I started regular djembe classes with Simon in early 2005 just after I’d moved to Melbourne from NZ.
It was something I’d had a bit of a go at previously but not with a teacher who knew about African drumming, I was hooked early on, not just to the music
but also the people, the collective energy that happened when a group of us got together and played something with musicality and spirit.
At the end of 2007 Graeme and I left Melbourne to go back to NZ and on the way (well, the long way round) I went to Ghana with Si on the tour, and that was completely life changing. I’ve just been again – my fifth time and by no means my last.
I set up “Baylys Beats” in the small NZ rural community we live in and we’ve gone from strength to strength. The last drum weekend Si came over to run for us we had 50 people drumming and dancing! Djembe is a big part of my work, my social life, my self-care and I love to share it with anyone who’s interested.