BASADI LE MEROPA

Based in Johannesburg

VIDEO CLIP: WATCH BASADI IN ACTION HERE!

Basadi Le Meropa is a group of young South African women, who tell the stories of their lives through marimba, song, drums, dance and the spoken word. Drumming has previously been a male-dominated cultural activity, but the Drum Café’s creation of Basadi Le Meropa in 2003 turned this stereotype upside down.

Representing the strength, talent and optimism of African women, Basadi provide a refreshing performance filled with original composition and choreography, colourful costumes, exhilarating drumming, melodic marimbas, upbeat vocals and a wide variety of dances including stick-fighting choreography, Afro-contemporary dance, Pantsula and Township Jive. The show is unique in that it draws upon the individual experiences of the women, who are each performers in their own right. Basadi are also starting to branch out by playing other traditional instruments including the mbira, akadinda, uhadi and kudu horn.

Basadi Le Meropa have toured Netherlands for the Festival Mundial as well as Belgium . In 2005, the ladies were one of the top feature performances for South African President Thabo Mbeki at the opening of Parliament, and they received a standing ovation at the opening ceremony of the Women’s World Cup Cricket. Due to the success of their Netherlands tour in 2005, the group returned there again for further performances in November 2006.

Among others, Basadi have performed for:

• Dimension Data
• Old Mutual
• United Cricket Board
• MTN
• Standard Bank
• Alexander Forbes
• Citi Group
• BBC
• IBM
• SAP  

 Basadi Le Meropa can also facilitate tailor-made interactive drumming sessions. They can extend the Basadi to a group of eight or more, for an even more potent all-woman experience. The ladies also come together with the white male virtuoso drummers of 1 st Project, in a sparkling fusion performance with elements of fusion drumming.

United Cricket Board, on Basadi’s opening ceremony performance for Women’s World Cup Cricket 2005
”Your mesmerizing performance got all the guests talking to no end…”

Cadbury’s, Sun City Boma, 500 people, April 2005:
"Basadi were brilliant and awesome! Their performance went down very very well."

Basadi's public appearance at Zoo Lake , Carols by Candlelight, 2004
"Basadi were professional and enthusiastic, and elicited an absolutely fantastic response from the audience.Basadi are highly recommended; we would definitely use them again!"