In this installment of “Meet the Teachers”, straight from the Kilifi Wellness Festival , we meet Nathan Fallou, a multi-faceted and music-centred practitioner. Nathan shared a Senegalese proverb which has shaped his philosophy and practices: “Nit nitay garabam” – which roughly translates as “The We is the medicine”. In conversation, we delve in to learn more…
SL: Firstly, can you tell me about your background?
NF: Sure, asante for your interest. I was born in Florida, surfer kid, raised by strong women. Prince was my father figure, and then became my godfather. Music like his and Jane’s Addiction was the first intentional medicine of my life, and by my late teens I was a precocious orchestra conductor gaining attention on the classical music scene in the US and Europe.
SL: What was your journey to your holistic practice?
NF: During those early classical music years, I was on medications for anxiety and depression. They had me quite “high functioning”, but were putting Swiss cheese holes in my memory function, giving me horrible dreams, etc. I knew I didn’t want to live that way, and wanted off of them. That’s when I “woke up” to discerning that they were about customers over cures, so I had to create my own exit because I could not find one.
So I jumped… following my intuition to the source of musics which had become a new medicine for my soul: Morocco and then Senegal.
I dropped the meds and threw myself into those trance healing medicine music and dance traditions. Which evolved into having adoptive fathers in both places, learning to play and sing the musics, being invited to perform in ceremonies, learning to hold space for trance healing and trauma release.
Nathan with his adoptive father Doudou Ndiaye Rose in Senegal, before going onstage together.
The rest is pretty much history. For almost two decades I lived happily in Dakar surfing religiosly, giving thanks for healthy masculine role models, running an international drums and dance festival which I founded, a transdisciplinary improvisation games orchestra which i founded, and a yoga studio which I co-founded, until that was all destroyed by covid restrictions.
I felt that I grew up there because I was actually growing, wholesomely – as opposed to my teens in the US which were numbed by those medications.
I still think in Wolof language… Senegal made me who I am and will always be inside of me. Marrakech is still my 2nd home, where I collaborate hosting wellness retreats 2-3 times a year, and maintain my connection to the source of the aforementioned trance ceremonies.
During those years I was frequently requested by friends and collaborators in Europe to “create something” from my life in Africa. I hesitated for a few years because it was a personal healing and growth journey on the continent, without intention to commodify/export whatsoever. But the vision came to me in a Vipassana meditation retreat. In 2007 my project Demonshaker was born, a 6-drumset circle orchestra offering western secular audiences a demystified experience of healing trance thru physicality of sound and circularity of rhythm, and engagement of breath by the receiver.
Nathan conducting his project SabaRap with the Rose family sabar orchestra in Senegal
Demonshaker uses a shamanic conducting language which I created, favoring invitation & choice, rather than command & control– sculpting synergy, rather than throwing energy– yin power, rather than yang force. My method of African Trance Music Breathwork was also born as a result of those requests. A paying forward of my own practice, as the musician child of a yoga teacher meeting African trance & breath-based holistic practices.
The Baltic Sea of Estonia was my cold therapy teacher during 3 months I spent there in the winter of 2008.
SL: You obviously have a strong connection to music, using it for breathwork, in ice bath practices and even DJing.
NF: Yes, thank you for this observation.
SL: Do you play instruments as well?
NF: Yes, I play Senegalese Sabar drums, Moroccan Gnawa percussion, and various other drums and percussion. In the context of sound healing I play crystal singing bowls, gongs, and Native American flutes. I also work with my voice.
Nathan playing sound bowls, one of his modalities
SL: Can you talk about what you feel is the connection between music and your practices?
NF: For me, music and wellness practices are united by pulse and breath. One does not exist in its full holistic essence without the other. This also describes my relationship with dance.
SL: And how do you feel that music enhances those modalities?
NF:
By providing multidimensionality. By offering movement to the body and expansion to the psyche. By lubricating the pathways out of the thinking headspace, back to the feeling heart space, toward reconnection with ancestral limbic wisdom.
SL: What brought you to Kenya?
I was a covid refugee in Mexico. Work was abundant there given no restrictions. But my heart missed Africa tremendously after almost 3 years away. During that time Zanzibar had come onto my radar. Folks said it was like Tulum 15 years ago, with an emerging wellness scene.
My collaborations there expanded to Dar and Arusha. There, several clients of my Music-centric Breathwork + Ice Bath ceremonies suggested I check out Nairobi, and linked me with friends of theirs in the Nairobi wellness community. It was just intended to be a brief collaboration visit.
Facilitating an ice bath session at the Rusty Fundi showroom in Karen.
Facilitating an ice bath session at the Rusty Fundi showroom in Karen.But from my first ceremony here, I was inspired by the richness of the community, and especially how powerfully and compassionately clients showed up for themselves, as well as for each other. The level of engagement from Kenyans well exceeds Tanzania.
SL: So what are your next steps?
I have learned from those clients that the mental health challenges upon young Kenyans are multi-layered, with trauma around the Gen Z protests as well as the horrific femicide situation just in the past year. They have been showing up for themselves gloriously in ceremony, and accessing trauma release. It’s humbling, inspiring, a sacred privilege to hold space for. I’m looking forward to collaborating with Boniface Mwangi’s Mageuzi Hub in order to increase accessibility beyond privileged mzungu/Indian neighborhoods and wellness spaces, and to learn much more from his community.
There is much to be grateful for in Kenya. I sense this is where I will meet my queen and start a family.
Nathan with Healthy Traveler Retreats in Morocco.
At the Kilifi Wellness Festival Nathan is offering:
Ice Bath Karaoke
Singing is a brilliant and simple way to send a relaxation response to the nervous system, which is essential to fully access the beyond-physical and mental health benefits of ice bath practice. If you enjoy singing music in the shower, we welcome you to come sing it in the ice, and “hack” your nervous system into deep release and joyous reconnection with the wisdom of your body.
Temporary Utopia Improv Games
A deeper approach to team building… a creative agora… a laboratory of we-sciences… offering playful, poetic, limbic ways of engaging the We. From dynamic spatial movement hidden-relations games, to small circle explorations thru breath, pulse and gesture, to full circle group improvisation tools. Each game is customized to the present group dynamics, to spark joy, expand creativity, access flow state, and cultivate meaningful non-verbal connections.
African Trance Music Breathwork
Come let your breath dance… Experience an active meditation journey of deep release, that reconnects with the innate wisdom of the body and soul. The ceremony is guided by powerful celebratory African and Sufi trance healing musics that communicate directly with your body, breath, and spirit. Trauma informed, and supported by 1st class quality essential oils, white sage, palo santo, and big love.
Ecstatic Dance: Dance Prayers
Come sweat your prayers in a curated journey of sublime celebratory trance medicine musics from around the world— urban thru desert, jungle thru Sufi— each containing their own sacred wisdom and communicating directly to the body, breath, and spirit. Kindly do not forget to invite your inner child and ancestors, to a dance ceremony of release, reconnection, transcendence, transformation and celebration… on the wings of music made by spirit-ware rather than software.
Nathan offers these practices in Nairobi on a regular basis too, in various venues and privately for clients. You can connect with Nathan on Instagram @longexhales
You can easily reach Kilifi for the Wellness Festival flying with Skyward Express to Malindi or to Mombasa, where you will currently find discounted flights.