Composition
‘Dignity’ is a selection of traditional and new songs, music, words and dance to challenge present day slavery. Its focus is on women and their fight for freedom from the transatlantic slave trade to the present day. Click here for more information.
Shake the Shackles
A choral piece commissioned by darts (Doncaster Arts) devised and directed by Ali with Simon Banda, Godfrey Pambalipe and Janet Wood.
Shake the Shackles explores the links between industrialisation, colonisation of South Africa, slavery and emancipation. The music and words are a journey from traditional ways of life in England and Africa through the hardships endured by workers at home and abroad in the mills, factories and mines; on to reflections on the slave trade, and ending with the civil rights movement and the ongoing fight for freedom and justice for all people.
The performance involved the Quirky Choir, Doncaster’s Church of Prophecy Gospel Choir, Hyde Park Community Youth Choir and Joint Effort – a young people’s group from Knysna Township in South Africa.
A specially commissioned piece of music for voice, hand bells and djembe to celebrate past present and future of St.Helen’s Church in Wakefield. This unique composition has elements of world folk music, gospel and contemporary sounds, and was performed by a choir of 25 (including a-capella trio Cana), twelve bell ringers, two djembe players and two dancers. Participants also played percussion accompaniment on bells and gongs from South East Asia and Africa. The piece was performed in May 2005.
The 30-minute piece incorporated African and contemporary dance, choreographed by Sally Martin, and was complimented by new artwork created by artist Janet Flynn and the community.
Other Works
Inside Outside
Festival for Africa
Songs for Wakefield
Cana – Ali writes most of the music for Cana’s work. Member Linda Currin also writes some pieces and a lot of the beautiful lyrics, which Ali then sets to music. The multi-textured songs are written in three part harmony for women’s voices. Influences include Celtic, classical and gospel traditions, which are blended together to create a unique and varied sound. Ali also arranges world music and traditional songs and often incorporates African djembe and accordion. Click here for more information about Cana.
Main Photograph - Cana and Mark Taylor, from left to right, Mark Taylor, Linda Currin, Ali Bullivent and Pam Moxham. Photograph taken during the 'Inside Outside' project. Click here for more information.
