Last semester I taught a class at Towson University called “Global Drumming”.  The class was a hands-on exploration of some drumming traditions in the African Diaspora.  I created the class specifically for students with little or no drumming experience who wanted to learn some ensemble drumming rhythms. The students learned hand drumming technique and all the parts of the ensemble rhythms.  We also explored the cultures from which the rhythms originated.  Over the course of the semester, we studied  Fanga from Liberia, Guaguanco (pronounced Wa-wan-co) from Cuba and traditional Brazilian Samba.

I had a great group of students for the class. The amount of progress they all made through the course of the semester was very impressive! By the end of the semester, they had all of the rhythms memorized and some students were even taking solos!  All in all, it was a great experience teaching the class.  Having students who are smart, interested in learning and are nice folks all around certainly didn’t hurt!

We had our end of the semester concert in the very nice Studio Theatre of the TU Dance Dept.  Check out the photos:

Thanks to the TU Dance Dept., Vincent Thomas for taking the photos and Scott Tiemann for generously loaning us the samba instruments!

I’m looking forward to teaching the class again next year!

Saxophonist John Dierker photo by Calvin Tullos

The Baltimore Afrobeat Society performances  on December 11th and 12th, 2009 at the 5th Dimension were a great success. We sold out the place both nights and had to turn people away (sorry to those who couldn’t get in)! All of the musicians (we had 23 musicians for these gigs) brought their A Games and the crowds were very spirited and high energy both nights.

The Baltimore Afrobeat Society pays tribute to the music of Fela Kuti. Fela Kuti was the pioneer of what he called “Afrobeat”, a mix of American jazz and funk with West African “high life” and traditional rhythms. His bands were quite big with full horn and percussion sections and several back up singers and dancers. Fela’s lyrics were very political as he was also an activist and political leader. Although many of his lyrics were specific to his situation in Nigeria at the time, they tend to be universal and still have weight and meaning today.

Zak Fusciello photo by E. Franklin

Fela is the subject of a current broadway production simply called FELA!. A film of Fela’s life, to be directed by Steve McQueen, is also in the works. I have not yet seen the broadway production but am looking forward to seeing it soon.

Stay tuned for more info on Fela and some lessons and transcriptions of his incredible drummer, Tony Allen.

photo by E. Franklin

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE FLYER!
BASDEC2009B

Scott Thiemann playing the Gyil (that he made himself!) at the Elements Percussion premiere performance.

Drummer Extraordinaire Scott Thiemann and I have formed a percussion group called Elements Percussion. We had our premiere performance on Wednesday night and it was quite a success.  Despite rainy weather,  there was a huge, noisy crowd for the  ”Re-Start with Art” Veterans Day Art Auction held as a benefit for Baltimore Station.  We played for over an hour and played several pieces using a variety of drums and percussion instruments including congas, riqqs, kalimba, gyil (see picture above), bells, and doumbek. We also played along to live loops which we recorded on the spot. All in all, it was a great night.

Check out a short video clip of our performance here:
Elements Percussion Video

Here are some photos of my Cuban travels (double click on images to see larger views):

Closeup of the Bata drums, used primarily in Santerian songs and ceremonies.

I studied with these great drummers from the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional de Cuba: The National Cuban Folkloric Music and Dance group.

Santerian ceremony at Fredi House, Madrugas

This is another great group I studied with: Grupo Afro-Cuba. In this photo, they perform in their home town of Mantanzas. The regions of Havana and Mantanzas have different ways of interpreting certain rhythms such as the Rumbas guaguanco and yambu.

Grupo Afro-Cuba de Mantanzas

Grupo Afro-Cuba de Mantanzas

Grupo Afro-Cuba de Mantanzas

Grupo Afro-Cuba de Mantanzas

Grupo Afro-Cuba de Mantanzas

Mantanzas

Chinatown, Havana

Joyce SoHo Theatre

Matt Heggem and Glenna Blessing

 

 

 

I just got back from NYC. I was there for a few days to work with singer/banjo-ist Leah Smith and ClancyWorks Dance Company. We played two shows in NYC at the Joyce SoHo Theatre, October 23 and 24 and two shows at UMBC on October 16 and 17. The UMBC shows were great and at the Joyce, the house was packed both nights and I think everyone, dancers and musicians, brought their A game. I performed with Leah (who is a great singer and banjo and kalimba player) playing doumbek for one song between pieces and then playing drum set and doumbek for the last piece of the show, the suspenseful and acrobatic "On Taking Steps to Climbing Mountains". It was really great being in NYC for a few days and performing for two nights rather than rushing up there for just one show. It was also great working with some new people like Leah as well as some people that I've worked with before in other contexts from Goucher College and Towson University, especially choreographer Adrienne Clancy. I also got to visit with my friend and bandmate, Jon Vance of Moss Icon and his wife, "E", who currently live in Queens and took these photos of the performance:

I also had some free time to walk around and take photos:

Self Portrait

And drink lots of caffeine. If you’re in Chelsea and want some good espresso or cappuccino, check out Cafe Grumpy  (on 20th between 7th and 8th) for sure. They know what they’re doing:

Cafe Grumpy

Thanks