Storytelling · Live Music · Dance · Participation
Balafon and the Talking Tree
A magical journey where children's rhythm, song and movement help a silent tree find its voice again.
- Who it is for
- Libraries, festivals, cultural centres, schools and children's and family arts programmes
- Format
- Interactive live performance · 30–45 minutes · 2 performers · children dance, play small djembes and sing along
- Artists
- Solo Diarra, Sarjo Sankareh
When the Talking Tree loses its voice, can music help it sing again?
Balafon and the Talking Tree is an interactive children's performance where West African storytelling, live music and dance come together in a magical story about a tree that has forgotten how to sing.
Led by Solo Diarra and Sarjo Sankareh, the performance invites children into the story itself. Through balafon, rhythm, dance, small djembes and simple repeated singing, the audience helps awaken the Talking Tree and bring music back to the community.
The story
In a West African village, Grandpa Demba is known for his stories, his laughter and the beautiful sound of his balafon. Near the village stands a magical Talking Tree that has long shared songs and wisdom with those who listen.
But one day the tree becomes silent. It has lost its joy, and the village has forgotten something important: the power of music, laughter and coming together.
Grandpa Demba turns to his balafon. As the music begins, the children are invited to help. They dance, create rhythm on small djembes and join simple repeated singing. Little by little, sound and movement return to the space, and the Talking Tree begins to come back to life.
By the end, the tree has found its voice again and the village gathers through music and dance. The story becomes a celebration of listening, creativity, joy and the way music can bring a community together.
How the performance unfolds
The story is not delivered as one long narration. It appears at the beginning, middle and end, creating the dramatic thread of the performance. Between these moments, the story is carried forward through live music, Sarjo's movement and the children's participation.
This makes the audience part of the action rather than observers of a separate workshop. The children's dancing, drumming and singing have a purpose inside the story: together with the artists, they help create the energy that awakens the tree.
Artistic team
- Solo Diarra, music and storytelling: balafon, djembe, voice and other West African instruments. The balafon is central to the performance: its sound drives the story forward and becomes part of the awakening of the tree.
- Sarjo Sankareh, dance and the Talking Tree: through expressive movement and dance, Sarjo embodies the spirit and transformation of the Talking Tree, moving between stillness, sadness, awakening and joy.
Performance history
- Deichman Bjørvika, September 2026: premiere of the current production
- Barna Verdensdager, Skien, October 2026: confirmed presentation
