Our Leaders

Kathy Bullock
Ali Burns
Galina Durmushliyska
Iris Werkhoven Ficker
Sheasby Matiure
Fred Onovwerosuoke
Ablawa Reine
Marilyn M. Sylla
Sekou Sylla
Brendan Taaffe

Kathy Bullock's father was a Baptist minister, and she grew up singing and playing piano and organ in his church and performing with her four sisters. She is a professor of music at Berea College where, in addition to teaching music theory and ear training, she teaches courses in African-American music and directs the Berea College Black Music Ensemble, a 100+ strong gospel choir that performs sacred music from the African-American tradition.

From Galloway in South West Scotland, Ali Burns is a songwriter, researcher and workshop facilitator, known for her original compositions, her research into British traditions, and her passion about building community through song. Her inspirational teaching led one participant to say, "A workshop with Ali Burns is like coming home – the words and harmonies reach deep into your soul – I feel I could fly." You can hear her songs in settings as diverse as public art installations; theatre; mainstream and special needs education and in the repertoire of many community choirs around Britain. She also spends much of her time researching traditional song archives and her workshops often draw on that repertoire. Her attention to simple, profound text is the hallmark of her music which "shivers and crackles with delicious harmonies."

Galina Durmushliyska. One of Bulgaria's "most celebrated female vocalists," Galina was born in the Black Sea region of Dobrudzha, on the Bulgaria / Romania border. A professional singer since 1977, she specializes in the delicate singing typical for Dobrudzha, characterized by fine vibrato, tenderness and complex ornamentation. Galina first performed with the State Ensemble Dobrudzha, going on to found Trio Dobrudzhanka, and singing with the Kalimana Vocal Group and the Bulgarian Vocal Trio. The Bulgarian National Radio Archive contains over 110 recordings of her work. In short, she's the real deal. From 2000 to 2007, Galina has been living in the Netherlands, where she has worked with the Kusmet ensemble, the Slavuj choir and the Project Choirs "femail@stage" and "Chubrica". Today Galina and her Dutch husband live and work in Kotel, Bulgaria.

Iris Werkhoven Ficker. A lyrical soprano, Iris has studied Russian folk singing with Irina Raspopova and learned Bulgarian vocal technique from Galina Durmushliyska and Desi Georgieva (Filip Kutev Ensemble). She sings with acclaimed Dutch groups The Pauni Trio and Mesechinka, and has been the lead singer in various world music ensembles (Lirio, Yia Sou, Chalice Well. In 2005, she toured through Europe with Northern Harmony.

Iris has mastered the complex ornaments of the Trakia and Dobrudzha regions. Her voice is "colourful like a tulip, fresh as a spring hyacinth and beautiful as a rose." And she has the coolest pair of cowboy boots you'll ever see.

From Zimbabwe, Sheasby Matiure is a renowned player of nyunga nyunga mbira, ngoma and marimba, as well as an accomplished choral leader. Holding graduate degrees in music in both Zimbabwe and the United States, Sheasby has performed across Europe, Africa and North America as a solo artist and as Artistic Director of the Zimbabwe National Dance Company.

For the past decade, Sheasby has been living in Bloomington, Indiana, where he has led the IU Marimba Ensemble and the Mbira Queens. He has also been active in leading workshops throughout the US and has repeatedly been invited to teach and perform at the Zimbabwean Music Festival held annually in the Pacific Northwest.

Fred Onovwerosuoke's vast knowledge of many African singing traditions makes him one of the world's most consulted authorities on African choral music. FredO, as he is affectionately known to students and friends, was born in Ghana to Nigerian parents. Now director of the St. Louis African Chorus, FredO maintains an active schedule as conductor, lecturer, and presenter of African choral music, and has been featured at World Choral Symposium events, the American Choral Directors Association, the Toronto International Choral Festival, and the Coro Municipal Juiz de Fora in Brazil.

He is loved by all who come in contact with him for his generous nature, zest for life and art, and deep appreciation for the musics of the world. Equally erudite in Western and Classical music traditions, FredO’s teaching style weaves technical details about singing style together with stories and a philosophy that is both inspirational and accessible. Fluent in French and several African languages, FredO travels extensively in Africa and around the world.

Ablawa Reine was born in Ouida, Benin, where she absorbed traditional songs and stories from her grandmother and other elder. Many of the songs she sings today were learned in those formative years, and though she likes all kinds of music, Reine says, "traditional songs touch my soul as nothing else." While in Benin, Reine worked as the assistant director of the Choeur Enfants Du Benin (Children's Choir of Benin). Reine came to the U.S. in 2006 to work with the St. Louis African Chorus, where she has been a popular teacher. Her rapport with children and adults elicits both love and discipline.

Marilyn M. Sylla teaches African dance at Smith and Amherst Colleges, in addition to acting as director of the Bamidele Dancers and Drummers. Marilyn studied Haitian Folkloric dance in Port Au Prince, Haiti at the Ecole National Des Arts. She also performed at the Theatre Nationale' in Port-au-Prince with Ballet Folklorique Tamboula. She has performed and taught in Senegal and Guinea, West Africa and also in Brazil at Malé de Balé and at the Universidade Federal da Bahia. She returns to Africa regularly to continue her studies of African dance and music.

Sekou Sylla was a principal dancer, acrobat and musician with Les Ballet Africains, the National Dance Company of the Republic of Guinea, West Africa, until he relocated to Massachusetts in 1996. Sekou has taught and performed all over the world including Africa, Australia, Europe, Spain, Korea, Finland, France, England, Mexico and North and South America. He currently teaches African Dance at Mt. Holyoke College and Greenfield Community College. Sekou received outstanding reviews for his work with Les Ballet Africains; and speaks English, French, and his tribal languages Sou Sou and Malinke.

Brendan Taaffe is a composer and arranger who has toured with Northern Harmony, taught with Village Harmony, and given vocal workshops around Ireland. He is a member of numerous dance bands, holds a Master's degree in Traditional Music from the University of Limerick, and is the author of Handy with the Stick, a book about Irish fiddling. Brendan is known for his dynamic conducting, and his gift for bringing out everyone's talents.

© Brendan Taaffe, 2006, 2007, 2008.