BLOCO MALAGASY 2019 Tour in Kenya - WE PLAY THE DRUMS FOR GENDER EQUALITY AND CHILD PROTECTION - ONG Bel Avenir

BLOCO MALAGASY 2019
Tour in Kenya

          WE PLAY THE DRUMS FOR
          GENDER EQUALITY AND
          CHILD PROTECTION

      www.blocomalagasy.org

What is Bloco Malagasy
The Bloco Malagasy was born in 2008
with the initiative of the NGO Bel Ave-
nir, which wanted to offer young people
from disadvantaged backgrounds in the
city of Tulear the opportunity to practice
an artistic activity, new and unprecedent-
ed in the country, reinforcing and helping
to fight against the existing inequality in
terms of gender condition.
The Bloco Malagasy acts in marches,
carnivals, and parades. It also performs
together with the choreographers and
acrobats of the capoeira group Roda
Malagasy.

In addition to local shows; since 2011 it
has made one or two international tours
a year, which have been held in Spain,
Andorra, France, Switzerland, Brazil,
Cambodia, Thailand, South Africa, Ivory
Coast, Burkina Faso, Seychelles, and Re-
union.
All these tours have had the main objec-
tive being the promotion, both among
the foreign and Malagasy public, of the
respect for universal human rights, espe-
cially for women and children. Likewise,
these tours have been an opportunity to
facilitate exchanges between young peo-
ple from different cultures and sociocul-
tural backgrounds, in order to promote
tolerance, respect, and peace.
In addition, the tours through Madagas-
car have allowed the group to gain a foot-
hold in the Malagasy art scene thanks to
their original performances and the great
media attention they have attracted.
The Bloco Malagasy integrates rhythms
from Brazil, Europe and Madagascar that
gives rise to a unique artistic experience
of international quality.

www.blocomalagasy.org
Facebook Bloco Malagasy
Twitter ‎@BlocoMalagasy
Youtube:      https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=nMIoDykuje4&index-
=2&list=PLrXhPeUQk83piQx_ZtKx-
97plImhhBcp3B

Origin of the project

The Art and Music Center of Tulear (CAM) was born in 2008 with the creation of the
Malagasy Gospel Choir. This same year, the percussion group Bloco Malagasy was also
launched.

A first tour in Spain in 2011 marked a before and after in the life of the group. After,
many countries around the world, from Thailand to Brazil, passing through South Af-
rica and Cambodia, have vibrated to the sound of the drums of the Bloco Malagasy.
The School of Art and Music of the NGO has had the opportunity to collaborate, on
its many trips, with artists from around the world such as Borja Rocha (Spain), Nacho
Martín (Spain), Olombelo Ricky (Madagascar), Dida (Brazil), Ile Ayé (Brazil) and also
with BatukaVi (France).

Since 2010, several professional directors have visited the training to reinforce their
artistic skills and offer them musical guidance. The first international tour took place in
Spain in 2011. In the following years the band developed shows on two tours through
Cambodia and Thailand, promoting respect for Human Rights, especially for women
and children. Through more than 100 shows, cultural activities and workshops, the
band promoted the cultural exchange between young people of different realities; to
show respect, tolerance and peace.

Later, in 2014 a new tour was organized in Brazil, during the Soccer World Cup; that
allowed the training to improve their art; in collaboration with the Olodum School,
Didá de Salvador de Bahia and Ilú Obá in Sao Paulo. In 2015 a new tour took place,
this time in South Africa, to promote Sustainable Tourism and to represent the Mala-
gasy culture.

2011
•      Tour in Spain.(Zaragoza, Granada, Madrid, Valencia, etc.)
•      Animation in the UNICEF Campaign Against Poliomyelitis in Tulear, Madagascar.
2012
•      Animations and shows in Tulear, Madagascar, for WWF, Red Cross y UNAP (UN)
2013
•      International tour in Cambodia. (Battambang, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh,
       Sihanouk ville,..)
•      Animations and shows for UNICEF and UNAP in Madagascar
2014
•    International Tour in South East Asia (S.Reap, Battambang, Sihanouk Ville,
     Phnom Penh, Bangkok)
•    Animations and shows for WWF, ADES, French School, Marie Stopes,
     in Madagascar.
•    International tour in Brasil (Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador de Bahia, Sao Paolo)
•    Show in the international Music Festival “Madajazzcar” and in Mtsika;
     Madagascar.
2015
•    International Tour in South Africa Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, etc.)
2016
•    International Tour in South East Asia (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Bangkok,
     Hua Hin)
•    International tour in Seychelles
•    National tour in Madagascar
2017
•    International tour in France and Switzerland
2018
•    International Tour in Thailand and Cambodia

Our project for 2019
We are planning a tour in March 2019 in Kenya, whose objectives are:

- Disseminate and promote the rights of children, in particular the right to quality
education for all the girls and boys of the world. In view of the 30th anniversary
of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, we want to become spokesman of
the difficulties which every day the minors of some economically impoverished
countries, like Madagascar, have to face.

- Promote gender equality. The group is composed only of girls, because we
believe that through exchange, music, and art as a possible professional outlet,
we are laying the foundations for real empowerment.

- To make known the Bloco Malagasy in East Africa, promoting intercultural
encounters and encouraging the development of young Malagasy and Kenyan
people in difficult situations or at risk of social exclusion, with special emphasis
on women.

In order for the tour to take place and to attain our goal, we are currently in
the process of finding sponsors and collaborators who want to integrate this
great project of South-South cooperation, through which we want to defend the
rights of women and children and show the value of the culture and common
roots of the Kenyan and Malagasy people.

The NGO Bel Avenir

This Malagasy NGO was created in the city of Tuléar on April 25, 2003 with the purpose
of carrying out a Basic Education Program in southern Madagascar to face the serious
educational and social deficiencies suffered by the population of the area. After 15
years, the program has more than 30 development projects underway, the number of
beneficiaries each year exceeds 30,000 and the area of action has been extended to
the provinces of Tuléar (Atsimo Andrefana) and Fianarantsoa (Haute Matsiatra).

According to article 2, chapter 1 of our statutes: “The objectives of the NGO are
intended to improve and provide greater protection to all people of Madagascar
through the realization of social, educational, cultural programs, and the facilitation
of projects of employment creation; through the performance of work done by this
same association, and through the contribution of resources with the sole objective
of favoring the protection of all people in Madagascar.”

  Visit our website: www.ongbelavenir.org
  Contact:
         *In Madagascar: Jose Luis Guirao Piñeyro jlguirao@aguadecoco.org
         *In France: Stephane Hamouis shamouis@eaudecoco.org
         *In Spain: Sandra Fernandez César fundacion@aguadecoco.org

Some recommendation letter

Press review

@blocomalagasy

blocomalagasy@ongbelavenir.org
www.blocomalagasy.org