Education & Research

At the heart of this project is making nyatiti and other east african instrument fabrication and playing:

More accessible
To empower young generation in UK and Kenya
Innovating in the arts of sustainable traditional East African instrument making
Respect and love our environment by using as much as possible recycled materials

Before we go further we would like to acknowledge some significant encounters that has been so crucial to this work:

Ogoya Nengo
William Obondi Matara
Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno
Dominique
William Ogutu
Oduor Nyagweno
William Sewe
Obong'o Nyundo
Nyamungu Odindo
Ruben
Ayub Ogada
Ododa
Kazungu Charo
Ochieng'
Ali Tungwa Vyani
Olige
Sam Opere

Instrument education & Research Illustration.png

Instrument making

Connecting, recycling and sustainability

Photo: dul | log nyatiti instrument making experimental process
Place; France
Credits; @ecirbaf69

With its projects in instrument making, Nyatiti NyaDala is looking to make sustainable and practical instruments. Using the research undertaken by the artist and maker Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno we are looking for innovating ways to build instruments and adapt to the need of today's makers and musicians and looking at a use out of their birth place while using as much as possible recycled materials and/or of sustainable material source.

creation of instruments with its own story in relation to the material origins and journey taken during its makings. It includes benefits it might have given to the community during its early life and before being made as an instrument. For example, we are looking to trace the story of the tree used in the making of the resonator in respect to it habitat and community as well as how each artisan involved along the way has benefited during the making.
how can we make use of our household waste such as plastic bottles, bottle tops or tins, bicycles spokes and wire brakes to make instruments?
How to make instruments lighter and more portable?
In order to innovate effectively, we need to understand the roots of each instruments. Nyatiti NyaDala is looking back at how the instruments evolved and build replica specimens from different eras.

Thu Tinda!!!

School Workshops

Our school workshops are designed to inspire, educate and empower children in the education system. It can be adapted to all ages from nursery all the way to high school. Children are given the opportunity to explore with all their senses instruments they may never have seen before.

We are looking for school to partner with us for empowering percussive instrument building.

If you are a school or a hub in the North East of England contact us for more details.

Schools can also book our standard East African Music presentation format consisting of two assembly presentations of 45 min each with a 30 min hands on sessions with a smaller group of around 30 pupils.

Thu Tinda!!!

Photo: School workshop, Peke instrument - by Davey Poremba - Fly Films UK

Fostering the next generation of East African Traditional musician and instrument makers

Photo: Nyatiti making session 2017, Siaya Alego Kobare Village, From left master maker Charles Omenda aka Obong'o Nyundo and Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno.

Photo credit: Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno.

Our director Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno started educative programs in Kenya where he provided free of charge nyatiti workshops to those who cannot afford such workshops or could not travel to the village to have sessions with masters.

He works with Kitovu Learning Space which is a homeschool community in Nairobi where he taught nyatiti and nyangile to children from as young 5 years old all the way to 17. In Kitovu he makes sure that they have music mentors and sufficient instruments available to facilitate this learning. As part of this he donated part of his collection and has responsibility for their maintainance.

Thu Tinda !!!