VINYAGO
Wed, 23 November 2022 – Sun, 8 January 2023
| free of charge |
| English, German, Suaheli |
| Sonderausstellung 2, EG |
VINYAGO combines exhibition, dance, music and video art to create a space-filling installation. The focus is on artists from Tanzania in dialogue with East African masks from the collection of the Ethnologisches Museum Berlin. The majority of the collection dates back to the time of German colonialism (1885-1918). The masks were originally used in a spiritual, performative context. Today, as part of collections, they eke out an existence in silence, darkness and clinical cleanliness.
The starting point for the project was an intensive examination of the culture of masks, colonialism and coloniality as well as museum practice in Tanzania and Germany. The artistic director conducted numerous interviews and intensive research in Tanzania and Germany, which was shared with the dancers and musicians and can be experienced in the exhibition in the form of statements. From the beginning, the artists wanted to use masks from the collection of the Ethnologisches Museum Berlin in the performance. This is in contrast to the museum’s concept of conservation. The installation is the result of a compromise in which five of these masks from the collection are exhibited in showcases. They are in tension with 24 contemporary masks made especially for Vinyago by Bernard Piusi, a respected Makonde carver in the south of Dar es Salaam. His source of inspiration was the historical catalogue “East African Sculpture” from 1990, which is reproduced and can be viewed in the exhibition.
In a total of 13 performances, 13 dancers and musicians from Tanzania dealt with the gaze of visitors and spectators, which can reproduce colonial logics. In this mirrored and refracted gaze, the mask, as a mere object in its material composition, transforms into a subject and symbol for all that for which there is no space in the conventional museum – movement, change and life.
You can get an impression of these performances until 8 January: Contemporary and historical masks can be experienced both as an exhibition and in a 75-minute video of the performance. Witness the development of the project, the engagement with the Humboldt Forum and the collections of the Ethnological Museum. The exhibition documents the trace of a collective memory work in which diverse voices from Tanzania and Germany become audible and visible and counter colonial narratives.
The exhibition can be experienced during regular opening hours with free admission. Headphones are available at the entrance in the foyer.
PARTICIPANTS
Curation and Choreography
Isack Peter Abeneko is a dancer, choreographer, musician and the creative director of ASEDEVA (Art for Social and Economic Development in Africa) a Tanzanian based non-profit organization, the organization under which umbrella Vinyago was developed and produced.
Abeneko has accomplished his African contemporary dance and choreography studies at École des Sables in Senegal. As a dancer, actor and musician he is part of a new generation of Tanzanian contemporary performers while increasingly working off stage as choreographer, song writer and event/projects curator. He is motivated by the power of performing arts to express and question contemporary and complex issues such as identity, cultural diversity, politics, colonialism, postcoloniality and economy. He has produced and participated in several dance theater projects that have been toured and live performed in Germany, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Austria, USA, South Korea, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Senegal and East Africa.
Curation, Project Management, Exhibition Texts
The historian and political scientist worked for different international cultural and non profit organisations in India, Zambia, Germany and Tanzania.
Curation, Video Installation
The photographer and filmmaker deals with themes of cultural as well as individual memory. He is particularly interested in identity and storytelling.
Audio, Translation
Victor John Tinga is a Sound Engineer and a Digital content creater, based in Dar es salaam. He holds a BA in computer Engineering and a Diploma in IT. With many years of experience in sound recording in the field and studio. Throughout his carrier he has been involved in various projects, VINYAGO being one of them. He believes all heritage – whether tangible or non-tangible – has impact on the presence and future for individuals and communities. For him examining the past is what keeps societies strong and rooted.
Lights
Stage, light and probs designer from Dar es Salaam with 15 years of experience. He has worked in projects such as Haba na Haba – International Dance Festival, Marafiki Music Festival, Art Explosion (National Museum of Tanzania), Bagamoyo Festival and Zanzibar International Film Festival.
Performer
Halima Masoud Abdallah is a choreographer, dance artist and yoga instructor from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She was inspired by urban street dances from a young age, before training for three years at the Muda Africa Dance School, graduating with a Diploma in Contemporary Dance in 2019. As a dancer Halima has worked with several international dance companies and choreographers such as Can Creative (South Africa), Autin Dance Company (France), Vanessa Tamburi (Italy), Abdul Muyingo (Uganda) and Lindsay Renea (USA), amongst others.
In 2019, she was invited to Hamburg, Germany, to work on choreographer Yolanda Gutierrez’s Decolonisation project. She was also part of the “we are equal but different” dance exchange project between Tanzanian and German performing artists, supported by the German federal government. In 2021, she was invited back to Muda to teach the 1st year students and to take part in their online dance film platform Dansi Tena. In 2018, Halima joined with other female dance artists to create the Girls Power Dance Group, which aims to educate and empower women, providing a platform for their talents through performing arts and entrepreneurship. In 2021, she created her first solo choreography, Mazingira Yangu, which explores environmental issues in her local area and in September 2021 she was awarded the Prince Claus Seed Award to work on a new dance production addressing gender inequality in Tanzanian society.
Omari is a male dancer perfoming a variety of dancers such as traditional dances, contemporary dance, hip hop dance, and latin dance omari was born in 1990 in dar es salaam region Tanzania he is education lever is form four has started dancing as a primary school in street groups like [ DANGER BOYS CREW 2004 he joined with T.AFRICA DANCE GROUP 2013 – 2014 and 2014 he managed to get a certificate of habanahaba contemporary dance programs he won a dance 100 competetion from Tanzania with THE W.D CREW 2015 he won a competetion from KENYA with T.AFRICA DANCE GROUP 2015 and 2018 he got a certificate of teacher training from UGANDA and also he graduated to get certificate MUDA AFRICA 2016 apart from that he have done a great show from in TANZANIA and out of TANZANIA like BATALO EAST from UGANDA,EANT KNIGHT from RWANDA ,HABANAHABA from TANZANIA,BAGAMOYO FESTIVAL from TANZANIA,NANTEA DANCE KNIGHT from TANZANIA,TIGO FIESTA from TANZANIA, KILIMANJALO AWARDS from TANZANIA also MISS UNVERSITE from TANZANIA and VINYANGO PROJECT his a goal is to be one of the biggest dancer in TANZANIA and out of TANZANIA. He is working with T.AFRICA dance and ASEDEVA.
When Edson Wizron was 8years old, he fell ill with a sickness of ears. During the recovery period after one year she only had a limited hearing – although he suffering from such disease he discovered her love of dance. Although he is sick from his ear but he can hear a sounds of the music and feel the rhythms of the beat which allowed him to start choreographing of his own movements to match a music and its beat. His parents noticed his talent but they can’t help him because of the poorness of his family. But Edson wizron he can’t stop dancing although his parents don’t want him to dance but he practices more and more. One day when Edson he is at school his teacher asked him what is your biggest dream he answered his teacher that to be a famous dancer in the world. On 2008 he starts a street dancing to create a confidence and to build his name at his area. On 2013 he joins T-Africa a famous group of dancing and practice over there. When he was at that group he was an excellent student everyone’s love him and wants to dance with him. On 2016 he and some other peoples starts a group that practice a national dancing competition and he won a title. And on 2016 he and his fellows they enter in an East African competition that Called Sakata Mashariki on that time he and his fellow tried more but they got a reward to part at top ten. After that he started dancing with famous musician in Tanzania such as Msami, Maua sama, Jux, Diamond platnumz, Lady j-dee, Saida Karole. And other musician. And he practices more events such as FIESTA, HABA NA HABA, TIME 2 DANCE, BAGAMOYO FESTIVAL, VINYAGO. Also he involved with an art of traditional dancing African dance, contemporary Hip hop, Latin dance, Acrobatic. Am working with T-Africa dancing group and ASEDEVA.
Izdor Cosmas as known as Lally, is a professional traditional, contemporary, hip hop, and break dancer. He was born in 1991 at Temeke Dar es salaam Tanzania. He started dancing since 2002 Dar es salaam.
Izdor Cosmas has been performed in different platforms and stages such as, HABA NA HABA INTERNATIOANAL DANCE FESTIVA in 2015, SAKATA MASHARIKI, FIESTA, MZIKI MNENE, LADY JAY D AT MLIMANI CITY, DANCE 100 COMPETITION with WT group and they won the competition, BATALO UGANDA, NMB LAUCHING AT SERENA HOTEL COCACOLA LAUNCHING at HYTYE HOTEL, KILIMANJARO MUSIC AWARDS.
He is also participating in a big project known as VINYAGO VOICES and he is expecting to be performing in Berlin Germany November to December 2022.
His ambition is to be a great dancer and choreographer and to open a dance school.
Happiness Peter Majige is a Tanzanian contemporary dance artist and choreographer, actress, singer and social activist. In 2017, she completed her diploma course in African contemporary dance and choreography at Ecole des Sables in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal. She has been dancing since childhood and began her artistic work professionally in 2009 with the Tumaini Group in the Arusha region, where she performed theater, song and dance. In 2011, she joined Muda Africa, a center for young contemporary artists, at Bagamoyo College of Art and graduated from Ecole des Sables in Senegal. In 2015, she began her acting career in Tanzanian television series, playing her first role as Linda in the Ray Kigosi-produced series TANDI. She then appeared in the series MIMI produced by Elizabeth Michael (Lulu). In 2021, she played a supporting role as Latifa with Idris Sultan in AHADI and many others like Sinia, Moyo. She starred in a film called NYARA, now on Netflix, produced by Wanene Studios, and recently shot a short film called MALAIKA, produced by Sayus. She is currently working on a new film project called REDIO, produced by Idris Sultan, as well as commercials. Happiness Peter Majige recently started her own art company called Happs Art.
Lilian Damas Malale is a Tanzanian dance artist and performer from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She completed her secondary education in 2012 and began training herself in contemporary and modern dance in 2013. In 2015, she began performing at various festivals such as Haba na haba Festival. She has also worked with companies such as Tigo and NMB Bank Marathon. In 2017, she began collaborating with music artists from different countries in Africa such as Alikiba, a bongo artist, Mboso and Nandy, all from Tanzania, and also recently performed with Rema, Fireboy and KizzDaniel, all from Nigeria. Vinyago is her first major production project which will be performed in Tanzania and Germany in 2022. In addition to dance, she is involved in hairdressing. Her wish is to open her hair salon worldwide.
Abubakar Hamisi Mkopa, a Tanzania performer, choreographer and entrepreneur from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He started dancing in 2007 as primary student and in 2012 he joined an artistic group called T-Africa where he took dance as a profession. He engages himself in Contemporary dance, Traditional, Hiphop dance and Latin Dance.
In 2012 he won a prize in a dance 100 competition and in 2015 he won a prize in Sakata Mashariki held in Kenya (East Africa). In the year 2012 – 20214 he took training in Contemporary dance and did several performances in different festivals. In 2018 – 2022 ,He has done projects like Sauti Yetu, Focus on me and now working on Vinyago .
Apart from dance projects he engages himself in enterprenuership.
Thomas Yustin Zakaria s known as Lizzo, is a professional traditional, contemporary, hip hop, and break dancer. He was born in 1992 at Mvomero, Morogoro Tanzania. He started dancing since 2006.
Thomas Yustin Zakaria has been performed in different platforms and stages such as, HABA NA HABA INTERNATIOANAL DANCE FESTIVAL, SAKATA MASHARIKI, FIESTA, CASTEL KENYA, MZIKI MNENE, LADY JAY D AT MLIMANI CITY, DANCE 100 COMPITITION, BATALO UGANDA, NMB LAUCHING AT SERENA HOTE.
He is also participating in a big project known as VINYAGO VOICES and he is expecting to be performing in Berlin Germany November to December 2022.
His ambition is to be a great dancer and choreographer and also to perform internationally.
Band
Percussion
ChudoMaster began playing percussion at a very young age and over time he has developed his playing style into a powerful, flexible beat maker with the ability to incorporate African traditional music with Jazz, Reggae, Funk, RnB and much more. He is now considered one of Tanzania’s leading percussionists and is regularly sought after by local and touring artists. His ability to bring life and feeling to any genre of music, and to quickly find the space to express his groove, gives his fellow musicians power and strength within their own music.
As a teenager, he had his first international experience with the culture exchange Umoja Cultural Flying Carpet in Ethiopia, welcoming different countries Norway, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
At the same time, he improved with ZeSpirits’s, band with fellow musicians and friends from his Secondary School at Bagamoyo. They composed their songs and got many concerts and festivals inside and outside of Tanzania. They were recording two songs and one music video.
Since 2014, Chudo’s career has been marked by collaborations, recordings with various artists like AY, Jhikoman, Mankifimbo and Mopao swahili Jazz and also many participation in festivals and concerts in East Africa.
He has made many international and local performances, for example, at the Bagamoyo Festival, Ilimba Cultural Festival in Arusha, Wikiendi Live, Ongala Music Festival and Marafiki Festival in Dar es Salaam, Sauti za Busara, Reggae Festival in Zanzibar, Bayimba festival Uganda, CircoAfrika in Angola and South Africa tour with Mama Africa circus company.
The list of artists he appeared with includes; Isack Abeneko, Damian Soul, Vital Maembe, Shabo Makota, Mopao Swahili Jazz, Oliver Mtukudzi, Thais Diarra, Ambasa Mandela, Duu Top Acoustic, Mankifimbo, Upendo Manasse, Jhikoman, Fadhilee, Itulya, Makadem, Sandra Nakoma, Lily Kadima, Akoth Jumandi, Stone Town Rockers, Richie Lumambo and more.
In 2022, ChudoMaser decided to compose his music with LITUNGU. Player of this traditional instrument learned by his grandfather Werema Chacha, who was a teacher of Bagamoyo College of art of Tanzania (TaSUBa) and international musician around the world. ChudoMaster uses this litungu to compose his songs on daily life and Tanzanian culture with an Afro Blues trend. Respecting traditions with a new style, it brings and gives another image of this ancient instrument to the world.
Guitar
Shabo Amosi Makota was born in December 1986 at Dodoma, Tanzania. He spent most of his early years living with his uncle who was a traditional Gogo singer and guitarist. Shabo received vocal and guitar trainings from his uncle as he accompanied him in most of his performances and traditional ceremonial activities. He begun a professional career in 2004 by joining the Tango Band as a percussionist and letter Chemundo-Gwao band of the Bagamoyo Mbega Arts group in 2005 both as a guitarist and vocalist. In 2007, Shabo was recruited by Parapanda Thetear Trust as a guitarist and vocalist and collaborating music composer for all of their musical theatre performances. He composed music for several Circus performances in the European Union’s “Fit for Life project for youth empowerment” facilitated by Parapanda theatre Trust and Babawatoto organization until 2017 where he opted to a solo career as a musician, singer and performer.
Shabo is among the most knowledgeable guitarist and percussionist in Tanzania, as he incorporated several traditional music elements and tunes into his work. He plays the base and solo guitars, as well as both traditional and modern percussion drum set. As a singer, Shabo performs Afro fusion music with vocals that resonates with the Gogo musical vibe. His stage presence always has an uplifting effects that captures most of the audiences’ emotions into cheering and sympathizing with him.
Shabo has toured in Germany, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Cambodia, Kenya, Uganda and Malawi performing both as a singer, percussionist and guitarist. He has also been featured and had special appearance in prestigious music festivals such as the Blantyre Music festival (Malawi), Utamu Festival (Kenya), Marhaba Music festival (Tanzania) and the Sauti za Busara Music festival (Zanzibar). He has collaborated with notable international musician such as Yvonne Mwale (Malawi), Ssali Muserebende (Uganda) and Grace Matata (Tanzania).
Shabo has one Afro-fusion music album titled “Binadamu” that has been reviewed as one of the most prolific album utilizing the Tanzanian traditional music traits blended with the contemporary trending music of his time.
Drums
Abdallah Juma Membe is Drummer player, Performer, Actor and Drummer teacher from Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. He is a serious, charming and funny, Music is Abdallah’s life.
He was inspired by drumming in the primary school‘s band from a young age, after graduating the school he started learn drumming, acting, poetry, traditional dance and wood xylophones.
He got an opportunity to join with MSHUMAA GIZANI, DIRA ARTS GROUP and TWETULOBO BAND with Hassan Mahenge as a musician teacher.
In 2003-2008, He performed in Via Via Festival {Arusha} Sauti za Busara{Zanzibar} Bagamoyo School of Arts Festival{Dar es Salaam} Dhow Countries Music Festival{Zanzibar} Danish Embassy with Mzungu Kichaa Dar es Salaam Tanzania} as a drummer player
In 2008 London,UK, The World Aids Day. Abdallah has worked with several babds in international music festivals Rift valley Festival and Kibera good Governace Kenya, 2010 – 2016 he was doind a european tour with Mzungu kichaa, Danmark , Copenhagen, Alhus, Skanderborg and Utamaduni,
2017 he was also performing with Mama Afrika circus dance company in {Serengeti Pack in Germany} and {Stockholm,Helsinki, Sweden/Finland}.
Voice, Percussion
Upendo Manase is an African female traditional solo artist who specializes in singing and songwriting. Upendo was born in 1995 and raised in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Her talent was discovered early, so she was fortunate to receive professional training in Tanzania and Ethiopia. In addition to singing Upendo is also an actress, concert organizer, music teacher and entrepreneur.
2014 – 2016 she received a certificate for completing her music education at Music May Day College, Tanzania. 2017 -2018 she received a certificate for vocal and music teacher training at Global Music Academy, Ethiopia.
Upendo Manase has also participated in various workshops in and outside Tanzania, including workshops on music business, musicianship, voice training, sound engineering, and workshops on teaching singing. Since 2017 until now, Upendo Manase has been working as a vocational teacher at Action Music School and MAK Music Center in Dar es Salaam. In addition to teaching in schools, she also conducts free workshops for people with special needs as part of her contribution to society.
She has collaborated with various artists*, institutions and project groups in different countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethipia, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Finland to perform various music and theater performances.
Successfully, Upendo Manase recorded her first album titled WAKE UP, which was produced and coordinated by WEKA MUSIC LAB from Tanzania and Denmark. She presented it at Slow Leopard, Masaki, in 2021. This release gave her a new audience, a new beginning and new strength.
In 2022, she successfully performed at the SAUTI ZA BUSARA music festival. Her goal is to be one of the greatest singers and to revolutionize the music industry in the world.
Composition, Keyboard
The performing arts is Mugado’s big passion. Within the performing arts Mugado is currently doing music, dance and theatre. His passion for arts started early, when he learned Tanzanian traditional dances in primary school. Since then he has continuously been experiencing his dance, music and theatre skills through different projects and production he has been involved in nationally and internationally. Mugado is also a founder of the non-profit organization called ASEDEVA (Arts for Social and Economic Development in Africa) which is based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.