“Bwana Mungu” by The En-Kata Choir

Tom films Maasai dancers

I have to say that our recent trip to Tanzania was everything we had hoped it would be. We planned, filmed, shot, and edited two complete music videos, with two different groups in two very different settings. And we were able to mentor and train folks there in production techniques that will help them create better media resources in the future.

As I mentioned briefly in a previous post, Pamoja Ministries has a huge vision for using media to make disciples in East Africa. They do this through print media, DVD training for rural pastors, and they want to grow in their ability to use things like film and music video in ways that reach farther than any other tools.

The Sowers Group performing "L'Amour"

We spent the first week planning and filming “L’Amour” with The Sowers Group. These four musicians have amazing faith and tremendous artistic talent. We created a video that will appeal to an African audience with the high quality that also makes it appealing to an international audience. We filmed in a beautiful garden, in a studio, and also using green-screen technology to add creative graphics to the scenes. At the end, everyone was certain that the video will be picked up for broadcast on a major multi-country television network. This means the song’s message from 1st Corinthians 13 will reach a huge audience.

En-Kata Choir performing in the bush

The second video shoot couldn’t have been more different. Instead of filming in a studio, we filmed in the African bush, surrounded by cattle and goats. The En-Kata Choir is a group of Christians from the Maasai tribe. Their choir and community organization want to reach the wider Maasai tribe with their messages of hope, freedom from spirits, and to help stop the spead of HIV/AIDS, and oppressive practices like female circumcision.

Matt Castagna and I had only a day and a half to film with the Maasai, but we were able to capture beautiful footage of the choir singing in their amazing natural surroundings and also their cows (the most beautiful gift God has given, according to the Maasai!)

Tom and Nadine check the shot

In the end, both videos were completed before we flew home – a record for us! We are talking with Pamoja about future collaboration together, perhaps on a feature-length film in partnershp with the Maasai. We’ll keep you posted.

Tags: Africa, Pamoja Ministries, Sowers Group, Tanzania, training, visual story network