Camp Samatou 2026: 31 Oct – 3rd Nov
This year we have an incredible line up of teaching artists from Guinea, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ghana and Congo Brazzaville. Don’t miss out!
Camp Samatou
Location
Anglesea Valley Lodge
1.5h drive from Melbourne, the site is set amid natural bushland. Comfortable dormitory accommodation, swimming pool, kangaroos, fire pit, break-out spaces.
635 Wensleydale Station Rd, Wensleydale
HOW CAN I GET THERE?
If you can get to Melbourne we can get you to camp! We will organise a spreadsheet with those offering lifts and those needing one and help connect you.
EVENING ACTIVITIES
- Meet the teachers storytelling. This gives our special guests an opportunity to to tell us a bit about themselves and life in Africa. This year we also have a very special singing session with our Ivory Coast artists.
- Dance party. Bring your best outfit!
- Talent night – what have you got? Past talent shows have included singing, magic tricks, Capoeira, stand up comedy, belly dance. Surprise us! All entries welcome.
- Wassawumba show with special guests – our advanced drum & dance ensemble plus African artists. Get ready to be blown away.
KIDS CAMP
Do you have a child between ages 4-12? If so they are welcome to join our Samatou Kids’ Camp program. They will be looked after during class hours and engaged in a variety of workshops – art/craft, dance, drumming, yoga, Auslan, sports and bushcraft. We are very lucky to have Cat Melvaine (qualified teacher) and Romany Lewis in full time attendance to make sure kids are happy and safe.
Camp photos 2025
ACCOMMODATION
Range of dormitory configurations including 6 x 4-bed cabins, several 10-bed rooms and some much larger dorms. Mattresses provided. You will need to bring all other bedding.
You are also welcome to pitch a tent on a grassy area under the trees!
FOOD
This camp is fully catered, except for Saturday lunch (BYO). Nutritious and wholesome breakfast, lunch and dinner plus morning and afternoon tea. Hot drinks available throughout the day.
Please specify upon booking whether you have specific dietary requirements. Our chef is very accommodating.
DAILY WORKSHOPS
Each day will packed full of workshops – you’re welcome to attend whichever you like
- West African dance classes will be accompanied by a full drumming ensemble in the hall or outside, weather permitting. All of our artists are highly experienced teachers who are patient and friendly.
- Djembe classes Please bring your own djembe along to the class. If you are hiring one, this will be allocated when you arrive (see Mitzi or Simon). There is also some opportunity to play dundun in these classes but the focus will be on learning djembe accompaniments, technique and solo phrases.
- Air element rhythm Elliott Orr will be presenting something brand new – come along to discover the elemental approach of learning rhythm. Pitched at an intermediate level.
- Dundun classes will teach sangban, kenkeni and dundunba parts for traditional West African rhythms.
- Dundun dance This is combining simple dance moves with playing dunduns (stick drums). Drum supplied but arrive early.
- Yoga Please bring a yoga mat! See you bright and early in the hall. Gentle stretches to prepare for your active day of drum and dance.
For all drum classes you’ll need to bring your own djembe or hire one for $30 (full camp). For dundun and dundun dance classes, drums are provided on a first-in, first-served basis. If you have your own set of duns, please bring them!
Drummers are welcome to drum for dance classes.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING
Bedding (sleeping bag and pillow)
Tent etc if you’re camping
Lunch for Saturday
Djembe / dundun
Dance pants, water bottle
Snacks you might need throughout the day (nearest shops are a bit of a hike)
CAMP PROGRAM
GUEST TEACHERS 2026
Mohamed Bangoura (“Bangouraké”)
Drummer, Guinea
Mohamed Bangoura is described in Guinea as the man with “Hands of Fire” or “the Lion of Matam”
He is regarded by many connoisseurs as one of the best amongst the Master Drummers of this world. His life totally dedicated to the music and his traditions, mesmerizing audiences with his out of this world skills, talent, power and virtuosity.
Bangouraké is a true master through initiation and ability.
Mohamed was born in Guinea, West Africa in a village called Bourramya-Koubya. Mohamed started to play at the age of 5 years old and has been surrounded by music throughout his life.
Aboubacar Camara
Dancer, Guinea
Aboubacar Camara is a Master Dancer and Choreographer, as well as a highly skilled acrobat and musician, from the Forest Region of Guinea, carrying the
cultural heritage of Tomamania. Internationally recognised for his profound knowledge of Guinean ballet, traditional dance, rhythms and song, he is fluent in the languages, musical traditions and dances of Guinea’s diverse regions, bringing exceptional cultural depth and authority to both performance and teaching. With a rich family lineage in dance, Aboubacar is a cultural custodian dedicated to preserving and sharing the traditions of his heritage through a pedagogical approach that blends discipline, joy and deep cultural understanding. For many years, he has served as lead dancer, teacher, choreographer and Assistant Artistic Director of Merveille de Guinée, Guinea’s first private ballet company, and is a custodian of the Yamama mask.
Now based in Melbourne, Aboubacar’s work reflects the transmission and preservation of a living, breathing culture, embodying the meaning behind the movement through artistry, performance and teaching.
Jean-Marc Agbogba
Dancer, Ivory Coast
Jean-Marc Agbogba is a highly accomplished dancer, musician and choreographer from Ivory Coast, West Africa. He has toured the world as part of theMOTHER AFRICA CIRCUS and came to Australia in 2010. Jean-Marc now resides in Adelaide where he has set up a new dance company by the name of “Sun of Africa Dance Group.”
Marc is renowned for his masked dancing, a very colourful and exciting, high-energy dance, using beautiful, authentic, Ivory Coast masks. These pieces are typically accompanied by a drum ensemble and sometimes African flute.
Adama Doumbouya
Drummer, Ivory Coast
Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Adama Doumbouya grew up in Kankan village in Guinea, West Africa. Here he was taught to make and play Djembe in the
traditional style of the Mandinka people from his Father, who was an original member of the Ballet Koteba of Guinea alongside Mamady Keita. At the age of 15, Adama was chosen to become a member of the Ivory Coast National Ballet, in Abidjan, where he attended for the next eight years. Here he grew his knowledge further through dedicated study, teaching and performance of traditional West African rhythms, dances and percussion: including all aspects of djembe, dundun, stilt dancing and theatre. During this time, Adama toured with the Ivory Coast National Ballet through West Africa including Guinea, Benin, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. Since 2002, Adama has regularly toured internationally as the lead Djembe player of the Mother Africa Circus, recieving rave reviews. More recently he has toured within Australian and New Zealand with the Australian company Cirque Africa.
Bouba Gaye
Drummer, Senegal
Bouba was born and raised in Senegal and he first started drumming at age 14. He moved to Japan when he was 18 and lived there for nine years, working as afull-time musician before taking a holiday to Melbourne at age 27. Bouba fell in love with Melbourne and has enjoyed a successful career here ever since. Bouba is the founding member of renowned Afro group Ausecuma Beats. Bouba will teach djembe and dundun at camp this year.
Odai Affotey
Dance & drum, Ghana
Odai Affotey is a traditional custodian of Southern Ghanaian drum and dance knowledge. Growing up in the coastal village of Nungua, Ghana, Odai spent his youth imitating the movement and rhythm of his ancestral legacy. At the age of seven, he was an integral part of the Suadey Cultural Group which later evolved into the Nokoyejen Cultural Group. In his youth, he held directorial and choreographic roles within the Edinkra ensemble and later went on to dance as part of the internationally acclaimed Kusun ensemble, which toured West Africa and parts of the Northern United States. Later in life he held performance and teaching responsibilities with the Salaka Ensemble led by Sydney-based Tuza Afutu, which toured prolifically around Australia as a cultural exchange troupe. Odai will teach traditional Ghanaian dance and perform with his Ghanaian compatriots Fred and Emmanuel on the Sunday evening.
Lam Lakiz
Dancer, Congo Brazzaville
Lam is a highly sought after teacher of many of the traditional styles of Congolese Dance. He has more than 25 years of cumulative experience in Soukous, Rumba,Ndombolo, Congolese Tribal Dance, Zouk, Kizomba, and Semba, amongstothers. He was previously engaged as lead choreographer and dancer for the African bands Vox Congo & Afro Bongo Dance.
Originally from the Congo – Brazzaville, Lam has been passionate about dance and music from the time he learned to walk. The diversity of his styling was influenced by growing up in two countries, initially Congo (the home he returns to), with a subsequent move to Mozambique. The breadth of traditional and contemporary dance styles emerging from these two countries has contributed in a significant sense to his versatility and expertise as a teacher and performer.
Miriam Lieberman
Song & kora, Sydney
Miriam’s songs are soulful collections of stories beautifully told through kora (West African harp) guitar & her unmistakable voice. Amongst the themes are a love for the natural world, stories of transformation, motherhood, love, loss and the power of imagination. The music is coloured by Miriam’s
transformational time studying in Latin America & West Africa that have left an imprint on her musical style. Miriam’s singing workshops are always hugely popular at camp.
Elliott Orr
Drummer, Byron Bay
Widely respected as the leading proponent of African drumming in Queensland and Northern NSW, Elliott has been playing African drums and encouraging others
to do the same since 1991. When he moved from Adelaide to Brisbane in 1994 teaching, performing and making African drums became his all-consuming full-time passion. Now, local to Byron Bay Elliott continues to extend his network through regular weekly workshops with adults in the community, school groups, in the disability sector and with corporations and numerous organisations. Elliott has travelled to Guinea, Ghana and the Ivory Coast to study African drumming. Over the last 29 years Elliott has taught somewhere in the vicinity of 30,000 people how to play African drums These classes have occurred throughout Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Victoria, Tasmania and New Zealand.
Michael Boase
Drummer, Perth
Michael Peter Boase from the Beat Shack is an active musician based in Fremantle, Western Australia. He has had experience working with many amazing artists
and projects throughout his career. In his teenage years, Michael began playing drums, percussion and guitar. Early in life, Michael developed a passion for what might be described as pan-African music, including Brazilian Samba, United States Funk and many other styles of music originating from Africa itself. He has spent extended periods of time studying in Guinea from the percussion masters.
Simon is highly regarded as a teacher of world percussion. He has lived and studied traditional djembe, dundun, balafon and kora in Guinea West Africa with Master drummers Lamine Soumah, Aliou Sylla and the world famous Les Percussions De Guinea. He is well known for his insightful and innovative teaching style which is both fun and challenging. With a background in classical and jazz his versatility and broad knowledge of music gives students a unique entry into the world of African drumming.
Mitzi has studied West African dance for over 15 years and has travelled to Africa (Ghana, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal, Gambia and Mali) and also to the United States to further her knowledge by learning from the masters. She is a natural teacher and over the 10 years of teaching African dance she has developed a unique style which provides a relaxed and open environment which is cherished by her students.
Emmanuel was born in Accra, Ghana and is of the Ga ethnic group. From a young age, he was drawn to percussion and played with friends on Milo tins and boxes. Emmanuel’s talent was spotted by a local who took him to Team Afrique – a local drum & dance ensemble – where had the opportunity to study traditional rhythms from Asanti, Ewe and Ga regions. From the age of 19 Emmanuel performed for weddings, funerals, parties, political events and festivals in Ghana. In 2015 Emmanuel arrived in Australia and he is now a sought after musician. He currently plays with Asanti Dance Theatre, One Spirit Africa, Jali Bouba, Melbourne Djembe and Sun of Africa Drum & Dance Ensemble.