arts

Mandela Art Tribute in San Francisco, California

Mandela Tribute at Millennium Square in Leeds, UK

“After Nelson Mandela’s tragic death, the outpouring of grief from the people of Leeds showed just how much this exceptional man meant to the city.”

 Nelson Mandela's Character

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison - Nelson Mandela

The Ga of Ghana

To understand the significance of Homowo and farming for the Ga tribe of Ghana in West Africa, we must look back into their history. The Ga have an interesting past of frequent migration around the continent of Africa. They traveled for many years before reaching the west coast of the Accra region of Ghana, where they now live. In this migration to pre-colonial Ghana, they suffered a severe famine brought on by poor rainfall. The people were so close to starvation that they embarked on a vicious cycle of food cultivation in desperation and in the hope of rain.

The Homowo Festival Rituals

Photo by Robert Ashie

Bissap Baobab, San Francisco

As the African Baobab tree is a symbol of life, community, and culture, Bissap Baobab has a laid back, yet distinctly cosmopolitan, worldly vibe which upholds the concept of an African village. This Senegalese restaurant serves an array of West African spiced lamb, seafood and chicken dishes. Try one of their homemade drinks, signature cocktails or beers from all over the world too. Also keep an eye out for their special events: from DJs to live music and dance performances; to French language and World Cup meet-ups; to independent film screenings; art exhibitions; spoken word and poetry. www.bissapboabab.com

Amawele's South African Kitchen, San Francisco

Radio African kitchen, San Francisco

A while back, Ethiopia had very few places to hear popular music and sports.  In fact maybe one house per neighborhood had a radio. And this is where kids would gather to listen to soccer matches and music, all the while sharing laughter, conversation and snacks. With fond memories like these, owner and chef, Eskender Aseged, named his restaurant radio African kitchen. His Bay area restaurant boasts dishes that he created after being inspired by great chefs he worked with in the USA and also from the tastes of his African roots.  A healthy alternative, dishes are infused with a wide range of organic vegetables, greens, grains, nuts, wild fish, shellfish and fruit, accompanied by fine herbs and spices. www.radioafricakitchen.com

Veronica's kitchen (Fufu Land), Los Angeles

This Nigerian restaurant is the real thing! A small, very friendly, simple-looking spot in Inglewood where you can make small talk with the owner, Veronica. Whether you’re from the motherland or new to Nigerian cuisine, Yelp reviews of this place have been off the roof. If you have never tasted jollof rice, fufu or moi-moi then you will just have to visit this place to find out what they are! No website available but take a look at their Yelp reviews.

Mozambique, Laguna and Newport beach

For a fine dining experience try Mozambique located on the beachfront. Offering a irresistible fusion of fresh local seafood, steaks and Mozambique spices, you can enjoy the sea air while sipping on a glass of local or renowned South African wine (Meerlust, Kanonkop, Rust en Vrede to name a few!). Pair this with a dish of Peri-peri chicken livers, Durban lamb curry, and oh, how can we forget the prawns! Keep an eye on their website for live music nights too.

Cape Town, San Diego

The Dogon's Masked Dama Dance

Deep in the mountains of Mali, West Africa live a mysterious tribe called the Dogon. Known for their rituals, cosmology and mask dances, the Dogon perform a sacred ritual every few years which I am reminded of close to the American and Mexican holidays: Halloween and Day of the Dead. Adorned in masks and costumes the dead are called upon to peacefully cross over to the other side. However this ritual is much more sacred and meaningful than costumes and candy... Up in the mountains above the Dogon village, graveyard caves hold the bones of deceased members of the tribe. Before the ceremonial dance begins, Dogon men retreat to these caves and mourn the souls of the dead. While they are up here they also masterfully carve exquisite masks.

Hundreds of skulls line the floor of a Dogon sacred burial cave used to hold the remains of ancestors and respected elders in the Bandiagara Cliffs of southern Mali, West Africa. National Geographic ©

The Dama Ceremony

Kyle Mijlof Photography ©

The Sirige Mask

The visually powerful sirige mask is believed to bind the Dogon people to the celestial world of heaven and Earth. The mask's design, a straight line, serves to connect the two worlds through the conduit of the dancer and his body. Like all Dogon masks, the sirige belongs to the afterworld, the realm of where life and death meet.  The dancers of the sirige mask are considered the most skilled. They use their teeth to balance the 20-foot (6-meter) high mask, which is carved from the limb of a single tree. Dancers swing the mask in sweeping motions to represent the arc of the sun. Known throughout the world by anthropologists and art curators, their masks rank among the most respected within the world of tribal art collections and have even influenced such Western 20th-century artists as Picasso and Braque, even the Cubist movement. Keeping in mind the spiritual significance of the Dogon's dance, try to remember the origins of the traditions you will be celebrating this weekend., whether it be Halloween , Day of the Dead or anything else you celebrate at other times of the year. Perhaps even teach your children about them and also enrich them with other culture's traditions.

Kyle Mijlof Photography ©

Kyle Mijlof Photography ©

Cheza Nami Assembly

About the Cheza Nami Assembly, Collaborators and Sponsors

Benefits of the Assembly

Testimonials