Centre for Sound Communities
Rescheduled! Romani Musicians: Scenes from Kosovo
ATTENTION – Exhibit opening and film screening has been rescheduled!
The photo exhibit will be on display all day at the McConnell Library, Friday, March 31st, 10-9pm; the film will be screened at 3:30 pm, Friday, March 31st. Dr. Pettan will be in the library to discuss the film and photos until 6 pm.
Digital Interns on the Move at CBU
CBU posted news about soundcommunties.org Digital Intern Program on February 28, 2017. See here for the full article!
Funding for a pilot program from the Provincial Department of Communities, Culture & Heritage has allowed Dr. Marcia Ostashewski of CBU’s Centre for Sound Communities to recently hire ten Digital Interns, including two Coordinators, through the recently launched Nova Scotia Digital Youth Internship Program. The program supports youth in gaining a wide range of digital skills as well as valuable work experience to assist in their transition into Canada’s labour market. (read more)
Nèba Solo, the Master of the Balafon
In 2010, Professor Cherif Keita, two of his colleagues and his students of Carleton College(Minnesota) visited the Southern Malian town of Sikasso, where they called on his old friend Nèba Solo, the master of the Senoufo balafon. This is a piece is about friendship, music and the culture of Mali.
Global Musics, Local Connections Workshops
Please join us in attending the Global Musics Local Connections Dance Workshops. Centre for Sound Communities, CBU & McConnell Library, 50 Falmouth Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Global Musics, Local Connections Workshops
Please join us in attending the Global Musics Local Connections Dance Workshops. Centre for Sound Communities, CBU & McConnell Library, 50 Falmouth Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia. (Beginning March 16, continuing on March 22 and 23.)
World Renowned Malian Musician, Lasssana Diabate!
Dear Colleagues, Friends,
Itinerary for Lassana’s Visit (Updated Thursday, Feb 17th at 8:15 am)
Wednesday, Feb 22nd at 1pm – Lassana will perform to introduce and close the CBU Library presentation “Viola Desmond’s Canada” with Wanda Robson and Dr. Graham Reynolds. Find more information about this event HERE. If you are unable to attend in person, you can join us via livestream at this link: https://youtu.be/vC14rV1xlf0
Thursday, Feb 23rd (daytime) – Lassana will work with Cape Breton youth in a workshop, “Intercultural Performance Laboratory” at the Centre for Sound Communities Studio.
Thursday, Feb 23rd at 4pm – Lassana will provide a music educator’s workshop at the Centre for Sound Communities Studio! Please bring any instruments such as wooden xylophones and mallets (for you and other workshop participants).
Friday, Feb 24th at 5pm – Lassana will engage in intercultural music-making with local musicians, as a means of “Celebrating African Musical Traditions!” Join us for this special event in honour of African Heritage Month. (Livestreaming may be available – stay tuned!)
Sunday, Feb 26th at 2pm – Lassana will perform in a house concert! Join him and local community members at A Paradise Found Bed & Breakfast (62 Milton Street, Sydney NS), and enjoy a chance to meet and chat with this extraordinary musician. $20 at the door; all proceeds go to the musician.
Tuesday, Feb 28th at 7pm– Lassana will be presenting The Sunjata Story: Glimpses of a Mande Epic – the first in a series of films as part of the Global Musics – Local Connections FILM FESTIVAL at the Cape Breton Regional Public Library, McConnell Branch!
This series of intercultural learning events is a partnership with Global Musics – Local Connections and the Centre for Sound Communities at Cape Breton University.
For more information about Lassana and his Cape Breton visit and events, please visit write us at sound_communities@cbu.ca or call Dr. Marcia Ostashewski at (Mobile) (780) 264-7624!
Interview with Kassé Mady Diabaté
This interview and recital was shot in September 2015 at Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, where Kassé Mady Diabaté performed with his group composed of his cousin, Lansiné Kouyaté(balafon), Badjè Tounkara(nkoni) and Balaké Sissoko(Kora), all jaliw or Mande oral artists. This exchange illustrates the process by which they change the repertoire they inherit from their forebears and adapt it to their time and needs. Chérif Keita is seen in the role of the host(patron) or jatigi of the visiting artists. As a noble or horon, he is expected to be as generous as his own ancestors in their patronage(jatigiya) for the artists. This is all the more necessary as Kassé Mady’s family has been connected to Chérif’s family for decades.
Digital Poetry Translations
The digital interns engaged in three poetry exercises today in anticipation of creating an online poetry archive. For the last project of the morning, the interns used digital photographs of different locations around Cape Breton University that they had taken the previous day, while learning how to use the photography app of iPads from the Centre for Sound Communities. They then created online graphics, collages, and slideshows on their newly created WordPress websites using their recently acquired skills through WordPress training. The digital interns crafted their own individual poems to express how they felt about the different spaces and using technology to interpret those spaces.
Earlier in the morning the interns discussed how they might create an online poetry archive for a future project, and all of the ways that they could use technology to make that poetry accessible through media. The result was two videos: the first emulating Sachiko Murakami’s own interpretation of Elizabeth Bachinsky’s poem “When I have the Body of a Man”, entitled “When I was a Digital Intern”, and the second a comprehension practice of Christine Leclerc’s 40,000km protest poem which resulted in a piece entitled “Satirical Protest Against MAC Computers . . .” (see videos below).
The digital interns from the Centre for Sound Communities at Cape Breton University mimic Sachiko Murakami’s interpretation of Elizabeth Bachinsky’s poem “When I have the Body of a Man” in preparation for their work in creating an online poetry archive. Titled “When I was a Digital Intern”, the interns stood in a circle reciting the poem they created, filmed in a single take traveling 360 degrees. Therefore, the poem begins and ends with the same person.
The digital interns from the Centre for Sound Communities at Cape Breton University engage in satirical protest against MAC computers as a comprehension practice about Christine LeClerc’s 40,000km protest poem as they prepare to create an online poetry website.
Filmed on January 26, 2017, in the CBU library computer lab.
Digital Intern Orientation
Today our ten digital interns began their orientation at the Centre for Sound Communities. We would like to congratulate and thank them for being a part of this project. We are really looking forward to getting started with such a great team!
The orientation began with a warm welcome for our interns, an overview of the project, and then introductions, as well as icebreakers. Our Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator, Amy and Matt, took the interns on a tour of CBU campus to get to know the university. After lunch, interns took photographs and created biographies that can be found under the digital interns tab of our website. Later in the afternoon, the interns met one on one with their coordinators.
Good luck to everyone who will be starting their WordPress training tomorrow, continuing through the week until Friday.