AFIA WALKING TREE
& SPIRIT DRUMZ - Activating Human Potential through the Drumming Arts
Spirit Drumz envisions a violence-free world through social justice and leadership initiatives. Our practice is to significantly increase the expression and exposure of the drumming arts and permaculture as tools for self empowerment, community mobilization and collective healing; prioritizing womyn, girls, and transgender African diasporic, Indigenous folx, and white accomplices.
AFIA WALKING TREE
& SPIRIT DRUMZ - Activating Human Potential through the Drumming Arts
Spirit Drumz envisions a violence-free world through social justice and leadership initiatives. Our practice is to significantly increase the expression and exposure of the drumming arts and permaculture as tools for self empowerment, community mobilization and collective healing; prioritizing womyn, girls, and transgender African diasporic, Indigenous folx, and white accomplices.
Raise Yuh Voice: In Solidarity for a Violence Free World is a project of Spirit Drumz, founded and directed by Afia Walking Tree, since 1990. Raise Yuh Voice bridges the gap from silence to empowerment for the outrageous number of women and girls whose voices are silenced. With violence against women/girls/trans figures in the Caribbean surging, and little attention on our emotional sovereignty, we fill the dire need for emotional development tools in the hands of our most vulnerable community members, enfranchising them as activists armed with self-resilience tools .
PLAN YOUR OWN RETREAT or PERSONAL JOURNEY WHEN YOU DESIRE! Flexible dates, locations and offerings.
*We welcome and prioritize Womyn of Color, and white accomplices of various ethnicities, *cis-gender*trans*non-conforming*intersex movement folx disrupting white supremacy at the intersections of race, class, gender, age in work and in life. These journeys are liberation practices that cultivate resiliency while nurturing radical self-care.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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OUR OFFERINGS
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Private Coaching: Focus on your healing and improving your skills with the drum with DrumLife Coaching sessions with Afia Walking Tree. These 60 min sessions are offered virtual and in-person, when available.
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Artist Residency: Deepen the power of the drum. Our team is available to be onsite at camps, retreats, conferences and more. These offerings can be day-long or multiple day workshops with drum groups, community farms, organizations, museums, community centers and more.
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#BlackPowerDrumMedicine (POC ONLY): learn traditional and contemporary drum rhythms, dance and songs from the African Diaspora. Come co-create practices to integrate principles of HARMONIC LIVING into your daily lives, activism and building community with folks of color.
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SoulFree ReDiscovery Journeys are Personal Retreats when you need them! Plan you own retreat. Schedule when you need. Anchor your wellness livity whether it be your calling to the drum, nutritional wellness cleanses, permaculture, island-wide cultural tours, joining our solidarity movement, wooofing, or whatever your heart is calling for affirms your life force. Location: Jamaica
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Drum-Talk-Story Performance: Afia Walking Tree inspires, educates and heals with her Drum-Talk-Story performances. Themes covered include African Diasporic Folklore, Collective Healing, and Survivor Lead Anti-Violence Social Justice.
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University/College Lectures: As a certified permaculturist and leading educator on African Diasporic Drum, Afia Walking Tree is available to serve as a guest lecturer and adjunct professor for universities and colleges with course offering covering ethno-musicology of the Drum, Permaculture practices and principles and more.
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Drum Activation: Release, grieve, find your voice, and ignite your power with a Drum Activation lead by Afia Walking Tree and Spirit Drumz. Infuse your convergence, social justice action, march, ceremony, more with this powerful offering.
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School-Based Programs: The DrumMobile offers school-based programming for elementary, middle and high school for permaculture, nutrition, and drumming.
What People Are Saying
About Afia Walking Tree
Afia Walking Tree, M.Ed. Percussionist, Educator, Ritualist is a world-class cultural drummer, ambassador, spiritual activist, leadership development advocate and trainer. She founded Spirit Drumz in 1994 in Brooklyn, NY. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Walking Tree’s drum-songs are prayers of gratitude for the generosity of spirit. Her lyrics are evolutionary teachings, addressing present day issues of social justice, wellness, and self-love resiliency rooted in liberation of the global Family. Afia Walking Tree's destiny prioritizes Expressive and Healing Arts modalities: African Diasporic Drumming, Vocalization, Somatic Movement Practices, Permaculture, Holistic Nutrition, and Environmental Justice to activate collective responsibility and transform injustices facing our peoples. Read more
Spirit Drumz Family
Visioning Circle/Board:
Trinity Watkins
Laurie Lynn Hogan
Clo Sterling
Janine Moore
Mar Stevens
Larissa Montfort
Facilitators:
Queen Hollins
Zemaya Martinez
Marjorie Whylie
Ouida Lewis
Collaborators:
Meadows Livingstone School, Our Fiscal Sponsor
VDay/One Billion Rising, Raise YUh Voice Jamaica Funder
We Change Jamaica
Maroon Women Indigenous Circle
Women Drummers International
African American Policy Forum
Bioneers
Land of Ochun
Maati Stewart
and many more!
Eco-Friendly Dual Purpose Tiny House
The DrumMobile serves as a Tiny House equipped with a kitchen, sleeping area and solar panels to provide electricity. This space also serves as a space for hands-on workshops in permaculture, nutrition, and drumming. It functions as our hauling rig for drums and equipment for tours and events.
The DrumMobile is also available as an RV for your personal adventure or as an event van for your next onsite location gig.
