No Boundaries/Sem Fronteiras is a project we started back in 2007, bringing music education and concerts to Mozambique. The people behind the project are: Winnie Dahlgren, Stewart Sukuma and Samito Matsinhe. For details about who we are, please go to the Bio page.
Background for the project:
Back in 1998 I met Stewart Sukuma in Boston at Berkle College of Music. We quickly became friends, and talked about working together in a musical setting. Stewart needed a band for a festival concert in Atlanta, I helped him out getting the band together. It was a great time at the festival! We then started talking about bringing music and specifically music education to Mozambique. My first trip to Mozambique was in 1999, and it was during that time the idea for “No Boundaries/Sem Fronteiras” took shape. A couple of years later I went to Mozambique on a second trip. During these two trips to Maputo (the capital of Mozambique) I had the pleasure of meeting many of the local musicians there. Many of them had expressed their wish to come to the United States to study, but did not have the financial means to accomplish this dream.
Stewart and I discussed frequently about having my quintet tour Mozambique, give clinics, and promote a musical and cultural exchange of ideas. We would educate the musicians in Maputo, on topics like instrumental technique, harmony, ensemble performance, recording techniques, and any other topics that the participants would like to learn. In return, we would learn about the Mozambican music, specifically, the different styles and musical instruments being used in that region of the world.
Stewart was visiting the States in March of 2006, at which time he also gave a clinic at Berklee College of Music, talking about the music from Mozambique. We again discussed the possibility of making “No Boundaries/Sem Fronteiras” come to life. We are both Berklee alum, so we applied for a Berklee alumni grant, which we were fortunate to receive. With other sponsors we collected enough money to make the project happen in 2007.
May of 2007 we brought my quintet to Mozambique. While in Maputo we focused on the following issues: Auditions for Berklee College of Music, workshops, and concerts. The workshops and concerts were held with the focus on exchanging information across the different cultures. We had several different kinds of workshops during this week in May. There were the instrumental workshops, where we would teach technique on the different instruments: Voice, Piano, Bass, Drums, Percussion, and Sound Engineering. We also held a workshop focusing on how to rehearse, how to practice and prepare for a concert, the attitude towards the music, the leader and band in general. What would/would not be tolerated from a professional musician.
In return we attended workshops where we learned about the music and culture in Mozambique: We met with Compania Nacional de Canto e Dança, who showed us some of the traditional rhythms and dances. Personally I am looking forward to the next trip to Maputo, where I will be meeting with the timbila players, to learn more about playing the traditional marimba from Mozambique.
Towards the end of the trip we went to Matalane to meet the legendary painter and poet Malangatana. It was exciting to hear about the history of his project – Centro Cultural de Matalane. To hear more about the history and political events taking place in Mozambique. To meet some of the people from Matalane who sang and danced for us. To experience an exciting day outside of Maputo, and to eat some of the traditional food from the region.
“No Boundaries/Sem Fronteiras” started with a small idea of just bringing my band to Maputo to perform. It grew into a bigger project with auditions and workshops added, and we are now looking into making this a more permanent project, with exchange happening every year.
If you’re still reading, thank you! If you would like to support our next endevour – the trip in August 2011, from August 14th – 28th, please send us an email.
Have a wonderful day,
Winnie Dahlgren
Co-founder of “No Boundaries/Sem Fronteiras”.