GIWAYEN MATA
THE COMPANY
Giwayen Mata is the award-winning, dynamic, soul-stirring, all-sistah, dance, percussion, and vocal ensemble dedicated to celebrating and uplifting our communities by presenting and teaching culturally relevant dances, rhythms, and songs that amplify the narratives of women of the African Diaspora.
OUR MOVEMENT
Giwayen Mata is a member based organization founded in trailblazing leadership of women. Our movement uses the lens of black womanhood to produce African centered arts programming that amplifies the accomplishments, beauty, and power of our families and communities. As an institution of joy and sisterhood for our members, we believe that when Black women are thriving our families, organizations, and communities will also thrive.
OUR HER-STORY
From the branches of Barefoot Ballet, directed by Osunlade “Torkwase” Fatunmise (circa 1988), grew the need for sistahs to learn to play the rhythms used to teach and maintain their dance classes. In response, the seed for the ensemble was planted in 1991 when Ramatu Afegbua Mahmud Sabbatt organized sistahs for jam sessions in city parks of Atlanta. Formalized in 1993, under the direction of Artistic Director Emeritus Omelika Kuumba for a debut public dance and drum performance, Giwayen Mata soon excelled as an ensemble of trailblazing women who dared to play drums primarily played by men. Known as the dynamic, soul-stirring, all sistah, dance, percussion and vocal ensemble based in Atlanta, Giwayen Mata creates and presents performance works that celebrate the lives of women of the African Diaspora. Our innovative stage productions include private and community events, educational institutions, mainstage arts venues and professionally curated concerts. Giwayen Mata is also renowned for teaching community dance and drum classes, and for offering school-based programs including lecture-demonstrations and workshops. Currently under the artistic direction of Tambra Omiyale Harris, Giwayen Mata is an active collaborator in artistic projects that uplift the legacy of cultural perseverance through the lenses of African descended people native to the Atlanta area.
ELEPHANT WOMEN
In the Hausa language from Nigeria, Giwayen Mata means “elephant women”, and is a term given to the leaders of women’s organizations there. Just like elephants, we are a multi-generation herd with a strong reverence for those who came before us. We nurture one another as we heal and uplift our community through dance, rhythm and song. Our shared aim is to liberate every girl and woman within our reach by fostering equity, expression, empowerment and wellbeing. We do this by preserving and shaping our culture and by developing diverse and rich programming that amplifies narratives of Black womanhood. While our perspective (or) representation of womanhood remains grounded in the aesthetics of African traditions, it also reflects the evolving impact of the western world, as well as our personal histories as women, artists, diverse professionals, community organizers and leaders.
THE DIRECTOR - Tambra Omiyale Harris
As the current Executive Artistic Director of Giwayen Mata, succeeding her mentor Omelika Kuumba, Tambra Omiyale Harris passionately weaves 28 years of company experience into her work as a choreographer, teacher, and performer. With Giwayen Mata, Tambra Omiyale performs and directs as a dancer, drummer, and vocalist for local and national events.
As a national and international speaker and presenter, Tambra Omiyale facilitates in person and virtual sessions on arts integration and the environment, Project Based Learning centered in the arts, and African Diasporic elements in Hip Hop and Jazz dance.
Tambra Omiyale successfully developed the K-12 dance program at Atlanta’s first charter school, Charles R. Drew where her curriculum specialized in STEAM and arts integration, unifying the school community through African culture and the core values of Project Based Learning. Through Giwayen Mata, her work is currently available to support school dance programs by using creative African Diasporic movement to focus on identity, cultural relevance, exposure to arts communities, and social emotional learning.
Learn More
Website: giwayenmata.org
Instagram: @giwayenmata
Facebook: @giwayenmata