THE SOUL DRUMMERS TEAM

If your event needs that "WOW" factor, look no further. The Soul Drummers are an exciting interactive world class performing ensemble. The members come from every corner of the globe and consist of award winning musicians, authors, recording artists, and keynote speakers. They have uplifted audiences and team members for fortune 100-500 clients, government and educational institutions since 1996. This one of a kind ensemble takes its audience on a performance journey around the world with inspiring rhythms, community building, culture and interaction. Notable performances have included 6 repeat closing ceremonies, helping raise over $4,000,000.00 for Breast Cancer Research in association with the GEARS 24 Hour spin. Through the use of offering hand drums and percussion instruments to the audience members, a facilitated “teambuilding” drum circle emerges. Unifying us all, rhythms blend into the performance under the incredible facilitation skills of their director, Doug Sole; author, speaker and owner of Soul Drums Ltd. Come and experience your community’s potential in a musical journey guaranteed to energize!

DOUG SOLE

Lead Facilitator and Program Designer

As co-owner and founder of Soul Drums Ltd., Doug is an internationally recognized educational drum circle facilitator, author, and inspirational keynote speaker. Doug inspires others to reach their potential by integrating values-centered leadership with Human Rhythm Energy™ using world music and percussion.

His innovative publications and training programs have led him to be recognizes as a major influential force in the North American drum circle community. He developed the standard form in which world drumming is notated on the internet.

Since the 1990's, Doug's forward thinking helped spawn and grow new markets for hand drumming and the drum circle phenomenon. He enjoys great success with his comprehensive and unique CD's, DVD's and books entitled "The Soul of Hand Drumming" and "Human Rhythmic Energy". He has written articles on drumming and it's benefits that have been featured in many trade magazines.

Doug speaks and performs to over ten thousand people per year. His professional speaking engagements and drum circle events have included attendees such as the former Auditor General of Canada, the Hon. Sheila Fraser, as well as the Premier and past Minister of Education, Kathleen Wynne, who also recognizes and thanks Doug as making a profound difference in the lives of our youth. Doug has shared the stage in professional speaking engagements with Benjamin Zander and the Hon. Romero Dellaire. He has also broken new ground in team building by leading the first multi-location drum circles in two countries simultaneously over the web!

Doug also designs courses and trains teachers to full the new challenges in today's educational curriculum. He has presented his sessions in multiple formats including In-School Classroom Programs, Concerts, PD Day Programming, and Symposium Keynotes.

Recently, the Simcoe County Board of Education hired Doug to implement his Transformational Leadership program throughout their board. His publications are now mandatory curriculum in their schools, and he has trained over 500 Arts and Music teachers, influencing over 100,000 youths throughout South Western Ontario.

Come realize your communities potential under the guidance of masterful teacher, leader and performer Doug Sole.

ALTAF "BWANA MOTO" VELLANI

The rhythm of unity and harmony is in the spirit of the human race

Altaf was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, and began his music career in the vibrant mid-seventies music scene in Nairobi. He has lived and worked in Germany, U.S.A. and Canada since leaving Nairobi in the eighties. He is fluent in playing drum set and a veraity of hand drums and percussion instruments. He tours internationally performing at major concert venues, clubs and festivals as well as recording with various artists ranging from Jazz/Funk, R&B Soul, Worldbeat Fusion to Pop and Rock Music. Altaf is a drummer & percussionist of the 21st century; open to music from around the world. His knowledge of rhythms and music of the African Diaspora and World music afford him a unique style. Altaf is a creative and dynamic facilitator with exceptional skills in engaging and captivating an audience, filling their hearts with joy and bodies with dance.

JAMIE BIRD

Jamie Bird is a graduate from the University of Western Ontario, Bachelor of Musical Arts program with a focus in Percussion performance. During his five years at UWO he was an active participant in the UWO Percussion Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, and held the post of Musical Director for the award winning Western Mustang Band for three seasons (2006-2009). Jamie is an integral part of the Soul Drums team, as logistics and sound engineer. His connection runs deep with Soul Drums, when he participated with our Educational Outreach Programs at his school when he was in Grade 3. Jamie was immediately inspired by the power of music and drumming. When he is not helping our team , you can see as an active member of the vibrant musical scene in Toronto, Ontario. He can be seen around town playing in cover bands, on stage with a cabaret performer, or in the pit orchestra for a musical theatre production.