Hello everyone!
We have exciting news. Not only are we just one week away from our annual fundraiser at the Gladstone Hotel (the two shows are going to be AMAZING! All the details are included in our last post), but we just launched our first ever Indiegogo campaign!
Indiegogo is an online crowd funding site that allows us to share our project at Ecole St. Albert Le Grand with the whole wide world and provides an easy way for folks to contribute online.
We have set a goal of $6,915 for our Indiegogo campaign, which is how much we estimate is needed to help the school start their own small business. Interested in finding out more? Please visit our Indiegogo site at igg.me/at/BazouSchool - the video below will also introduce you to the campaign.
We would really appreciate it if you could help us spread the news by sharing this news with your family, friends, colleagues, neighbours...the more the merrier! Every bit helps!
Njacko Backo & Valery Woloshyn travelled to Bazou, Cameroon, in January 2009 and visited École Saint Albert Le Grand, the school that Njacko attended as a child. During the visit the couple was inspired to help improve the education in the community. This is a 5 year project to make improvements to the school infrastructure.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
May 11 Fundraiser Details
Hello everyone!
We have finalized the lineup for the fundraiser on May 11th, and are excited to share it with you. The Gladstone Hotel has graciously offered to host the fundraiser again this year - thank you Gladstone!
Below you will find the posters (French and English) - please share with your friends and family!
We have finalized the lineup for the fundraiser on May 11th, and are excited to share it with you. The Gladstone Hotel has graciously offered to host the fundraiser again this year - thank you Gladstone!
An Evening For Bazou will start at 8:30pm, will be hosted by our talented MC's Luther Hansraj and Jacques Yams and will include the following fabulous performers:
Mother Tongue - Musical influences from around the globe are fused into the inspired sounds of the band Mother Tongue, the recipients of "Music Africa" awards as "Best Pan African Band" in 1994 and "Best African Band" in 1995 and nominated for a Juno Award in 1994 for their album Enat. Get ready to dance to the infectious rhythms of Mother Tongue! The band is represented by Celina Carroll, Carlo Cesta, Rachel Melas, Conny Nowe, Yared Tesfaye, Maryem Hassan-Tollar and Chip Yarwood.
Eh?! - A new collaborative fiddle-based trio of Emilyn Stam, Anne Lederman and James Stephens. Eh?! combines an unparalleled depth of knowledge of traditional Canadian music from throughout the country with innovative original expression. Dedicated to exploring the myriad pathways between the old and the new, EH?! brings together veteran and young musicians in creative exploration. All three core members of Eh?! sing and play several instruments: voices, piano, mandolin, guitar, feet, percussion and accordion all weave their way through an Eh?! experience.
The Reel Bulgars - The Reel Bulgars started in 2011 as the brain child of a small group of parents with musical kids who wanted to provide a musical outlet outside of school ensembles and education programs. The group meets weekly and all the musicians are encouraged to contribute repertoire. Arrangements are created sometimes as written out pieces and sometimes as a group effort in rehearsal. The current repertoire includes traditional Irish, French and Klezmer tunes.
Afternoon Family Fun will take place between 3-5pm and will feature children's performances by the following talented artists:
Soli & Rob - Touted by Amy Verner in TORONTO LIFE magazine as one of the “biggest names in pint-sized entertainment,” Soli & Rob have written & performed 4 Alistair Ant shows, each one a captivating blend of puppetry, acting, dancing & original music. “Bigger the Better, said Alistair Ant!”, in which Alistair laments his smallness, broke KidsVenue audience attendance records at the 2002 TORONTO FRINGE FESTIVAL. Soli & Rob’s entry in the 2004 Fringe Fest, “Double Trouble for Alistair Ant” was selected as a critic’s pick by the TORONTO STAR.
Naomi Tyrrell - Naomi Tyrrell has performed in very cool places like China, Japan, Yugoslavia and off Broadway New York.
She plans to help Njacko teach story telling through Mime, Mask and Music to folks in his home town in Africa.
For this special fundraiser Naomi is bringing her most favourite wild and wonderful characters. Get ready to sing, sign and laugh your way through a world of fun.
Howl with Gramps, yodel with Gretchen and wrap it all up with Red Dog Rapper.
Njacko Backo - Story and music time with the energetic and engaging Njacko Backo!
She plans to help Njacko teach story telling through Mime, Mask and Music to folks in his home town in Africa.
For this special fundraiser Naomi is bringing her most favourite wild and wonderful characters. Get ready to sing, sign and laugh your way through a world of fun.
Howl with Gramps, yodel with Gretchen and wrap it all up with Red Dog Rapper.
Below you will find the posters (French and English) - please share with your friends and family!
Sunday, February 3, 2013
New video! Mini-documentary for the project
Hello everyone!
We are really excited to share with you a new mini-documentary about the project for St. Albert Le Grade. Our friend Kelly O'Dette made it for us, and we are really grateful for her skills! We also thank Ngasseu Kamga and Jacques Yamdjie for volunteering to be interviewed for the video - their support over the years has been solid and very valuable!
Please have a look:
We also have other videos that have arrived from Peguy in Cameroon that we will share with you soon. He was able to create DVDs and give them to our friend Jacques Yamdjie, so the quality of these videos is much nicer than the ones we have posted before. Thank you Peguy!!
Blessings to you all,
Njacko and Val
We are really excited to share with you a new mini-documentary about the project for St. Albert Le Grade. Our friend Kelly O'Dette made it for us, and we are really grateful for her skills! We also thank Ngasseu Kamga and Jacques Yamdjie for volunteering to be interviewed for the video - their support over the years has been solid and very valuable!
Please have a look:
We also have other videos that have arrived from Peguy in Cameroon that we will share with you soon. He was able to create DVDs and give them to our friend Jacques Yamdjie, so the quality of these videos is much nicer than the ones we have posted before. Thank you Peguy!!
Blessings to you all,
Njacko and Val
Friday, August 31, 2012
2012 Project Update - Remarkable Progress!
Wow, we have had our socks knocked off with the latest photos that Peguy has sent us from Bazou. There has been incredible progress made this year, and the 2012 project is almost finished! And we have more good news - the school and the parent council have worked together to come up with an initiative that will help the school generate more income without raising school fees. More on that below, first here are the photos.
These first photos show the portions of the school before this summer's rehabilitation work.
Those of you who have been following the projects know that last year we constructed new latrines for the school. We also connected a water supply (which you can see in the 8th photo above, counting up), and this year they are constructing the handwashing station!
One last finishing touch to the latrines - a grab bar is being installed to make the latrine accessible.
As mentioned above, the school and parent council have come up with a way that we can help them become more financially secure. They have asked us to help them buy a tent, generator, sound system, and chairs so that they can rent this equipment to folks in the community for different funerals and celebrations. We know from first hand experience when we were in Bazou in 2009 for Njacko's parents' funeral that it can be quite challenging to find all of these things when you are planning your event. It can take a lot of work and time to pull all of this equipment together. Almost every weekend in Bazou there will be a different funeral or celebration, and we are really impressed with the school's idea. For our fundraiser this year (May 11, 2013), some of the funds we raise will be going towards this initiative as well as further improvements to the school. Our goal is to have all of the equipment purchased by the end of the five years and to work with the school to help them develop their business plan.
All of this work and progress wouldn't be possible without all of your support, the support of various schools here in Ontario who have been doing their own fundraising, the support of all of the artists who have been generously giving their time and talents at our fundraisers, and the Gladstone Hotel. On behalf of the students and school in Bazou, we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.
Blessings,
Njacko and Val
These first photos show the portions of the school before this summer's rehabilitation work.
There has been a lot of work done already this summer, and everything should be ready in time for the new school year. Here are some photos of the work being done. The first photos show the building rehabilitation.
One last finishing touch to the latrines - a grab bar is being installed to make the latrine accessible.
All of this work and progress wouldn't be possible without all of your support, the support of various schools here in Ontario who have been doing their own fundraising, the support of all of the artists who have been generously giving their time and talents at our fundraisers, and the Gladstone Hotel. On behalf of the students and school in Bazou, we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.
Blessings,
Njacko and Val
Saturday, June 9, 2012
We have passed the $5000 mark!
Greetings everyone,
We just arrived home from the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival and wanted to share some great news with you.
Last week Njacko went to Upper Canada College to meet with the two boys who lead the fundraising effort at UCC for St. Albert le Grand (Henry Gage and Neel Ismail). Based on their efforts, the students came together and raised $421! Thank you UCC!
Our total for the fundraising this year has now reached just over $5,500. We are really looking forward to getting this year's project ready. In the next couple of weeks we will be talking with the school to firm up the plans for this summer's project. We'll be in touch to let you know when work will be starting.
Blessings,
Njacko and Val
We just arrived home from the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival and wanted to share some great news with you.
Last week Njacko went to Upper Canada College to meet with the two boys who lead the fundraising effort at UCC for St. Albert le Grand (Henry Gage and Neel Ismail). Based on their efforts, the students came together and raised $421! Thank you UCC!
Our total for the fundraising this year has now reached just over $5,500. We are really looking forward to getting this year's project ready. In the next couple of weeks we will be talking with the school to firm up the plans for this summer's project. We'll be in touch to let you know when work will be starting.
Blessings,
Njacko and Val
Sunday, May 27, 2012
May 12th fundraiser a success!!
Hello everyone! We are still floating on air since the two fundraising events held on May 12th at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto! We raised $4500 at the fundraiser, including a donation of $200 from Glenn Street PS from a bake sale that they held for the project! We would like to thank everyone for their generous support - and thank those of you who are still sending in donations.
We would also like to thank Upper Canada College who has contacted us to let us that they have raised an additional $420 from their casual day held last week! Thank you UCC!
If you would like to contribute, we have a couple of options for you:
- you may mail a cheque made payable to Valery Woloshyn to PO Box 632, 31 Adelaide St. E, Toronto, ON M5C 2J8
- you may send us an email transfer to Love@NjackoBacko.com. Please use the question: Where is the school? And the answer: Bazou
We had a wonderful audience for the afternoon family show. The children (and parents!) were singing, dancing, and playing along for all three performances! Here are a few photos:
Later the same day, we welcomed a full house for the evening concert. There were people who came from near and far...some all the way from Kingston, Maynooth, Brampton, Chatham, Prince Edward County, Montreal, Georgina, Bolton, Mississauga, Oshawa...
The energy for the whole concert was incredible. The audience was dancing right off the bat thanks to the grooves put down by Kome Manu (and Fojeba). When Sahara Sloan took the stage with Justin, she had us all captivated with her angelic voice. Finally, when Afroteque took the stage, the energy shot through the roof and the dancers took to the floor. We will have video footage of the performance in the next few weeks to share, however in the mean time, we hope that you enjoy these few photos:
We will be in touch with the school in the next couple of weeks to finalize plans for this summer's work. We will be constructing and handwashing station and rehabilitating another portion of the school which is shown in the photos below.
We would also like to thank Upper Canada College who has contacted us to let us that they have raised an additional $420 from their casual day held last week! Thank you UCC!
If you would like to contribute, we have a couple of options for you:
- you may mail a cheque made payable to Valery Woloshyn to PO Box 632, 31 Adelaide St. E, Toronto, ON M5C 2J8
- you may send us an email transfer to Love@NjackoBacko.com. Please use the question: Where is the school? And the answer: Bazou
We had a wonderful audience for the afternoon family show. The children (and parents!) were singing, dancing, and playing along for all three performances! Here are a few photos:
 |
| Soli & Rob - alistairant.com |
 |
| Charlie Kert - www.littlefingersmusic.com You can catch Charlie and the ROCKgarden Party at Fringe! |
 |
| Njacko Backo presenting African Voyages |
The energy for the whole concert was incredible. The audience was dancing right off the bat thanks to the grooves put down by Kome Manu (and Fojeba). When Sahara Sloan took the stage with Justin, she had us all captivated with her angelic voice. Finally, when Afroteque took the stage, the energy shot through the roof and the dancers took to the floor. We will have video footage of the performance in the next few weeks to share, however in the mean time, we hope that you enjoy these few photos:
 |
| Val and Njacko welcoming the room full of beautiful supporters |
 |
| The beautiful supporters! |
 |
| Kome Manu - his new CD is available online at CD Baby |
 |
| Sahara Sloan with Justin |
Afroteque with Jane Bunnett
 |
| Ngasseu Kamga Sylvie - a HUGE supporter of the project (she sold $880 of advance tickets for the fundraiser!) |
 |
June 15 @ 7pm Celina Carroll will be performing for a music meditation with Shakuhachi (bamboo flute) Master Debbie Danbrook at The Inner Garden at 401 Richmond St. W. Celina will be playing Berimbau and Kalimba. Website
|
 |
| The one and only Jane Bunnett! www.JaneBunnett.com |
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Wow! We just heard amazing news from Peguy in Cameroon. The work that we have done here in Canada to raise money to support the improvements at Ecole St. Albert le Grand has inspired others to start contributing to the school! The school now has electricity and two computers! It is beautiful news for us to hear that the generosity that started here in our communities is spreading. And all of it is for the benefit of the children in Bazou. Thank you to everyone for their support, we're really looking forward to coming together with all of you on May 12th at the Gladstone Hotel!
3-5 PM Afternoon Family Fun!
* City Parent Magazine’s 2008 “Toronto’s #1 Children’s Entertainers” SOLI & ROB with ALISTAIR ANT (alistairant.com)
* Ontario Arts Council sponsored educator CHARLIE KERT who will perform interactive songs from his LITTLE FINGERS MUSIC catalog (www.littlefingersmusic.com)* African tales with NJACKO BACKO (English and French)
8:30PM An Evening for Bazou
* Multiple Juno Award winner JANE BUNNETT
* Toronto’s newest Afro fusion band AFROTEQUE - Music from the Sun (featuring Njacko Backo, Altaf Bwana Moto Vellani, Celina Carroll, Maryem Hassam, Rick Lazar, Paul Neufeld, Paco Luviano)
* Up-and-coming opera star SAHARA SLOAN with COLIN DOROSCHUK of Men Without Hats fame,
* Cameroonian KOME MANU who just released a new album
Tickets are $20 (or pay what you can at the door)
Tickets can be purchased in advance at African Drums & Art Crafts, 618 Dundas St. W
Questions and interview requests can be directed to Love@NjackoBacko.com, 416.836.8951
With thanks to the Gladstone Hotel for their ongoing support!
3-5 PM Afternoon Family Fun!
* City Parent Magazine’s 2008 “Toronto’s #1 Children’s Entertainers” SOLI & ROB with ALISTAIR ANT (alistairant.com)
* Ontario Arts Council sponsored educator CHARLIE KERT who will perform interactive songs from his LITTLE FINGERS MUSIC catalog (www.littlefingersmusic.com)* African tales with NJACKO BACKO (English and French)
Tickets are $10/child (adult included)
8:30PM An Evening for Bazou
* Multiple Juno Award winner JANE BUNNETT
* Toronto’s newest Afro fusion band AFROTEQUE - Music from the Sun (featuring Njacko Backo, Altaf Bwana Moto Vellani, Celina Carroll, Maryem Hassam, Rick Lazar, Paul Neufeld, Paco Luviano)
* Up-and-coming opera star SAHARA SLOAN with COLIN DOROSCHUK of Men Without Hats fame,
* Cameroonian KOME MANU who just released a new album
Tickets are $20 (or pay what you can at the door)
Tickets can be purchased in advance at African Drums & Art Crafts, 618 Dundas St. W
Questions and interview requests can be directed to Love@NjackoBacko.com, 416.836.8951
With thanks to the Gladstone Hotel for their ongoing support!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)