Hit the Beat donates djembes to Namibian NPO

“We donated drums because they bring people together through the rhythm,” Hit the Beat founder and director Simone de Picciotto said. “I feel happy to contribute with drums. A drum is a basic instrument that everyone can play.”

The donation was followed by a workshop intended for young people who want to pursue a career in music, especially those with an interest in drumming.

The workshop also focused on the guitar, piano and drumkit as well as vocal coaching, dance, theatre, graphic design, photography and film.

HOTA said a workshop in drawing, painting, graffiti and craft would be conducted towards the end of August.  

HOTA founder and director Nanyemba Katamba said the organisation was targeting young people with a passion for the arts.

“The donation of 10 African djembe from Hit the Beat, followed by a two-day workshop, will further HOTA's goal to encourage young people to master live performance,” he said.

“It is important to have such centres in a community. Visual and performing arts and music educate us more about our history, culture and heritage."

About Hit the Beat

The Hit the Beat project began in 1998 when Simone de Picciotto was working at a Waldorf school for disadvantaged children in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. One of her pupils, Korbianian Stahl, chose to do drumming for his Grade 12 project. In the course of working on the project with him, De Picciotto began to attend drumming workshops. Soon the first drums were bought and the first drumming group founded. Since then De Picciotto has been drumming and singing regularly with children in schools. She has also donated drums in countries such as Ghana.

In 2005, De Picciotto began teaching at Waldorf School Windhoek, where she continued the drumming project. In 2012 she returned to Germany and has continued the Hit the Beat project in the form of workshops.