~Current & Recent Performances~

Drum Prayers: Ron, Pepe, Sandi, Sacha & me

Drum Performance Evening Apr 29 in Kits:
Raquy and the Cavemen (with Drum Prayers)

New York drum virtuosos / stars playing Dhoumbek - Great percussion show from 2 pros who are in the top cream of Dhoumbek players on the planet. They are synthesizers of tradition and new style. These are 2 of my favourite drummers ever!

Advance tix are $20, available from me.
Show is 8-about 11 / midnight or so,
In Kits at the St. James Hall at 10th & Trutch

http://www.raquy.com

Pepe Danza's group Drum Prayers, which I am a member of, is performing that night for the dance after Raquy's performance. Poster attached. This is a 3 band night, including Drum Prayers and Pepe's student group the upBeats, as well as Sandi's student group the Djem'babes.

Dance Around the World

Time: 8pm

Date: February 5

Location: Surrey Arts Centre, Main Stage
13750 - 88 Avenue, 1 block east of King George Hwy

Cost: Adult $25 | Student/Senior $20

Description:

World percussionist and cross-cultural specialist Hari Pal returns with a flavourful fusion of authentic dances, music and drums. Feast your eyes and ears on Mimbre Flamenco, as they share the powerful and passionate art of flamenco in its purest form. Savor the sounds as Diva Drum’s Cuban, Brazilian and West African rhythms combine with Pal’s virtuoso tabla playing. Experience the artistry of classical Indian dance, and more! A rousing finale brings all the performers together in a joyous expression of cultural sharing through dance, music and rhythm

And this Benefit raised $8000 & when matched with the government's contribution, a total of $16,000 was raised to Help Haiti Heal...KUDOS to all, especially to Arunima for spearheading this Benefit!

On Thursday January 28th, 2010, join us for a musical extravaganza to raise money on behalf of Doctors Without Borders / MSF to provide emergency medical care to those who were injured in the devastating earthquake. 100% of the proceeds from this event will go to Doctors Without Borders / MSF.

Tickets: $20.00 (incl. taxes)
Location: The Wise Hall - 1882 Adanac Street (the corner of Victoria Drive and Adnac St.) in Vancouver.
Time: 7:00pm - 12:00am

Please visit us at http://www.benefithaiti.ca to purchase your tickets securely through PayPal. The website will also give you information on the wonderful performers that we have lined up for the evening. This is a standing room only event.

If you cannot make it to the event, but would still like to donate, please visit: http://www.benefithaiti.ca/buy-tickets and click the donate button.

Confirmed Performers: Alcvin Ryuzen Ramos,Tambura Rasa,Bocephus King,Navaro Franco, Shine, Joseph "Pepe" Danza,Robin Layne & Andrea,DJ Nils of Beats Without Borders, Zamir Dhanji - MC

MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY DRUM & DANCE AT UBC: Free Admission Day Sat Jan 23!

Free entrance to Museum, + Free Shows:
Ensemble Multi-Cultural Drumming Performance, Aboriginal Dances, & Navaro with DivaDrum

Free Admission to the museum with its magical First Nations carvings, poles and regalia. If you haven't been you must come and experience this magic, at the edge of the forest and cliffs overlooking Georgia Strait.

Drum, Chant, & Dance Schedule in Main Gallery:

~ Aboriginal Opening 1pm - 330, with First Nations Dances & Ensemble Mixed Nations Drumming: With X'walachtun, Hari Pal, Pepe Danza, Boeing Geronimo, Munkie Ncapayi, DivaDrum members: Sandi Millman, Sacha Levin, Navaro Franco (Click here for Event Schedule)

~ DivaDrum 30m Show 330-4 pm

Photo Credits: Chris Randle

November 7th, 2009 from 10:00am until 11:00pm

Celebrate the diversity of Sacred Movement at the first annual InterSpiritual Sacred Dance Festival.

Full day and evening event includes ceremony,
circle dances, lunch,afternoon workshops, evening performances, a zikr, and a community sacred dance. Please check http://www.interspiritualsacreddance.org/index.htm for details

Evening Performance:
Navaro Franco
Helen Liang
Minke de Vos & the Chant Dancers
Bob Baker & the Eagle Dancers
Ishwarya Chaitanya, Mandala Arts

NAVARO & GREEN GAIA
First in a series of EARTH DANCES
A Solo Dance Which Honors Earth as a Living, Conscious Being, and Ourselves as Extensions of Her Mind and Body.
We are recycled beings...made of the constantly recycling matter of this planet: The air, water, earth and light that flow continuously in and through our planetary system, our physical bodies, and through countless bodies of plant, animal, rock, living water, clouds, air, and light...indeed, even moving at times out of our atmosphere and into space and back, as science has discovered that hydrogen atoms from water molecules do.

We are a Living Library of Terrestrial and Cosmic DNA memory. We are made of Earth and dust of Stars. This dance is an honouring, expression and embodiment of Earth / Gaia's mind and body.

Choreography and Dance Performance: Navaro Franco

Navaro on the cajon at the Lache Cercel Concert, Vancouver Dec 2009 (Photo Credits:Gabriel Morosan)

NAVARO & DEEP RHYTHM DRUMMERS return to
Just Dance in Kits on Fri night, Nov 13!

I will be there with my wonderful Tuesday Drum Class Students. Great DJ tracks from Abheeru, and we have prepared a great DEEP RHYTHM drumming for dance set.
COME ON OUT TO DANCE AT JUST DANCE IN KITS THIS FRI NIGHT!!

- Tribal music, Original arrangements on Djembe Drums, Jun-Juns (African Bass Drums), Shakers, Gourds and bells, Song.

Just Dance is at 2114 W 4th Ave at Arbutus St. in Kitsilano. www.justdance.ca
The DJ set begins at 9pm and we will DRUM & play our set around 10.
More great DJ music afterwards till midnight.
Entry is $10.
Wonderful community environment, Global Beats, no smoking no drinking atmosphere.
Just Dance is a Kitsilano institution for the past 13 years, that continues to grow with the times.

Lance Lu & me with our shekeres at the World Rhythm Festival Seattle 2009

Navaro, Sandi & Sacha (Diva Drum) with Guests (Ron Stelting, Pepe Danza, Jacky Essombe to name a few) get the Seattle Fest (2009) celebrants singin' & dancin'!

This is My Schedule at The Festival:

Navaro & DivaDrum	4/25/2009 7:30pm Sat	Saturday Night Dance Party Center House Main Stage
Dancing Shekere	4/26/08 2:45pm Sun	Center House 4th Floor Room C

Put Seattle World Rhythm Festival on your calendars! The yearly annual migration essential for rhythm and dance lovers!

NAVARO & DEEP RHYTHM DRUMMERS at Just Dance in Kits on Friday, Apr 10

- Tribal music, Original arrangements on Djembe Drums, Jun-Juns (African Bass Drums), Shakers, Gourds and bells, Song.

Just Dance is at 2114 W 4th Ave at Arbutus St. in Kitsilano.

Watch the YouTube video of our Opening on Sunday night of Sept. 7th & the special performances by:
Zamir and friends, Zarah (classical Indian dance), Arunima (folk Indian), Navaro Franco, Nikola & Daphne (Flamenco dance), Maki (Middle Eastern Dance), and of course Tambura Rasa!

Shake your Shekere at Chai!!!!!

~Nov 4
Tuesday night Rivers of Rhythm Drum Class

~Nov 2:
Navaro & DivaDrum at Chai Gallery in Kitsilano www.eastiseast.ca
A benefit for street kids in Tanzania: a full evening of community, live music
for dance, and luscious Eastern Buffet. Come out and feast, dance, and be
with a most unusual and diverse community, for a great cause!

~Nov 7
Friday night Journeys, 9-midnight.
An evening of ecstatic dancing within community, in Kitsilano
Created by Just Dance's Abheeru & the Journeys Team
This coming Friday's Journeys is: UNION with Stephanie Lafazanos
Union is a Journey from birth, through the polarities and inner marriage of masculine and feminine
Details at: www.justdance.ca/journeys.php

~Nov 16
Dance Allsorts at the Roundhouse www.newworks.ca
Monthly dance performances & workshops at Roundhouse
Navaro & DivaDrum collaboration with Jacky Essombe www.jackyessombe.com

~Nov 22
230-530pm
Earth Prayers Ecstatic Dance Journey
Dance facilitation: Navaro,
with live drumming and magical music from Robin Layne of Kocasalle Dioubate's Jarimba.
Pre-register with me by email or phone 778 239 8444

Mark your calendar! I am dreaming this Earth Prayers Journey now, and will send out a more detailed email later this week, as the theme that wants to be danced rises to consciousness. Space and live music are booked. Lovely Zarah will be offering opening prayers and respect to the ancestors of this land. We will dance ecstatically and call in the healing energies of our bodies and spirit, moving as one tribe united in intent and joy.

~Nov 28,
Navaro playing live accompaniment for Studio Wild's presentation of the Play "Who's Going To Stop My Hair From Falling Out?"
info at studiowild@live.com
In North Van at One Dance Studios.
Followed by a WildWomanWorkout with Donna-Lynne.
Live drumming for WildWomanWorkout with Navaro & DIVADRUM

~Nov 29
Jacky Essombe's African Healing Dance For Women
All day event with individual percussion and drum workshops included, with
Navaro & Sandi Millman
Jacky's Dance Workshop accompanied with live music by Navaro & Diva Drum
Info at www.jackyessombe.com

*Special Events*
You Can Fly series #4
Guest Musician this Sunday:
- Navaro Franco &
Natalie Philp - African drums
plus the DC Ensemble

The Spiritual Centre for Dynamic Living
Sundays at 11:00 a.m.
Chanting begins at 10:45 a.m.
H. R. MacMillan Space Centre
(Vancouver Planetarium)
1100 Chestnut Street,
Vancouver, B.C. Canada
www.dynamiccentre.com e-mail: dynamiccentre@shaw.ca

Where:
Scottish Cultural Centre – 8886 Hudson street (@ 73rd avenue, 3 blocks West of Oak street)

When:
October 10, Friday, 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm

6:00 pm – 7 pm – African market by Yasse Afro Arts & Ten Thousand Villages
7:00 pm – 3-course African dinner
8:00 pm – 11 pm – Storytelling, African music and dance performances

How much:
Adults: $35/person (advance) - $45/person at the door
Seniors & students: $29/person (advance) - $35 at the door
Child 10 to 15 years old: $15 (advance) – $20 at the door
FREE for children under 10!

DivaDrum will also be performing on FRIDAY October 10 for lovely African Dancer Extraordinaire Jacky Essombe, at her Community Dinner, Music & Dance event. DivaDrum play monthly also for Jacky's African Healing Dance Workshops For Women. More info at Jacky's website: www.JackyEssombe.com

African Percussion Workshops with Navaro Franco

Winnipeg, Sunday September 20, 1-4pm & 7-9 pm
Drum Energizer 1-4 pm
Learn funky, upbeat rhythms that will make you feel inspired and ready for more!
Instruments provided - cost $45

Rhythm Power 7-9 pm
Take your playing to a new level by developing your rhythm power - connect with the beat!
Instruments provided - cost $35

Special Package Deal: Take both workshops for just $55
For more details & to register, please visit http://www.drumwinnipeg.com

Give Peace A Chant: peace through music

Community Kirtan!
Every Friday Evening at 7:30pm
2111 West 16th Avenue (at Arbutus)
(at the `Yoga Sukha' Studio, Vancouver)
$10 suggested donation

Opening Night Performance with Jim Greiner at World Rhythm Festival 2008

Watch Jim and me on YouTube

Click on this pix to watch a YouTube video of my Opening Night Performance with Jim Greiner, Tyler Spencer & Friend at World Rhythm Festival 2008

Or watch the Highlights of this Opening Night Performance here

The DivaDrum (Sacha, Sandi & me) with guests at the World Rhythm Festival in Seattle