François
ESSINDI is an artist and a musician from
Cameroon.
ESSINDI is an artist and a musician from
Cameroon.
He plays
traditional wind, skin-stretched, stringed and body-activated instruments such
as :
traditional wind, skin-stretched, stringed and body-activated instruments such
as :
Stringed :Mvet,
Ngomo (traditional harps)
Ngomo (traditional harps)
Wind :
Pygmy flute, leaves, mouth –activated bow
Pygmy flute, leaves, mouth –activated bow
Drums :
Nkul ( calling drum), Ngom (long
drum), Djembe, Cajon, …
Nkul ( calling drum), Ngom (long
drum), Djembe, Cajon, …
Body
percussion : snail-shell and hazelnut, body drumming
percussion : snail-shell and hazelnut, body drumming
Educated at
the National Orchestra of Cameroon
and thanks to many trainings and cultural meetings, François is also an actor
and followed many educational sessions via the Goethe Institut in Yaoundé and the French Culture Centre in Yaoundé.
the National Orchestra of Cameroon
and thanks to many trainings and cultural meetings, François is also an actor
and followed many educational sessions via the Goethe Institut in Yaoundé and the French Culture Centre in Yaoundé.
A
professional actor, François played with several theatre companies in Cameroon.
Among others he shared a long
adventure along with the Eyala Pena
company, a road theatre company. He also shared a project together with the
Un-Excursus theatre company, from Montrouge, France.
professional actor, François played with several theatre companies in Cameroon.
Among others he shared a long
adventure along with the Eyala Pena
company, a road theatre company. He also shared a project together with the
Un-Excursus theatre company, from Montrouge, France.
François
ESSINDI is a current member of the ALEPH
theatre company in Ivry-sur-Seine, France.
ESSINDI is a current member of the ALEPH
theatre company in Ivry-sur-Seine, France.
François as
a musician :
a musician :
François
music- wise works with different artists from various backgrounds, works with
dance and theatre companies as an actor or music composer.
music- wise works with different artists from various backgrounds, works with
dance and theatre companies as an actor or music composer.
Composes or
co-operates on movies as an actor, composer or co-author. He works with and upon
traditional music instruments, that are on the verge of extinction, and which
he handcrafts himself in Paris, sometimes modifying their original shape. He
defines his music as ”The Tag Ekang Music
Experience” … : bring together on stage instruments, sounds, machines and
musicians from all backgrounds.
co-operates on movies as an actor, composer or co-author. He works with and upon
traditional music instruments, that are on the verge of extinction, and which
he handcrafts himself in Paris, sometimes modifying their original shape. He
defines his music as ”The Tag Ekang Music
Experience” … : bring together on stage instruments, sounds, machines and
musicians from all backgrounds.
François
performs in schools, penitentiaries, on concert in cultural places for festivals and in the corridors of the
Parisian metro, as a certified artist of the Parisian metro since 2009.
performs in schools, penitentiaries, on concert in cultural places for festivals and in the corridors of the
Parisian metro, as a certified artist of the Parisian metro since 2009.
François as
an artist :
an artist :
Author and
composer, his prime music project Otoulbaka
: http://www.myspace.com/otoulbaka representing Cameroon in various
places and festivals between 1980 and 2001.
composer, his prime music project Otoulbaka
: http://www.myspace.com/otoulbaka representing Cameroon in various
places and festivals between 1980 and 2001.
In 2003
François signs a professional contact in France that takes him to Paris where
he is currently living.
François signs a professional contact in France that takes him to Paris where
he is currently living.
A former
actor with the Compagnie du Théâtre Inutile in Amiens, François keeps alive his
dream to promote his culture throughout traditional instruments, tales, stories
and rituals of his native Ekang culture.
actor with the Compagnie du Théâtre Inutile in Amiens, François keeps alive his
dream to promote his culture throughout traditional instruments, tales, stories
and rituals of his native Ekang culture.
In 2005 he
designs the musical project Abakuya thanks
to meeting in Switzerland with an Australian bass player (Jimi SOFO) : http://www.myspace.com/abakuya
designs the musical project Abakuya thanks
to meeting in Switzerland with an Australian bass player (Jimi SOFO) : http://www.myspace.com/abakuya
This
project will breed two records :
project will breed two records :
. Primitive love in 2008.
. Abakuya Ep in 2010
François
works on different projects with many artists ( Painters, Musicians, Performers,
..)
works on different projects with many artists ( Painters, Musicians, Performers,
..)
Such as Brice WASSY (Cameroon), MADESHEERKAHN (France), Caroline CHIVE (France), Hilaire PENDA (Cameroon), Riad
ABDELGAWAD (Egypt), Florence
SOISSONG … and many more.
ABDELGAWAD (Egypt), Florence
SOISSONG … and many more.
François
also directs workshops on rhythm, for the ALEPH
theatre since 2016, on African story-telling, and on Drama Teaching.
also directs workshops on rhythm, for the ALEPH
theatre since 2016, on African story-telling, and on Drama Teaching.
François as
an author :
an author :
Having
authored four bilingual, illustrated books of African tales, published by
L’HARMATTAN, François works on collecting tales, rituals, songs and stories of
his native eking culture in southern Cameroon.
authored four bilingual, illustrated books of African tales, published by
L’HARMATTAN, François works on collecting tales, rituals, songs and stories of
his native eking culture in southern Cameroon.
He considers
building there a cultural place thanks to the support of the AKIBA association,
www.association-akiba.fr
building there a cultural place thanks to the support of the AKIBA association,
www.association-akiba.fr
François as
an instrument maker :
an instrument maker :
Concerned
about the survival of instruments from his native Ekang culture, François
handcrafts in Paris their instruments (Mvet, Ngomo, Mouth-bow). He repairs as well skin-stretched
instruments ( changing skins, maintenance of all these instruments such as
Djembé and others).
about the survival of instruments from his native Ekang culture, François
handcrafts in Paris their instruments (Mvet, Ngomo, Mouth-bow). He repairs as well skin-stretched
instruments ( changing skins, maintenance of all these instruments such as
Djembé and others).
