drumming

A couple of months ago I started learning Djembe drumming. It takes a lot of concentration, but is very rewarding. My hands are starting to get tougher now, and the bleeding has stopped (only joking). Africa is a place I have never been, but surely wish to go and see how our imitation of their ancient drumming is in comparison. Sometimes it feels a bit strange drumming beats to cultural ceremonies that have nothing to do with my life, just learning someone else's code for celebration. I guess it is practice. 


Today in the class I saw two students with their legs casually draped over the drums, and wondered if the drums were considered sacred like other cultures revered instruments. In India the drums are regarded with folded hands and mantras before the musician plays them. Respects are shown to teacher and instrument. Curious to find out more about djembe tradition and background I looked at;


http://www.african-music-safari.com/djembe-history.html


Most Westerners are unaware of the depth, traditional use and purpose of the drum because djembe history is hardly documented. Only few are interested to research on their own. Instead, some foreign visitors to Africa even try to show Africans how the djembe is supposed to be played. 


Sure enough Westerners (including myself) sometimes neglect to understand the who, what, where, when and how of ancient village life. When I am drumming I feel like I am part of a small village of people, but I don't really know the other students' names and when the session is over, we just all go our separate ways without so much as a goodbye, except maybe to the teachers, who are very friendly. I sit next to, or as near as possible to my teacher because my extreme right brain does not do well with opposites. If I sit opposite I can't work out which hand to use for the beats. When I sit alongside the teacher I can watch his hands and get it right. It is a bit of a fear curer as well because he has to listen to my mistakes (ouch!) and I have to concentrate extremely hard when he plays amazing solos when we are drumming our groove beat. All in a morning of learning. 


What next? Drumming for therapy; my own and others, and drumming in kirtan yoga. 


Caio for now
Taraka