Marimba Performances

The marimba (South African xylophone), one of Africa’s oldest instruments, combines powerful rhythms and harmonies with lyrical melodies and is perfect as a feature performance or background sound. The Drum Cafe offers marimba performances, with the option of adding drums, song, dance, saxophone, steel drum or the instrument of your choice. Traditional African songs, original compositions and pop songs can be included in the repertoire. We can create special marimba pieces and custom-make marimba performances to match your event.
We offer a wide range of top-quality South African-based marimba groups. The Drum Cafe’s in-house marimba groups, Basadi Le Meropa and Udumu are in great demand.

Basadi Le Meropa - “Women of the Drums”
Basadi Le Meropa is a group of young South African women, who tell the stories of their lives through marimba, song, drums, dance and the spoken word. Drumming has previously been a male-dominated cultural activity, but the Drum Cafe’s creation of Basadi Le Meropa in 2003 turned this stereotype upside down.

Representing the strength, talent and optimism of African women, Basadi provides a refreshing performance filled with original composition and choreography, colourful costumes, exhilarating drumming, melodic marimbas, upbeat vocals and a wide variety of dances including stick-fighting choreography, Afro-contemporary dance, Pantsula and Township Jive. The show is unique in that it draws upon the individual experiences of the women, who are each performers in their own right. Basadi are also starting to branch out by playing other traditional instruments including the mbira, akadinda, uhadi and kudu horn.

Basadi Le Meropa have toured the Netherlands for the Festival Mundial and Belgium. The ladies were one of the top feature performances for South African President Thabo Mbeki at the opening of Parliament, and they received a standing ovation at the opening ceremony of the Women’s World Cup Cricket.

Basadi Le Meropa also facilitate tailor-made interactive drumming sessions. We can extend the Basadi to a group of eleven or more, for an even more potent all-woman experience. The ladies also come together in a sparkling fusion performance with elements of fusion drumming.