Pedro Espi-Sanchis

Pedro Espi-Sanchis is a music educator based in Cape Town, South Africa.

He was born in Spain, grew up in France and resides in Cape Town. Pedro has been a leading figure in music education for 35 years, specialising in the field of instrumental African music and the use of African instruments in schools. He established the practical course in African music at the University of Cape Town, established and directed the music department at the Giyani College of Education and contributed to ISME and other Music Education conferences all over the world.

He has written the music component in school textbooks published by Oxford University Press and has championed the reintroduction of many traditional African instruments, especially the lekgodilo African harmonic flute. Pedro has developed a full music education programme based on African pipe ensembles flutes and xylophones. The 'XyloFun', his latest production, enables learners to play creative music and to grasp the theory of music within a very short time.

Pedro is a renowned storyteller and musician; he uses stories to introduce African instruments – many of which are ensemble instruments needing audience participation – showing how they are made and played. He has been a featured storyteller at Beyond the Border Festival in Wales, Bath Festival, WOMAD festivals in Reading, London, Caceres, Las Palmas, the Baboro in Galway as well as festivals in Toronto, Milan, Grenoble, Madrid and Cape Town.

Pedro specialises in performances for primary and pre-primary school audiences and over the years has visited hundreds of schools in southern Africa and Europe. His shows are accompanied by a full set of educational materials including traditional African instruments and CDs of music and stories that are presented to the schools.

Pedro also offers teacher workshops where these materials and instruments are demonstrated. The workshops allow teachers to make rewarding music regardless of how much formal musical training they have.