Miami drums

Hope your plans for Halloween are going good.
This weekend, Delou continuous its classes at the FIU campus. Sunday November 1st.

Also there’s a drum circle and picnic at Amelia Earhart Park at the “old beach” area for “dead day” or as is known in Mexico, “El día de los muertos”. Address is 401 E 65th Street, the park charges $6 per car to get in. Bring something yummy to share.

I haven’t attended to Carlos Plana’s Drum Circle at Unity on the Bay Monday November 2, 2009 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Unity on the Bay, Cameron House 411 NE 21. Street, Miami, FL. If you tell us how was the experience!

Last but not least, the Broward drum circle this Sunday, check the times because they have changed, and of course the Full moon drum circle on Miami beach on Monday the 2nd of November.

Have fun everyone!

Virginia Key drum circle,Sunday October 18th at 2 Pm.4020 Virginia Beach Drive

This sunday Delou continues its classes at the FIU campus building #2.
Balaphon at 1:30, drums at 2:30, dance class at 3:45

West African Dance & Drum Class Saturday October 17 at 4:00 pm at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center
6161 NW 22 Ave, Miami, FL 33142
I’m planning to go to Virginia Key, hope to see you there!

This Sunday 20th:
Drum Circle at Virginia Key Beach. Wonderful setting for a drum circle, you can even go to the beach if you want…
3:30 pm – 6:00 pm – 4020 Virginia Beach Drive – 305-960-4600 / 305-632-7514 / 305-960-4618

Fore Sacre West African Drum & Dance Workshop Series – Tuesday September 29, 2009 – 1:30 pm – 8:15 pm
Haile Selassie I Learning and Community Center – 6301 NW 6th Ave., Unit #4 – Miami, FL 33150

954-670-4212 / 786-366-3349 Vending-(305) 759-5911

1:30pm – 3:00pm – Drum – Fode ‘Lavia’ Camara
3:15pm – 4:45pm – Dance – Marietou Camara
5:00pm – 6:30pm – Dance – Mamady Sano
6:45pm – 8:15pm – Dance – Mamady Sano

WORKSHOP FEES
Adults/Children 12 +: $15 per class (children under 12 FREE)
SPECIAL DISCOUNT: Any 5 classes + concert ticket: $65.00

It’s a shame this is on a Tuesday!

West African Drum Class Saturday September 19, 2009 – 11:00 am – 12:30 pm [ And every other Saturday]
5533 La Gorce Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33140 – 850-212-1976 305-975-5895 –  Cost – $15  -Instructor Eric “Bli Bi” Gore

A master drummer for sure…

Delou Resumes its community classes:
Florida International University (fiu) biscayne campus – 3000 ne 151 st miami fl rm. 220 academic 2 bldg.
Balafon class – instructed by Ibrahima Dioubate – time:1:30p-2:30p – $25.00
Djembe/djun-djun class instructed by Mory Fofana – time: 2:30p-3:30p – $10.00
Dance class instructed by delou – time: 3:45-5:15p – donation in kind

Like always, Broward Saturday drum circle… So plenty to choose from…
Have a great weekend…

This next Friday 28th of August Bagua Drum circle:
This a young drum circle that has been growing steadily through out the months. Nice garden behind the store. If weather is bad, drum circle transforms into a more intimate indoor music jam.
4736 NE 2nd Ave – Miami, FL – 305-757-9857 . Starts around 8 PM. Open percussion drum circle in the backyard garden. Parking on the street.

Eric Bli Bli Gore took over Matthew’s class, West african drum instruction. I’m not sure if class’s price is the same. Every Saturday morning at 11 @ 5533 La Gorce Dr. Miami Beach, FL

News from Clint from Paralounge:
Paralounge Drum Gathering – October 16-18, 2009 – At the Cerveny Conference Center in Live Oak Florida on HWY 90.
Clint’s comments sound really exciting:
“Cerveny Conference Center is a beautiful facility on over 530 acres of pristine Florida woodlands. The facility is owned by the Episcapol Church but is not a religious institution. The facility is open to open to any responsible event. White Lake is at the center of the property and can be seen from the Conference area. It has been a lot larger but has suffered a bit from recent drought. It is still a large lake, but when the water comes back, it’s a really big lake.”
This sounds like an ideal place for Paralounge. $55.00 per person / Children 3 – 12 are $15.00
The price includes primitive camping October 16,17 2009. The price also includes all workshops and performances. Meals are separate.

Next Monday 31st Saibou Ba is teaching at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center
on Saturday May 23, 2009 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm 6161 NW 22 Ave Miami, FL 33142 – 305-721-8934.

And like always Broward drum circle this Saturday….

I’ve always wonder about rhythm and music ownership. A drummer, a performer a musician might perform for the crowd, but this is ultimately a mistake. An artist at any level and age should perform for himself regardless of what other people say. Sure, some people are crowd pleasers, but that doesn’t change the fact about why there’s an intention for music or art from the artist in the first place.
The rhythm ownership then is subject to what type of property law? Since we are born, everything carries a name tag on the side, the hospital you were deliver, the bed where your mother gave birth, the watch the delivery doctor was wearing to calculate your contractions, the flowers that were given to your family when you cried for the first time in this earth.
A rhythm is a different manner, to own it, you have to conquer it first, and this might just be for an instance.
No ownership is more fragile than the music one, once you stop there’s no rhythm, no music, no nothing. Many can come behind you, and even play the exact same phrase but it’s never the same, as with our fingerprints, those expressions are unique and irreproducible.
Is the music yours? Does it belong to your listeners? Are the sound waves carved with your copyright infringement on them ??

Yesterday I went to the full moon drum circle in 79th and Collins, I’m not sure why but everyone thinks they own the place. While playing with Angelo, and playing in ‘threes’, something many drummers are not comfortable with, an old guy feels important enough to interrupt everyone and tells me to ‘hear’ the other drummers. Well, that precisely what I was doing, even with only 4 people playing. He went on to say that I wasn’t playing musically, mind you he was playing a single egg shaker, and that gave him the authority to interrupt everyone to tell them what to do.
I’ve never consider myself an expert drummer, I ain’t that good and even If I were I wouldn’t call myself that, but why someone without any idea decides what’s music and what’s not? Not only to find an extra set of drunk people that would pretend to tell you what to play… Those are the worst, while you’re playing the approach you with their current DUI and exclamate loudly to your ear the rhythm combination they’re expecting you to play.
I’m sorry Mr aficionado, but the answer is no. Never again. No drum no say, It’s that easy. Unless you’re invited to play on my drum, get the hell away from it, and from me too…
I see it this way:
Drummers play for themselves, and for fellow drummers. Dancers are an extra that’s always welcome and appreciated – It means that what you’re playing is good enough for someone to dance to – like a plan that blossoms and shares its flowers to you.

Nobody owns the rhythm, it’s as simple as that. Nobody owns the drum circle. You might send an email to remind people about it, but that’s it, not even when you get an illegal vendor selling wraps in the middle of the night at the beach.
Ownership is a complicated issue…

This weekend:
Broward drumcircle, Hollywood drm circle and the last Matthew Hill class at Miami beach

Next Wednesday fifth of August is the next full moon drum circle in the glorious beaches of Miami beach.
More info at Full moon drum circle page

Matthew is teaching the final classes at Miami beach, be sure to check them out.

5533 La Gorce Dr. Miami Beach, FL at 11 Am – All levels welcome. Class cost $15

This weekend you can also go to the Oak Grove Park Drum Circle next Sunday August 2. 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm. 690 NE 159 Street.

If you are up north you can check out the broward drum circle organized by Sophia, here’s there info

You can also attend the Pompano drum circle:
Full Moon Drum Circle on Pompano Beach North side of Pompano Beach Pier on the night of the Full Moon
8:15 PM to 12 AM – Wednesday, August 05 Rain or Shine. If there is rain or it is COLD and Windy
then we drum in the Pavilion near the street north of the Pier at NW 3rd Street

Happy drumming!

Tomorrow is Bagua’s drum circle. This a recent drum circle that has been growing steadily through out the months. Nice garden behind the store. If weather is bad, drum circle transforms into a more intimate indoor music jam.
4736 NE 2nd Ave – Miami, FL – 305-757-9857 . Starts around 8 PM. Open percussion drum circle in the backyard garden. Parking on the street.

Also this Saturday Matthew Hill continues his workshop on west african drumming.
5533 La Gorce Dr. Miami Beach, FL at 11 Am – All levels welcome. Class cost $15.

Saturday has the now famous Broward drum circle at Fern Forest Nature Park

Sunday at FIU Delou is hosting their usual balaphon, drum and dance classes:
FIU – Biscayne Campus – Academic 2 Bldg. Rm. 220 – 3000 NE 151 St.
Miami, FL. Drum class Cost – $10

Hope to see you at any of this events!
Keep the drums loud!

You might remember Matthew Hill’s video from last year. He just came back from almost a year in Africa and he’s about to start teaching every Saturday for the next six weeks at: 5533 La Gorce Dr. Miami Beach, FL at 11 Am – All levels welcome. Class cost $15.

I’ve taken classes with him at FIU and I can say he’s a great teacher. No only teaches but empowers you to learn and play better.

Broward drum circle this Saturday too..Check out its page on the left menu.

Happy 4th of July to everyone!

Tomorrow  Friday 26th Bagua drum circle at 4736 NE 2nd Ave – Miami, FL – 305-757-9857 . Starts around 8 PM. Open percussion drum circle in the backyard garden. Parking on the street.
This drum circle keeps growing more and more… nice music and attitude. A great way to start off your weekend, believe me…

Broward drum circle at Fern Forest Nature Park, click here for details…

Delou continuous with their class schedule – Sunday 27th :
Balafon class instructed by Ibrahima Dioubate – 1:30p-2:30p ($25.00)

djembe/djun-djun class instructed by Mory Fofana – 2:30p-3:30p ($10.00)

dance class instructed byDelou

Oak Grove Park Drum Circle Sunday June 27 3:00 – 6:00 – 690 NE 159 Street Miami, FL. This is a young circle with a distinctly Haitian flavor. Come ready to pick up some sweet island grooves. The circle does not take place in exactly the same place in the park every week; but it’s not a big place. Just look around for Penny or Haiti Blues.

Tequesta Drum/Dance/Fire Circle Celebration Summer Solstice ~ 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009 from Sunset to Midnight at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park 3109 E. Sunrise Blvd. Ft Lauderdale FL 33304. $7 entrance fee at the Primitive Camp Area hosted by Moonpath Circle:
BRING your Drums, Drums Drums for ALL levels of drummers Come synchronize rhythm Before the great Fire At the Tequesta Circle more info at Moonpathcircle

Virginia Drum circle at Virginia key
This Sunday 21st. Time: 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm Virginia Key Beach Park – Dance Floor 4020 Virginia Beach. Virginia Key, Miami, FL. Drums and other acoustic instruments welcome!

Broward Drum circle, more info here