Miami drums

Playing your djembe standing up, as you should instead of sitting down, is by all means a much enjoyable experience, and also, an exhausting one.
Looking to purchase a strap for my djembe I looked first on the musical stores online. Remo has a djembe strap for about $28, Sageman Drums has another option for $30, theirs “is available in 3 types of trim: Brown & Yellow, Blue, and Rasta” [Mmmm Rasta straaaap, yes, finally a rasta strap] Ebay had two options, but both didn’t look like anything very special, some nylon strap with green, black, and…yes, rasta themes. There were some more artistic versions such this one but by this point, I was determined to make it myself.
So I went back to Google, and found this two invaluable sources of strapping knowledge:

Rhytm Traders – They also sell Djembe straps
Djembe Straps’s FAQ – All you ever wanted to know about straps and were afraid to ask 🙂

After reading trhough all the posts, I went ahead, and order some nylon webbing from Onrope1.com. I wanted to get the tubular webbing, my idea was to get a wide one and then fill it up with some sort of foam to make it easier on my arms [Imagine holding a big djembe’s weight, plus hitting on it hard while playing! :S]
I finally got the 2 in wide seatbelt nylon webbing, tubular was much expensive, and I imagine that filling it out with foam was not the best solution, it’s better a wider material than narrow one. FAQ refers to the karate belts as one of the best options, problem is, karate belts are not as long as you would hope for this job…

Editor’s side note:I try to get nylon webbing locally. I could only find a store that had something like this down here in Miami. I went to West Marine, both stores on Biscayne Blvd. They weren’t even aware that they did have nylon webbing. They had also tubular webbing, but on an absurd price, so I ended up buying it online.

When I got the strap, I realized that the Rhytm Traders tutorial is as confusing as the ascii drawing on Djembe Straps’s FAQ. Not sure why the pictures are so focused on the character doing the tutorial instead of the djembe/strap itself. So I asked Mark to show me how to create it, an it’s a very simple thing if you know what are you doing 🙂

I’ll promise to post some picture of how it works…

The Broward drum circle has schedule a full moon drum circle at Pompano beach:
Friday October 26, 2007 – 8:00 pm – 1:00 am. North side of Pompano Beach Pier on the waters edge
if rain at pavilion north of pier. for location contact Debe – debe24@aol.com 954-292-1581

Dade people can attend the good old Miami beach drum circle at 85th and Collins Ave: “Full moon drum circle party is commonly held at 85st and Collins. That’s on the wonderful sands of Miami beach. Serious drummers attend to the Full moon eve, since less people is aware of the previous day celebration. Both days, Full moon and full moon eve are filled with music (and people) playing and dancing.” It usually starts as earlier as 8:30 – 9:00 Pm

Floating drum – Saturday 10/27 from 5 to 7PM:
The Floating Drum is an open drum circle held, this weekend, at Peacock Park in Coconut Grove, right next to the playground. Bring your kids. Bring your drum. Bring your own seating.Some interesting options for Thursday, Friday and Saturday…

Delou Africa Dance Ensemble auditions for the 2007-2008 season will be held Sunday, October 21 from 2-5 p.m. at FIU Biscayne Campus

On going class dance:
Sunday. 2–4 p.m – Community Dance class (West African and Caribbean). Taught by dancers from Delou Africa Dance Ensemble or guests. A $3 donation is requested unless guest artist is there (then it is $12 for dance class, $15 for drum class). FIU North Campus (151st and Biscayne) Academic Bldg 2, 2nd floor. Call Njeri, (305) 978-3866 for more info

DRUM: Tuesday 7:45 – 9:30p.m. – Learn authentic Manding style drumming with Master Guinean Percussionist Moussa Soumah at The Sadkin Center 1176 NW 42nd Way Lauderhill – Contact Trina, 954-687-5789 for more info

A year ago, I started this blog to share information and drum related events with the percussion community in South Florida. Thanks to this, I had the pleasure to meet many drum enthusiast that wanted to do just that in this part of the planet -as well as people from far away and with the same interest.
So… a year has past, since then, we had drum classes, workshops, drum-circles, presentation and an very active community of commentators, they wanted information about the upcoming drum activities. I feel happy that the purpose of this blog has been full filed in some way, at least by reaching people and information.
As always, there are some new set of goals for this new blog year, to perhaps achieve a little more, including more collaborators, reviews and more information on local and remote activities… But for now, let’s enjoy our happy birth date together, shall we ?

Thank you all … dear blog reader, subscriber and spam seeker !

I normally keep all the information and data for Miami Drums, “drum only”, but good local music in Miami is worth mentioning. I’m of course referring to Artofficial, a local band that has been playing around town for little over a year. They’ve released a new album in May called ‘Stranger’, and if I’m not mistaken it was created and mixed at Audacity studios up in Hollywood, Fl .
I’m friends with Keith Cooper, Artofficial’s saxophone extraordinare. I have witnessed many live shows either at I/O Lounge, the Band Shell and Jazzid and I have to confess that the band musicianship is amazing. Their live performances are extremely powerful and a fun event to go to.
If I’d have to find a common ground to define the band, I’d set them between Jamiroquai, The Roots + some Miami-South Florida local flavor. If you want to check them out live, here’s their myspace page with their upcoming shows.

I’m pasting their new video – Big city bright lights –

Next Sunday (12/10/06) at noon, another STREET DRUM CIRCLE in Coconut Grove, on Grand Ave in front of the Mayfair, right down the street from “Out of Africa”. We can play throughout the afternoon. Bring your drum, bring your dancing feet. I’ll have some extra drums.

Take advantage of the last Miami & South Florida drum circles of 2006!

also:

The following weekend Dec 16, 17 (Sat & Sun) 10AM – 6PM, at Coral Castle -28655 South Dixie Highway Homestead, FL 33033 (305) 248-6345- in South Dade, the “Moonfaire” invites drummers to come and drum anytime during the event. It is a pay-to-play event, as the entrance fee to Coral Castle is ~$10. The tribal belly dancers from Lotus Dance Studio will be at the drum circle Saturday afternoon.

The Thursday following that, there’s the Winter Solstice Tequesta Drum/Dance/Fire Circle Celebration from 6-12pm on Thursday, December 21, 2006 (Rain Date for the event Friday December 29, 2006) at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park (Primitive Camp area), 3109 E. Sunrise Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale FL. (954) 468-2791 (954) 564-4521. They are planning a potluck buffet, so people who might like to participate may want to bring a little something to share.

Thanks Mark again for the info…
I’m afraid I’m going to be out of town for both events, but all drummers in the area should check them out!

This Saturday at 5PM at the AHCAC at 6161 NW 22nd Avenue in Miami, Saidou Ba presents West African Drum and Dance followed by an open drum circle. Bring your drums!

This Sunday at noon, a STREET DRUM CIRCLE in Coconut Grove, on Grand Ave in front of the Mayfair. We can play throughout the afternoon. Bring your drum, bring your dancing feet. Right down the street from “Out of Africa”.

See you guys over there!

Thanks again to Mark Richards from the Miami Drums yahoo group!!!

Full Moon Dates

[December – 2006]:
Sunday, Dec 3 – Full Moon Eve
Monday, Dec 4 – Full Moon Night

The address remains the same, 85th st and Collins Ave. on the beach. Since full moon eve is a Sunday, drum circle will start around 8:30

Last Friday we did a small drum circle at Peacock park. I’m posting some pictures. I played for about two hours. Thanks again to Mark Richards that organized the event and also showed me how to create a djembe strap with some nylon webbing I got online. [I’m going to comment on this in the following days, I try to get nylon webbing locally and I end up ordering it online]

Anyway, here’re the upcoming dates for the next moon drumcircle in miami beach, Fl:

Upcoming Full Moon Dates [December – 2006]:
Sunday, Dec 3 – Full Moon Eve
Monday, Dec 4 – Full Moon Night

The address remains the same, 85th st and Collins Ave. on the beach. Since full moon eve is a Sunday, drum circle will start around 8:30

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.

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.