14th – 21st July 2025
We are offering a 7-day singing retreat at Finca Ara Oko, an ancient off-grid farmhouse in Southern Spain. Drawing on the choir Coro de Clave (based in London and Spain), this retreat provides ensemble and individual vocal development. You will learn stunning Cuban folkloric songs in three and four-part harmonies. Each day will consist of sessions that develop breathwork and diaphragm strengthening for vocals, musical confidence with rhythm and harmony, and lead and group singing.
We want you to leave our retreat a more confident, connected, and knowledgeable singer and take home with you a collection of beautiful songs and memories that you can keep forever.
The name Coro de Clave was given to choirs that proliferated in the black communities of Western Cuba from the last part of the 1800s until around 1920. They were mobile ensembles, often amassing over 100 members and would compete with other neighbouring groups. We have revived and transferred this beautiful idea of community singing to this century and expanded the repertoire to include other Cuban-based styles.
The retreat celebrates the music, historical context, and culture of this tradition and the coming together of a wonderful community of people who enjoy singing these special songs and the beautiful surrounding landscape.
The week-long retreat is split between tuition, practice time, making the most of the amazing location (mountain walks, beaches, snorkelling, sunbathing, star-gazing, horse riding, etc. ), relaxing and, of course, eating and drinking.
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Course tutors
Vicky Jassey and David Pattman
Accommodation and Prices
Prices:
The price includes seven nights’ accommodation, three meals a day, and five days x four hours of tuition. (Please see below for costs not included.)
- Earlybird rate: a non-refundable deposit of £150 paid before 1st May 2025.
- Regular rate: a deposit paid after 1st May 2025.
- Full payment: due by June 14th.
To find out more and book, visit our webpage Afro-Cuban Singing Retreat.
To find out about our other retreats in Spain, visit Finca Ara Oko.
Other information: Accommodation and travel.
Single Room: (Please note, you will still be sharing a bathroom)
*Earlybird Single Room: £760
Regular Single Room: £810 (1-2 available)
Shared rooms: 3 available
Earlybird Shared Room: £650
Regular Shared Room: £710
Glamping (2 people per tent):
Earlybird Glamping: £625 each
Regular Glamping: £685
We will use the glamping area as overflow accommodation if we have more than 7 people booking on the course. Our tents are luxurious, spacious and comfortable. (Please note; the photo is from the company that has made our bell tents)
Google Reviews
Dave is an amazing teacher with huge passion, knowledge and patience. Vicky is a great musician, singer and a very inspiring thinker. They both make this learning experience special and I am so grateful for this.
This course was also for me a chance to know more people who share a similar attitude towards art, music and life. I met very special people there.
Vicky and Dave also organise music nights in London where anyone can play and apply what you have learnt in a wider context and with other amazing musicians!
So it's clear that I highly recommend bombo production to all amateurs and professional musicians 😀
Dave and Vicky have figured out the perfect formula to share their very deep knowledge in a really fun and relaxed but also intensive and challenging way.
In both their online courses and face to face workshops, they are making sure to gently push you a bit further from where you are at -whether a total beginner or an advanced player.
Only thing to be aware of is that this might be addictive.
Most recently, I attended the Level 2 in-person Salsa course offered by Dave. What I love about Dave’s salsa classes is that we get to learn a bit of each instrument in the percussion section. While I only have congas at home and the congas are (perhaps) the instrument I am most interested in, I always wanted to understand how the congas interact with the other percussion instruments. And I love it that I can now play a bit on the other instruments. And I absolutely love it that when I listen to salsa music, i can now distinctly hear the timbales, the bongos and the congas… it feels great. Thank you, Dave!
The other thing I really enjoy about the salsa classes is that we don’t just learn patterns on the instruments, but we apply these to a specific song/arrangement prepared by Dave; as such we also learn to listen to (and play) the breaks, changes in clave, etc.
I can’t speak highly enough of Dave and Vicky’s classes – whether these are salsa, batá, rumba or coro. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Seriously If you want to learn and understand Salsa music, arrangements, technique and the secrets of this Afro-Cuban music style, Dave Pattman is the man. Over the years I've done workshops with Dave and always been a great and rewarding experience.
Very warm, friendly and energetic teacher, with extensive knowledge of this music.
Can't recommend the course enough, Sometimes the courses run in a nice little studio in central Hackney or online over a 6 week period. New to online lessons it didn't take long to get into it, you get an upload of the lesson which is great, and the arrangement, with minus one options of instruments.
Also Dave encourages you to send in videos of your playing with the tracks , so you really get a lot for your money.
Prices are very reasonable for such high level tuition.
This side of Havana Bombo productions is the place to go if you want to learn the real essence of Afro Cuban drumming, music and culture.
The course content was perfect for me as I have covered the basics so many times. In these sessions, we used the patterns to build up 2 different salsa arrangements which was just what I needed - a real-life context in which to play the instruments. This was all supported with shared resources including minus-one tracks to play along at home.
There were new patterns/techniques to learn for all the instruments - congas, bongo, timbales and guiro
The tutor had a wonderful, relaxed manner and was encouraging and supportive, while also finding ways to push our different ability levels.
I would definitely attend another course sometime.
