About Us

The Melbourne University African Drumming Club was founded seventeen years ago. The group meets for a professionally instructed rehearsal every Wednesday night between 5:30pm and 7:00pm, in the Frank Tate building, meeting outside Deep Dish cafe/bar.

The rehearsals, led by Chris Lesser, are to teach all aspects of traditional music from Ghana, West Africa, i.e. drumming, singing, dancing and information about how it fits into the African culture. Chris’s interest in a variety of West African musical forms, both as a teacher and performer, is long standing. He has undertaken several study tours of Ghana and his workshops have been very popular at a variety of Victorian institutions including the University of Melbourne and the Victorian College of the Arts.

The club performs many times a year, generally under the performance name ‘Kwesi Bruni’. These performances are for both activities within the University, and occasionally the group is hired by external organisations.

Membership of the African Drumming Club is not limited to just students of the University of Melbourne, anybody can join and new members are always welcome. No previous experience in music or dance is necessary and all equipment is supplied by the instructor.

If you’re interested in becoming a member, you can fill out our online membership form.