Jay Stoller - Manager, lead facilitator
Jay is an African drumming specialist, studying this field over the past 20 years. He holds a B.P.E., B.ED. as well as a Diploma in African Music from the University of Ghana. Living and studying drumming in Ghana for almost 4 years has given him an insightful understanding of African music and culture that he has been sharing this with school students, and adults in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario over he past 9 years.
He currently performs with African percussion group “Bafana”, the Ghanaian cultural dancers, children’s entertainers “Bill ‘n Jay Cool Beans” and is also the musical director and lead drummer for Nafro Dance.
Jay teaches adult group classes a few times throughout the year, operates the corporate team building company Drum Café and has an importing business on the side. You can read more about Jay on his website www.africandrumdrum.com
Tannis Zimmer – Facilitator, bass drum, dunun
After living in the Grand Cayman Islands and Calgary for several years, Winnipeg is fortunate that Tannis has decided to come back home. A talented dancer, over the past 20 years she has studied tap, jazz, African and hip hop dance. She is always a hit at the SCD’s annual adult showcase. Musically, Tannis has studied Cuban and African drumming and has a very good ear for rhythm, perhaps due to her stint on the French horn in junior high school.
Currently, Tannis is a much-referred massage therapist for both the Winnipeg arts/dance community, as well as Winnipeg’s visiting artists.
Tannis has been part of the Drum Café team since 2006.
Asmara Polcyn – djembe
Asmara is an extremely talented musician and athlete. Having studied at the Toronto Conservatory of music, she attained a masterbandsman level 5 with the sea cadet marching band. She has studied improv and stand up comedy and is a frequesnt performer at the Winnipeg Fringe festival. Asmara has performed as a martial artist and musician with Viva Capoeira, and played percussion with Grack a Doon percussion ensemble.
Asmara has completed several full marathons and is currently the provincial novice boxing champion. She is an entrepreneur, wonderful hairstylist and loves to garden.
Asmara has been part of the Drum Café team since 2006.
Jamie Pearson – dunun
Arms stretched skyward, muscle and artery aqueducts of celestial joy, Jamie is a child in the throes of a first crush, smitten by dance. A humble vessel in which passion and play swirl, then tumble forth onto the West African dunun, Jamie sprinkles the bottom end with a febrile pulse. Having apprenticed in Dunkutoo, the Bevs, Drum Café and a myriad of rhythmic aggregates of flesh and bone, Jamie is happiest when marrying sound to movement, but also adores hula-hooping while ochre-clad, reading upside down and mending broken hearts. He is also an aspiring massage therapist.
Jamie has been part of the Drum Café team since 2006.
Alexandra Garrido – Facilitator and Bass Drummer
Alexandra
is a talented artist. She has studied theater at the university of
Winnipeg for several years. During that time she was also a featured
dancer with Bolero Dance Company, performing Spanish and Flamenco Dance
styles. She also explored Caribbean dance with visions Dance in
Winnipeg. Alexandra was a special guest dancer with Nafro dance
productions, an African modern dance group. She is currently pursuing
professional dance studies at Winnipeg school of contemporary dancers.
Chris Scholl – Djembe
Chris Scholl has been working as a professional musician, drum circle facilitator and composer for over fifteen years. He has performed as a drummer in several diverse bands in Winnipeg from the Wedgewoods, Junk Culture, Skulduggery, Leaderhouse and with solo artist Sonia Marie. He has performed with West African percussion groups Bafana and Batuque as well as performing with Fire Dance Productions, a fire dance troupe from Winnipeg.
Chris has been facilitating drum/percussion workshops for adults and children with special needs for the past 4 years. He is mainly self-taught but has participated in many drum clinics, workshops and lessons.
Chris is currently working with Drum Café facilitating corporate team building workshops and has been with them for the past 2-½ years. He is the founder of D.N.A. rhythms, assisting people to discover their own rhythm through education, recording production and performance.
Chris has been part of the Drum Café team since 2006.
Mark Paxton MacRae – djembe
Mark has a deep passion for both music and archaeology. Archaeology has taken him to distant corners of the world; music has kept him in Winnipeg. Mark has played djembe, dunun and other obscure instruments for longer than he’d like to admit. He has been a member of Winnipeg bands Bafana, Dunkutoo and Nafro Dance Productions. Obscure instruments that Mark can play quite well include the 21 string African harp called a kora, and the Irish uillean pipes.
Mark has been part of the Drum Café team since 2006.
