Miami drums

Malian Dance Workshop
featuring
Abdulaye Diallo—Malian Dance & Drum Instructor
SUNDAY November 19, 2006
Hosted By: Delou Africa Dance Ensemble
FIU Biscayne Bay Campus Academic II 2nd Floor Dance Studio
3000 N.E. 151st Street North Miami, Florida 33181
DANCE 3:00 Till 4:30 pm
DIRECTIONS: I-95 , exit Ives Dairy Rd., go east to Biscayne Blvd,
south (right) to 151 street, enter campus, bldg is on the (right)
side.
Contact: Dkuturalfoundation@yahoo.com or (305) 807 -0398

Tonight it was a very nice crowd. We can call it the night before the full moon…Tomorrow, or actually is already today :), we should have another nice hand drum circle at almost the same place [Tonight we started at 85st, and then moved a block south to avoid our neighbor building calling the police on us] Lots of beach dancers, lots of drums, a really nice vibe and people…The rain showed up around 12:00 Am I decided it to call it a night…
Don’t miss it tomorrow night!

New event from the Miami Drum Yahoo! Group

Mad Hatter Art Festival Drum Circles in Coconut Grove
Saturday November 11 and Sunday November 12
from 1 to 4PM on both days at the shady clearing along the trail to The Barnacle.

The Barnacle trail entrance is on Main Hwy across the street from Commodore Plaza.

Thank to Mark R. Richards

I met Mark R. Richards from the Miami Drum Yahoo! Group last Tuesday night at the miami beach drum circle. There was a very nice group playing drums, everyone seemed to enjoy the groove, at least I know I did!. If you want to keep track of what drum events are happening, I’d recommend to join the group [and check miamidrums.com often! :)]

Here’s Sunday drumming event:
This Sunday at 6PM (till 7 or 8 ) I’ll be drumming at the U of M
Student Union Patio (on the grass by the lake next to the Student
Union Patio, actually – go down the stairs by the permanent stage at
end of the patio). Join me with your drum. We can work on specific
rhythms, or just play.

Come drum…

Tuesday, Oct 17

on the beach at Collins & 85th Street

people will start showing up around 8

Some people have determined that a wave of something is happening tomorrow:

* cosmic trigger event
* radiating from higher dimensions
* soul groups operating from Universe-2
* thought and emotion will be amplified intensely one million-fold
* Every thought, every emotion, every intent, every will, no matter if it is good, bad, ill, positive, negative, will be amplified one million times in strength

Believe it, don’t believe it. Who cares! This is a great excuse to drum on the beach. And if it does happen to be true, where else would you want to be?

It’s a well known fact by many, and still an uncharted territory for some, that all people should be equal, no matter the color of their skin, religion and most of all, their gender. I always wonder why there are just a few women that play drums professionally. It’s more accepted for a women to be a pianist, a dancer, violinist but neither a tuba player, trumpetist nor drummer.
Born to drum focus on this interesting aspect, that was forbidden for girls to learn how to drum in Africa.
The goal is: “… the empowerment of women, who for centuries were forbidden access to the drum based on their gender.”
It’s true, women still don’t have the same rights than men in the modern world, avoiding to enter a cliché mode, would like to add the importance of recognizing this injustices not just in the music scene, but all around us.
Born to drums organizes drum camps and drum circles in the San Francisco Bay area. They teach three levels of djembe drumming: Beginners, intermidiate and advanced, where the main focus revolves around the feeling and speed of the player. They not only teach west African rhythms, some of the teachers are from the Americas, and they teach latin rhythms such as Rumba and Guaguancó.

The other night, I shared with my friend Keith the petite Kalimba that I have at home. He’s an excellent sax player, and he was amazed by the simplicity and subtle tone of the Kalimba. Seems that the Kalimba’s big uncle is the African instrument called Marimbula, later adopted by musicians in Cuba, the Caribbean and all over the Americas. I found and excellent description at Wikipedia. So all sorts of Kalimbas produce unique and interesting sounds. My Kalimba is made out of a coconut, and I found a very interesting one, down at Africantreasures made out of a sardine box! It’s imported from Burkina Faso, and recycled out of a happy sardine customer.

Pictures were taken at the drumming concert by Jan Sebon, last night at Sheba Restaurant

Last drum class at the Goddest store I met Michael Dean Goodman. He has been managing a yahoo! group about drums in South East Florida. Finally, is refreshing to learn about more people trying to extend drumming traditions on this side of the world. My biggest goal and dream when I started this website was to include as much information localy. All the drum events around town and all the information revolving around playing drums and having fun.
Heres the link for the South East Florida drum circle

PS: Please don’t miss next Full moon circle. Miami Beach, North Beach – There’s not a specific location, but it always starts around where the Library is. Collins Ave. and 75 st. Hear the drum beat, follow your ears.
Full moon on Thurdsay night, but there’s also activities during Wednesday!

Linguistics is not the only way of communication. All animals have a way to comunicate to each other in some way or another. Agreed, some of them can only communicate basic instructions as fear, reproduction or territorial bounds.
What music means to each individual ? Why not everyone likes certain style of music, or certain rhythm ?. Is it all link with our culture and pop-culture?
What about healing someone with music vibrations ?
[“While many hospitals across the country send new mums and babes home equipped with discs of classical music to soothe and gently stimulate babies’ tender minds…”] Link to Amazon
Perception of music and vibrations are a natural aspect of our condition as humans, and we react to them on diferent ways. Many Shaman practitioners use drumming for healing purposes.
Seems that energy is contain in everything that is around us. Vibrations and music are not exceptions to this rules, so it doesn’t seem so wierd to be able to heal with music.
I came across Toby Christensen Website, where he’s portrait as a Shamanic Drum Master. Many say that we have the power of healing, but at the same time, that many create their own illnesses. Perhaps drumming is a wake up call to our soul, and a balance between our emotions and vibrations!
Keep on drumming! 🙂