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Ushamwari is a marimba ensemble, composed of twelve 9th grade students, who have been playing marimbas under the leadership of Odyssey and Sakai music teacher Paul Meehan. Ushamwari means "life-long friends" in the language of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. We have been learning and performing in community events for over four years. Our next step is to take our marimbas and music to Ometepe, Nicaragua.

We are an official delegation of the Bainbridge Ometepe Sister Islands Association (BOSIA) and plan to travel to Ometepe in June of 2008. Our plan is to build Shona style marimbas with the students of Ometepe and teach the students beginning marimba pieces. We will perform for Ometepe community everts and, in turn, learn about the Nicaraguan marimba traditions.

We hope to build relationships which will lead to an ongoing marimba music program for Ometepe. We have raised over $9000 towards this project, thanks to the generosity of our supporters from IslandWood, the Indianola community, and BOSIA. At our latest fundraiser at Island Center Hall we raised over $4,000. Our goal is to raise additional funds to bring materials, mallets and tools to Ometepe; as well as complete the needed funds for student air and ground travel.

If you'd like to contribute, you can make a monetary contribution to the Ometepe Marimba Project! Monetary donations are tax deductible under BOSIA's non-profit status. And should you make a donation of $15.00 donation or more, you will receive a free Ushamwari Marimba CD.

Please make checks available to: "BOSIA" and make sure to write "Marimba Project" on the memo line and mail to:

BOSIA
PO Box 4484
Rolling Bay WA 98061-0484

Or you can conveniently donate directly to our Marimba Project over BOSIA's secure site.
Follow this link, then click on the "Ushamwari Donation" link on the left

 

Last update for this site: Friday, February 29, 2008 10:15 PM