Students in the Media: Idrissa Camara portrait

Interviews with two of our undergraduate students featured in a new BBC Radio 4 documentary this week. The documentary portrait of West African dancer and choreographer Idrissa Camara included his current work as director of Lanyi, the School of Music’s African student dance and drum ensemble.

Students Anton-Jari Desai-Paulden (BSc Physics with Music) and Phoebe Greenland (BMus) were interviewed about Idrissa’s teaching methods and what they have learned from their experiences with Lanyi.

Ethnomusicology lecturer Dr Amanda Villepastour also featured in the documentary.

Lanyi means “gathering” in Idrissa Camara’s first language, Susu. It is the School’s first African music and dance ensemble, established to give students experience in singing, dancing and playing a range of instruments from the Mande world in West Africa.

Lanyi will give a free concert full of dancing, drumming and high spirits at the School’s Concert Hall on Saturday 29 March 2014.

BBC Radio 4 portrait on Idrissa Camara: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03w0200​

Ballet Nimba, Idrissa’s Guinean music and dance company: http://www.balletnimba.org.uk/