Photo by Keith Brame

quotes on eugene’s work


“Eugene is probably the best workshop leader in the UK”
Africa Oye! Music Festival
 
“An absorbing masterclass delivered with the panache of a virtuoso instrumentalist. Music lessons were never this much fun.”
The Sunday Times
 
“….extraordinary talent for communicating without words.”
Musician – Journal of the Musicians’ Union
 
“Eugene (Skeef) demonstrated how the ‘power’ of simple music making using voices and bodies can be woven into a complex tapestry that is totally inclusive – and who can forget the image of him transforming a dangerous personal situation when he first arrived in this country from his native South Africa, when he was surrounded and effectively mugged in the underground, into a jamming session with his assailants. Such is the charisma and charm of this wonderful musician.”
(As appeared in Yamaha Educational Supplement) Leonora Davies, chair of the Music Education Council, reflects on the impact of Changing Tunes – a conference which brought together diverse practitioners to look at the future patterns of music leadership.
 
Click here to read a Guardian BBC Radio 3 (World Routes) review of Eugene’s broadcast
 
“SEROTE SPEAKS is a performance in dance based on a poem by the South African poet, Mongane Wally Serote....I enjoyed most of all the music, composed and performed by Eugene Skeef on a variety of traditional percussion instruments.” Ian Spring - The Scotsman
 
“Great to see some of your projects on your website. I know you're a powerful
animateur, a sublime conjurer of ambience, and a powerhouse of rhythm, but I
had no idea you were such a funky pianist, too. Should have known.”
Ansuman Biswas, tabla maestro, composer



About Motherland, a dance theatre piece directed by Eugene Skeef
 
“...Dancing as good as this is what the evening does best of all and it leaves you with an exquisite memory to take away.”                                                                                             
Richard Edmonds, The Stage
 
“The brutalities and injustices engineered by India and Africa’s profit-seeking white colonists are succinctly delineated”                                                                                         
Donald Hutera, The Times
 
“I found Motherland exhilarating and profoundly moving, weaving its story of love, desire, greed, corruption and forgiveness... a tale told brilliantly with words, music and dance... provocative and moving theatre”
Jenny Agutter, Actor
 
“...the shocking stuff was beautiful and the beautiful stuff was sublime.... rarely have i seen such a melding of cultures, both ethnic and discipline.."                                                                            
Steve Mesure FRSA
 
“Exhilarating” Mark Gifford, Director of Minorities Of Europe
 

"Amongst the student attendees, who seemed deeply appreciative of the range and quality of the different sessions, possibly no session was more talked about than Eugene Skeef and Tajma Kurt’s presentation, ‘Healing Through Music and Media in War-Torn Bosnia.’"
The Association for Moral Education '98 CONFERENCE REPORT Dartmouth College, USA —November 18-22, 1998 The theme of the conference: Informal Influences on Moral Development: Family, Faith, Media and Community.
 
“Thank you so much for creating and guiding us through a wonderful 3 days last week. Your expertise and leadership (from behind some of the time!) helped us all create, whatever our background and skills.”
Anne Snelgrove - Curriculum Leader, Creative and Expressive Arts, Surrey County Council.
 
“...thank you sincerely for your recent visit in which you delighted us with your musicianship and performance skills. Despite their initial shyness and reluctance to perform, the students gained enormously from the experience you afforded them; so, too, did the staff who attended and took part. I was most impressed by your ability to inspire a large group of inner-city children of mixed ages and abilities to -produce collaborative, creative work - and a performance - in such a short time. For myself I enjoyed the session immensely and learned a great deal.”
Harry Owen - Head of English, Shorefields Community Comprehensive School, Liverpool.
 
“The children and adults who participated in the workshops experienced the most unusual and profound of musical experiences and all eagerly await your next visit to Ireland.”
Mary Sheehan - Project Director, ACTIVATE Festival of Theatre for Young Audiences.
 
“This was an experience of experiences. It has given me a self confidence that I never knew I had. I look forward to many more...”
Tom - prisoner, life sentence, Wormwood Scrubs. (PS from Sara Lee, Education Officer: “this man is still buzzing and many people have noticed the change in him. A constant smile on his face never seen before”).
 
“His unique powers of communication and understanding were largely responsible not only for the success of the project but also for the cataclysmic effect it had upon the players. .....The foundation for this was laid by Eugene Skeef, who by the simple expedient of walking around a circle playing his talking drum, as in the case of a hall of 1,200 children, walking through the hall creating polyrhythmic clapping music, managed to engage every single child present.... we witnessed a complete transformation as Eugene created some haunting vocal music with them. Their inhibitions fell away as they abandoned themselves to the singing with increased joy........ One of our flautists, who played as she never had before, said, ‘I’ve never wanted to play as much - I’ve never had a reason to.’”
Josephine St.-Leon - Classical Music.
 
“Just to let you know how delighted we were with the workshop last week. And to thank you for all the energy and sensitivity which you brought to the project. The men here really appreciated the music and the skills which you have passed on to them. I can still hear the music all around me in the Department this week. I think the group has sowed some really positive seeds for the future. Thank you again for a wonderful week of creativity.”
Stephen Plaice - Education Dept., Lewes Prison.
 
“Your work during the last two weeks presented a significant advance in the regime of the prison service... we are all grateful for your efforts. Everyone who saw the performances was thoroughly impressed by the professionalism but, more importantly, the particular performance for the prisoners’ families which, as you know, was the first time we had undertaken such an event) was exceptionally successful and, as a result, is likely to be repeated in the future. Thank you for your commitment and energy”
Alex Pollock - Education Officer, Wormwood Scrubs.
 
“On behalf of everyone concerned, I do want to thank you very, very much for the guidance and help that you gave the students and teachers during the World Music project. Your work was invaluable and enormously appreciated..... Everyone learnt so much and was so excited and inspired by the opportunity of working with you. You certainly enabled them to produce amazing compositions and performances at the Barbican too! Many thanks for all your patience, encouragement and hard work.”
Mary Cadogan - Project Coordinator, County Music School, East Sussex.
 
“...thank you so much for your wonderful input into the World Music project. Working with you was one of the main inspirations for the whole thing, and your support was invaluable throughout. I especially valued your contribution in the schools, which seemed to me to be a model of release and rigour... The feedback from the people involved and from members of the audience has been fantastic. I hope we can work together soon.”
Gillian Moore MBE - Head of Cotemporary Culture, South Bank Centre.
 
“I just wish the children could have spent more time with you. We really didn't want the session to end. The children were mesmerised by you and your amazing talents… I love the way that you change the sessions depending on how the children react. I wish that more teachers could feel that they had the freedom to be more creative. Sessions would be so much more exciting.
Love”
Janet Chapman - Deputy Head Teacher, Lightoaks Infant School, Salford.
 
“Hi Eugene,
It’s always a pleasure to experience your sessions in school and it reminds me why I got involved in education.  It’s such a shame we can’t experience longer sessions…”
Pamela Saxton - Teacher, Lightoaks Infant School, Salford.




“... a walking lesson to us all....”
 
“....the embodiment of everything I would like to be....”
London Philharmonic Orchestra players.