Niall Delahan

Founding member of Wassa Wassa Workshops and Wassa Wassa Drum & Dance Collective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceHQD8_hPA8

Niall is delighted to have been chosen as one of Dublin City Council’s Artists in the Community for 2011 and also as producer of ‘Pathways to Africa’ -Irish Aid’s Dublin Music Event to celebrate Africa Day 2011.

Niall Delahan was raised in Celbridge and started his music career at the age of eight studying traditional Irish Music through the piano accordion. By the time he was eleven he could read and write music score, reached grade five and was highly placed in any competition he entered. He started playing drum kit at the age of sixteen and at seventeen started as a music producer.

Discovering the djembe and the percussion music of West Africa at the age of 19 Niall soon decided that if he was going to focus on one kind of music, this was the one for him! He joined the group W.A.P. (West African Percussion), who were doing drumming shows around Dublin, playing a regular slot with Ronan O’Snodaigh of Kila on Saturday nights at The Gaiety Theatre.

Niall became engrossed with West African Music and Culture when he first visited Ghana in 2002. Since then he has studied Percussion in many different countries in the region including Guinea, Gambia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin. He has played with world renowned artists such as Famoudou Konate, Siaka Deni Keita, Baboura Bangora, Amara Kante, Abdoulaye Camara and Casoum Dembele.

Niall was one of the founders of the Percussion group Djembe Faso. Specialising in djembe, dunduns, vocals and working on the group’s arrangements. Djembe Faso toured Ireland in 2007 playing at events such as The Electric Picnic, The Garden Party, Dun Laoighre Festival Of World Cultures and the Dublin Docklands Festival. Niall has performed in high profile shows with well-known artists such as The Wailers (Bob Marley’s Band), Ronan O Snodaigh (Kila), Okoe Ardifio and Simone Annoh (Ghanian Master Drummers).

Niall returned from an extended study period in Burkina Faso in the summer of 2008 and decided to form Wassa Wassa Workshops and Wassa Wassa Drum & Dance Collective (featuring percussion, song and contemporary & traditional dance from West Africa). Wassa Wassa has grown from strength to strength and Niall’s main employment takes the form of delivering drum and dance workshops t0 schools, festivals and community organisations around Ireland.

Niall is the main facilitator for Wassa Wassa Drum Workshops and he also regularly performs with  Wassa Wassa and percussion group Farrago at multi-cultural events throughout the country.

We also regularly invite African Master drummers and dancers to Ireland to provide high quality workshops and performances-see our events page for upcoming events.

Aoife Bambury

Aoife works both as a bronze sculptor and also as an arts facilitator in various schools and community organisations. Her work involves facilitation and collaboration with community groups and reflections on these interactions. Projects have a focus on art as a tool for advocacy and change.

Aoife completed the Arts, Participation and Development Certification in Cork Institute of Technology, Crawford College which covered areas such as Theatre of the Opressed, New & Social Media as a tool for Art Advocacy and Group Facilitation Skills. Following on from this Aoife is currently studying Community Arts Education at Post Graduate Level in the National College of Art & Design.

Aoife studied bronze casting with the famous Traore family of Burkina Faso for an extended period in 2007-2008 and continues to have strong links with the bronze workers there. In late 2011 Aoife travelled to Gambia to explore new links in the area of community arts projects and possible collaborators for future projects.

Aoife is currently on placement with Open Heart House as part of her graduate studies to develop a project around the issue of HIV Stigma.

Wassa Wassa Workshops Projects

Dublin City Council Artist in the Community Scheme 2011-Various Projects

The Pachwa Road Project- Art, Music & Exhibition Irish Aid, Africa Day Dublin 2011

Amara Kante Project-African Music & Culture- 2011

Awaken to Africa-Music & Art Workshops-Irish Aid Africa Day Kildare 2010

Nigeria Day- Art Workshops -Leitrim County Council

Dance for Integration-featuring Abdoulaye Camara-Dublin City Council 2010

Kildare Art in Libraries Programme 2010- Kildare County Council

Naas Family Fun Day-Inter-cultural Art Workshops-Kildare County Council & Artscope ltd.

Various Primary & Secondary Schools Nationwide

Wassa Wassa Workshops, Celbridge, Co. Kildare 01 6275795/086 3551461 wassawassaworkshops@gmail.com/ www.wassawassaworkshops.ie