Workshop Festival at SOAS brings Afro-Latin culture and music to Bloomsbury
SOAS celebrated culture and music recently, through the Afro-Latin Workshop Festival, a celebration of both African and Latin American music traditions, thanks to SOAS History of Music student Wren Küchemann-Scales.
The workshops are part of a pilot internship programme that was supported by the SOAS Department of Music and the SOAS Concert Series, which is set to run again in 2027.
The three-day event was marked with a variety of workshops that included Afro-Columbian Bullerengue and music of Cuban Comparsa performance troupes, lessons on Brazilian Percussion, celebrations of 75-years of Trinidad and Tobago Steel Pan performance, storytelling on the Senegalese Kora and exploration into Moroccan Gnawa music.
These events help ensure that the application of our specialised research here at SOAS can stay relevant to the world around us.
Speaking on the curation of the workshops Wren said: “Informed by my extensive experience with student live music and events during my degree, I saw this as an opportunity to create something that not only served an academic purpose, but also a broader community building one. These events help ensure that the application of our specialised research here at SOAS can stay relevant to the world around us, encourage exchange and relationships with external people, as well as promote some collective joy!”
Department of Music Professor Rachel Harris added: “We're really delighted that the School of Arts was able to support this internship. Wren has organised a wonderful festival, gaining valuable contacts and experience in events management, and showcasing the wealth of talent associated with SOAS Music.”
Georgie Pope, who leads on the Concert Series also said: “Wren worked hard to put together an incredibly unique programme, drawing from the contacts he has built during his time at SOAS, and beyond. He learned how to create and maintain a project budget, to produce and promote a programme, and to deliver it. Bravo Wren, it was a great experience!”
