One Breath Festival in the Dinokeng Nature Reserve (27 - 29 March)

Since the industrial revolution humanity has become increasingly disconnected from the natural cycles of this planet, ourselves and each other. The Dalai Lama has suggested that more festivals needed to be held for the earth. To support this vision, we initiated a series of festivals called the oneBreath Celebration to reconnect humanity to all of nature, the planet, the human community and ourSelves. The festivals will be held four times a year on a weekend as close as possible to the full moon closest to the solar equinoxes and soltices to celebrate and honour the planetary cycles representing the female and male principles.

The first oneBreath Celebration, a family event, is scheduled for the last weekend in March (Fri 27^th – Sun 29^th) in a beautiful little river valley in the Dinokeng Nature Reserve, close to Cullinan, far from roads and cars. Bring your camping stuff for the weekend or join us for a day of relaxation. The festival activities are designed to reConnect us to our True Nature. To find out more about this integrated experience see www.onebreath.co.za.

This festival is in support of a family of !Kung San from the Kalahari. These are the first people of Southern Africa, who lived in intimate harmony with nature for millenia before being hunted and hounded practically into extinction. They still carry with them so much knowledge about nature, and the nature of our being. Knowledge which need to be lived and which will be lost if the San cannot support their traditional way of life as far as possible. To help this family we request you to bring along any donations that will help them (food, clothing, craft materials, glass beads and of course money).

The San family that will bless us with their presence are international performing artist in their own right. In May 2001 four San musicians Ngube, Anna, Kuela and Marcela visited England to launch the SanScape Project. They performed with Pops Mohamed and Zena Edwards. The SanScape 1 & 2 albums were produced by well known Swiss born music producer and connosiour of African & Cuban music, Robert Trunz. Listen to extracts from these CDs on http://www.melt2000.com/melt-artist-catalogue/bushmen-of-the-kalahari.html. Pops Mohamed was involved in both the original recordings. The CDs will be on sale at the oneBreath Celebration.

The Kalahari San family, led by patriarch !Ngubi and matriarch Ouma, will share of their wisdom and teachings with us through their stories and songs. With healing sound and dance, they have offered to guide us into Oneness through immersion into trance. And for the children they will tell stories, show them to make bows and arrows, how to track and how to dance like an animal.

Other local, international & inter-galactic artist joining in this celebration, where performers and audience merge thru music, song and dance, are: Achimota Community Art Project, Achimota Kids, Godfather DiDg, Mabi (played drums with Juno Reactor in the Matrix movies), Ntjapedi, Rain to Earth (Piet Aarde & Murray Theron) and a UFO (Unseen Fruitbat Orchestra). To find out more about this exciting line-up see www.onebreath.co.za/profiles.php. And of course to make this a wholistic experience they will be joined by fire-dancers, jugglers and other magical entertainers.

What differentiates the oneBreath celebration from other festivals is that it is an intimate experience where audience and performers merge in a united interactive experience. So bring your musical instruments (drums, didges, bells, flutes ...) and don't be shy to join in singing, playing and dancing. Other exciting activities that will engage you are workshops, talks, movies and communal experiences.

Don't leave your young ones at home! A supervised children’s space will provide a secure place to leave them immersed in various activities and adventures with the San and others (see children's workshops on website). And of course, like any other festivals there will be stalls to feed you and relief you of hard-earned cash with worthwhile products. Goods on sale will be dry organic food, quality hand-crafts and sustainable living goods. Foods on sale for vegetarians and carnivours will fill you in a wholesome, homecooked way. And unlike other festivals we provide a communal feast on Saturday evening that is included in the cost of the ticket!

The price of our spice is:

• 3 days / 2 nights (Fri-Sun) - R 300 (R 380 at venue)?

• 2 days / 1 night - R 200 (R 280 at venue)?

• 1 day - R 130 (R150 at venue)

The gate open on Friday at 12h00 and closes on Sunday 18h00.

For bookings contact:

Lee on 083 381 3330 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

and Charmayne on 071 325 8566

Be quick as only a limited number of tickets are available. Included in the ticket price is camping and cooking facilities, workshops, performances, sound journey, drumming circles and various happenings. Your children come free. Let us know how many when you book.

Artist profiles

The !kung San Family - Making music is the most primeval form of human expression, imbued with a mystical power to communicate at an instinctual level that transcends language and speaks directly to the soul. For the San people, music and dance are not merely creative expressions, but an integral part of their being.

Swiss born music producer and connosiour of African & Cuban music, Robert Kunz, has produced two CDs of their music, SanScapes 1 & 2, which has been sold internationally. Listen to extracts from these CDs on http://www.melt2000.com/melt-artist-catalogue/bushmen-of-the-kalahari.html CDs on sale at One Breath Celebration.

Members of the San family were involved in both the original recordings with Pops Mohamed. In May 2001 four San musician Ngube, Anna, Kuela and Marcela visited England to launch the SanScape Project. They performed with Pops Mohamed and Zena Edwards.

The Achimota Community Arts Project (ACAP) in Orange Farm township, south of Johannesburg, has been in progress since 2003. Achimota means, 'don't ask, just listen'. It's a living, growing concept, a band which is making a name for itself in Gauteng. Achimota plays a mixture of traditional music, with songs such as Mbube (When the Lion sleeps), and more contemporary music, with a slight Rap and kwaito influence. Several danceable Latino songs, such as La Bamba, are also incorporated into the sets, which include a repertoire of many originals - and more than 50 songs. Achimota is a five-piece band, capable of playing acoustically, or with a PA and microphones.

Achimota community art project provides the following services: a Marimba band for events & functions; dancers and drummers for hire; marimba lessons and workshops as well as customised marimba manufacturing. For more information on this inspiring project see www.onebreath.co.za/profiles.php#achimota (or search google.co.za).

Achimota Kids have performed at several local competitions and have won several awards for Tshepane Primary School in Orange Farm. Perhaps their greatest accomplishment so far is their participaton in the First National Bank Dance Umbrella contest, in 2008 and 2009. Their performance drew enthusiastic response from the crowd. A video of their NB Dance Umbrella performances were made.

In July 2008, the kids also took part in the National Marimba Competition at St Dominics School. Over the last two years, they played several times at Newtown Cultural Precinct, at the request of the Newtown Improvement District project. To know more about these talented kids see www.onebreath.co.za/profiles.php#achimota_kids.

Godfather DiDg alias Andries Bruyns is a master performer on and maker of didgeridoos. He made his first didgeridoo's 16 year ago in 1991. Since then Andries went to the UK and started up a band called "One World" that consisted of 6 Tabla, Djembe, Base Guitar, Sitar, Acoustic Guitar and Didge musos. They opened the Queens Birthday party celebration in Leicester city in 2002 and were on the BBC as a collective band that cut so many musical and racial barriers.

After coming back to SA he joined forces with some local musicians to form the band "Tokkelos", which was described as "An Afro funk style of tribal music". Since then Andries went solo and now performs all over the Southern Africa at Green Africa Parties, the STRAB festival in Mozambique, at Klitsgras or wherever the need is for him to perform at events. See www.klitsgras.co.za & www.onebreath.co.za/profiles.php#godfather_didg for more information on one of South Africa's didge gurus.

Mabi Gabriel Thobejane: Mabi was born in Mamelodi (Pretoria, South Africa). From a young age he watched and learned the drumming of the Balobedu tribe gathering in his neighborhood. When his Uncle Phillip Tabane - one of the great African guitarists, discovered the talent in the family he asked Mabi to join him as the drummer to form what became one of the top bands in South Africa in the 70's - the Malombo Jazzmen.

Mabi has become a master drummer of this world being flown all over playing with Juno Reactor in the Matrix movies, doing many compilations with some of the worlds greatest. See www.onebreath.co.za/profiles.php#mabi and http://www.melt2000.com/melt-artist-catalogue/mabi-gabriel-thobejane-2.html for more information on this accomplished musician and to listen to his music.

“Ntjapedi” is a name composed from a Sesotho idiom, Ha E Hlolwe Ke Sebata," (shall not be defeated by the beast). The idiom emphasis's the importance of unity and co-existence, a philosophy of brotherhood. Ntjapedi was established in October 2002 in Sebokeng. The founder members are Khoeti Maile & Rasekgantsho Matsabu. Later on it developed into an 8 piece band with Molifi Afrika on Bass guitar, Tshitso Makunyane on lead guitar, Noko Finger on percussions, Teboho on drums and Marco and Palesa Mokubung on backing vocals. Over the years this team of experienced and talented individuals has positioned Ntjapedi as one of Gauteng's Sesotho band with a passion for the aesthetic use of the language.

Ntjapedi's debut album - Ha E Hlolwe Ke Sebata – was released and is available at Musica, Reliable Music Store and Jet-Mart. The first single from this album was played on radio stations such as Lesedi FM, Metro FM, YFM , Motwseding FM and Kaya FM. Their music video was broadcasted on SABC 1, SABC 3 and eTV. In 2007 they were nominated for a Metro FM "Best Group" Other highlights include a live collaboration with Bongo Muffin. For more information on these talented musical poets see www.onebreath.co.za/profiles.php#ntjapedi (or search google.co.za).

Rain to Earth: Piet Aarde & Murray Theron and teams up to provide a sound journey on Ghitaar, didgeridoo, tibetan bells, flutes, drums and voices.

Murray Theron continually collaborates with musicians and visual artists on a wide range of artistic music projects ranging from Jazz to Folk and World music to Electronica. His current projects include: composer and member of "Underneath the cannonballs" (Etherial folk project), producer for Piet Aarde (Afrikaans ethnic rapper), member of "Rain to Earth" (live spiritual ambient music) and jazz performance at weddings and functions.

He also composes film music, plays sax in various bands, works with theatre groups and poets. In order to stay busy he also teaches Saxophone at Pretoria Boys High. Murray, a real virtuoso, plays the following instruments: Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Recorder and ethnic woodwind instruments, Guitar, Vocals, Percussion, Keyboards, Electonic music performance software. See www.onebreath.co.za/profiles.php#murray_theron for more information on this talented composer and musician.

Piet Aarde is a tribal musician,trance drummer and drum poet with a rich African Celtic influence. As a drum poet he displays a rich variety of rhythms and words to bring accros a message of earth conciousness, culture and having fun. At oneBreath he will engage the audience in a rythmic participation in a unique poetry bop stomp experience.

He also runs a drumcircle where you can relax and have fun. To supplement his income he facilitates inspirational drum journeys for high profile companies, churches, schools and hospitals. Check his website http://www.africandrumming.co.za & www.onebreath.co.za/profiles.php#piet_aarde to see how he keeps himself busy.

UFO (Unseen Fruitbat Orchestra) is quite fairly and literally known as the Greatest band you’ve, er, NEVER seen before. Rehearsals and live shows always have the element of mystery since no one ever really knows what or whom to expect! The exact line-up and instrumental configuration of these intrepid musical-space travellers is undefined, but typically you could expect to see: Mr. BB Green on Vox, Guitars, Wind Instruments and Percussion, Mr. Head on Lead Guitar, The Raphmeister on Bass, Vox, Recorders and Strings, Mr. Gary “great Scott” Smith on Drums and Percussion.

With a bizarre and varied assortment of friends and special guests they’ll be brewing up their intoxicating blend of grooves to get you into the mood for leaping up madly and wildly jumping about while not really being aware of where you are or what it was, exactly, that you were supposed to be doing… If you really need more information on them, or feel like it is a good thing to do or you are not really sure check out their website www.greenafricaparty.co.za/ and www.onebreath.co.za/profiles.php#ufo for more info anyway.