Unleash Your Creativity!

One of the exciting things about working with a community center is that the children can have a say in the programming and initiatives that we develop. In a sense, their passions and goals become a driving force for us as we create a plan for each year. In 2017, the overwhelming vote from the children of Simba’s Footprints was for English and music programs. With a thriving English program already underway, we at Asali set our sights on implementing a new music program.

The Asali Music Studio was built in May of 2018 in a new location for the community center. After a fresh coat of paint, we filled the room with donated or purchased guitars, keyboards, and a variety of percussion instruments. We were also able to provide a P.A. system and microphones. The students are absolutely loving the time they spend in the studio learning about music and daydreaming of careers in the music industry. We have hired two local musicians: Peter (Keyboard and Bass player) and Dialo (Guitar, Drums and Saxophone player). The studio is open three days a week with these teachers who run classes with our students.

Since the studio was built, Asali has collaborated with a Kenyan-based nonprofit, Global Youth Groove (GYG). GYG’s mission is to transform the lives of youth and children in Kenya by providing them with an opportunity to develop their musical abilities. The founder Sam Lutomia and Asali co-founder Margot Hinchey developed the collaboration and Margot has, for the past two years, joined the GYG team on their annual Kenyan exchange trip where they bring American musicians to Kenya. Some of these musicians have included, Prince Charles Alexander (a sought-after recording and mixing engineer, whose clients include Mary J. Blige, Destiny's Child, Faith Evans, P. Diddy, the Notorious B.I.G., Usher, Boyz II Men, Brandy, Babyface, Sting, Aretha Franklin, Usher, Brian McKnight, and others) and Victor Wooten, now a five-time Grammy winner, and a founding member of the group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Asali will be collaborating with GYG to bring their vision and mission into Tanzania and will be starting with the music program we established at Simba’s Footprints.

Keep yours ears open for some Asali students’ music coming to you soon…