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Preview the new CD |
 I recently had the opportunity to work with the amazing dancer and dance teacher Kimberly Miguel Mullen at her special Afro Cuban Folkloric dance workshop in Nevada City, California. Nevada city is situated on the beautiful Yuba river and is a thriving tourist and drum and dance community as well. [...]  Last night was the celebration of the late Olatunji’s birthday. I am not sure how old he would have been. He was a man who changed my life and helped inspire me as well as countless others in the field of percussion and beyond. I was grateful to be part of an evening of celebration in Olatunji’s honor last night at the Ashkanaz night club in Berkeley, California. [...]  I recently went to the studios of Peter Musser in Petaluma, California to see what exactly he was up to and I was blown away by the incredible drums he is making! Anyone considering an “artisan” conga, a conga drum or set of congas from an individual craftsman, should definitely check out Peter’s work. Here is an interview I did with him: [...]  If you are in the market for a djembe drum you are faced with a huge variety of choices. There are djembes made in Africa, Bali and many different parts of the world. So what is the best djembe for you, for your needs and where do you get it? Which djembe drum should you buy? I recommend a professional top level djembe. Get the best possible drum you can afford and do not buy it on eBay. [...]  I am now offering West African, Afro Cuban, and Fusion/Hybrid hand drumming classes of all types on line via Skype. I encourage any one who wants to learn more about drumming and how to play drums to contact me. All levels are welcome. If you have always wanted to drum or simply want to enhance your skills or learn more authentic rhythms, how to solo r to find your inner rhythm this is a perfect way. [...]  Who makes the best top quality high end professional Bongos? In my opinion it is almost always the smaller companies where there is one person in charge, personal attention to detail is foremost and the goal of the artist is more about making a solid great sounding instrument then being a mass marketed production line product manufactured in Thailand. [...]  If you are on a shoestring budget and need the best possible conga drum for the lowest amount of money you are best off buying a used conga drum. If you know what to look for there are some great deals to be found. You can often by two high quality conga drums on the used market place for the same amount or less then buying a new low model conga drum from a large manufacturer. All it takes is some knowledge and time searching and of course the willingness to negotiate a fair price for both seller and buyer. [...]  The best way to make our drums sound better, be it conga or djembe drum, is to play better. That means practicing and learning. I am constantly working on my tones, slap and bass. I watch other people play, take lessons and watch Youtube videos as well. For me, it is a never ending learning process of trying to perfect my playing technique. And no matter how long we play, we can always learn [...]  I was just going through Manito Percussions web page and thought these skins might be of interest to some of you. The skin on your drum makes a huge difference in the sound quality of your instrument and unfortunately many drums, even high end conga drums have the skins, (or “heads” as some people call them), selected randomly. [...]  About the film: An illuminated film transmitting the dance, drumming and chants of the Orixás and their living presence in modern Brazilian culture.
Yemanja Godess of the Sea Axé Orixá (pronounced ashay orishah) is a film of the dance, drumming and chants of the Orixás (Afro-Brazilian gods and goddesses) and how they manifest today through some of Bahia’s greatest musicians and legendary dancers. The film unfolds through dreamlike sequences of music and dance [...]  “Keepers of the Flame” is a documentary about the elder statesmen of Rumba who live in Matanzas and Havana. Francisco Zamorra Chirino, (“Menini”) and Pedro Aballi Torriente (“Regalado”) are two of these elder statesmen and co-founders of AfroCuba de Matanzas, one of Cuba’s preeminent folkloric groups. Both Menini and Regalado are the keepers of the undying and fervent flame of Rumba and the deep and profound folkloric rhythms which were brought to Cuba from Africa. [...]  I recently got a hold of a Gon Bops Shekere as I was traveling and needed something very durable to withstand the rigors of my lifestyle. I would like to note that I also make Shekeres myself, but I always use hard shell gourds. The problem is that for me, gourds and traveling about do not mix well. This is because gourds crack and break easily. If you toss one in the air (a move advanced players use a lot) or hit it with your knee (another move) and miss the correct part of the gourd you can crack your gourd so to speak. [...]  By guest writer Michael Schwartz I grew up in the Bronx during the period of time that the Bronx was going through an evolution. This is in the late 50’s/early 60’s. The neighborhoods were predominately Irish/Italian/Jewish, but were then starting to have an influx of Cuban, Puerto Rican and Afro Americans. My particular block, had a new Latin flavor, with the increase of Puerto Ricans, from the Island, and some that had migrated from Lower Manhattan. With the new neighbors came great food, great looking women, and Latin music that I soon learned, was called “Salsa”. [...]  Here is a list of skin suppliers. I am sure there are some other suppliers but this will give you a great start if you are looking for some new skins for your conga drums or djembe drums. If you have any suppliers you would like to add please let me know and I will add them to the list here. Este fue elaborado por un tipo llamado James en el foro conga. Gracias James. Estoy seguro de que hay algunos otros proveedores, pero esto le dará un buen comienzo si usted está buscando algunos nuevos skins para sus congas o tambores djembe. Si usted tiene cualquiera de los proveedores que le gustaría agregar por favor hágamelo saber y voy a agregar a la lista aquí. [...]  This is a classic rumba video from my vault. It features the group, “Raices Profunda” (Deep Roots) from Havana Cuba. The dance and drum rhythm is called rumba columbia. [...]  This is a video clip of a dance performance we witnessed in Havana, Cuba in 1895 when I went there to study traditional Afro Cuban drumming. The group performing is called, Raices Profunda or “Deep Roots” in english. This is a dance for the Orisha Oshun. The drummers are playing bata drums from the Yoruba tradition brought to Cuba by the slaves. [...]  This is a demonstration and sound test of my 4 new Spirit In The Wood conga drums made by Conrad Kubiak in Pennsylavania from solid logs. These are on piece drums (shells) all made from the same tree. The type of wood used is called “Figured Ash”. [...]  It is amazing how few reviews there are on conga drums out there new or used. And many people think that the best drums made are from the major manufacturers such as L.P., Mienl, Toca and such. So today we will show you some solid alternatives that I am sure you will find eye opening and at the very least beautiful and interesting as well. [...]  These are the new “Spirit In The Wood” brand conga drums. Made by an artist and musician in PA.,USA named Conrad. He has been building hand made drums for over 30 years and even the late great Baba Olatunji requested and played one of Conrad’s special drums. [...]  The new MP Signature Model Eco Pro 12″ and 13″ wood djembes have arrived in the UK and are avaialbale at WRP (World Rhythm and Percussion) now.. These drums are made in Indonesia from plantation wood which is planted and replanted responsibly. I have been working on these drums for about two years now and also field testing them all around the world and I am really happy with the sound and feel! [...]  Just for the record, I am not against fusion, hybrid or any other new or old style of drumming of any kind. As a matter of fact I am open to it and do it myself to some extent. I see it as a natural evolution of traditional drumming styles as people who have studied traditional percussion forms and world music move and explore out of the dance, drum class and traditional drumming/music scenes [...]  My latest instructional series on how to play the djembe and west african drumming styles is now available for easy downloads at X8drums.com. This easy to follow tutorial series features easy to follow instructions, over the shoulder shots and special slow motion sequences to make your learning experience easier and fun! Please check it out at X8drums.com where you can see and hear a free sample. [...]  This is the first opportunity ever for people who work with rhythm to come together in Asia to network, discuss our knowledge and experience, share our “rhythmical spirit”, and (best of all) have crazy fun together in a tropical setting at one of Malaysia’s best beaches. (Did somebody say “Late night”?) [...]  Michael Pluznick has been recording with a variety of musicians with great pleasure and success for over 25 years. He has collaborated with Todd Rundgren, Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart ( both of The Grateful Dead),Clarence Clemmons (Bruce Springsteen), Raul Rico (Santana) and Jim Chappell, among others. Designed and manufactured in Bali, Michael worked closely with master carvers and artisans to create a djembe drum that he believes rivals most high-end African made drums in sound, look and definitely 100% in quality. One of the major upgrades to this drum is additional carving on the inside of the drum which creates a larger “choke” or opening for the sound to exit from. The choke should always be larger then your fist size when placed in the opening. He also added a bicycle tire to the bottom of the drum to protect your floors, other peoples floors, to stop the drum from whacking and splitting and to make it easier to hold when you are drumming sitting down. Once you try a drum with a tire on the bottom you will want one on whatever drum you are playing. Legally Harvested Wood Michael’s goal in making this signature drum was to try and design an “eco” drum from “good wood” and also to make a drum that looks, sounds and feels like the best west African drums at a price of almost half their cost. The trees used in manufacturing these drums are replanted and it is regulated and observed closely. The wood that these drums use cost twice as much as the “smuggled” and illegal wood, but to Michael it is worth the cost to try to at least be conscious about it. Kiln Dried The Eco Pro djembes are kiln dried and tested for humidity and moisture. This prevents long term problems with the shell cracking or changing shape over time. The Sound Please watch the videos and see for yourself. These drums have full rich tone, deep bass and a snappy high with slaps that really “POP”! The larger 13″ drum is really remarkable in that it covers so much ground. You can use it as a solo drum, accompaniment drum or anywhere in between. Because of the remarkable strength of the wood and roping methods you can pull these drums as tight as you want. They won’t warp like some lighter drums do. The smaller drum at 12″ is still a nice size, relatively light in weight and has remarkable presence and projection of sound. Despite being a screamer on the high end (if you crank it up) [...]  Well folks, it is finally here! After a very long road of playing, videoing, shooting, editing and re editing I am very excited to let you all know that my all new DVD, “How To Play Djembe” Volume 1 is now available at X8drums.com. It is over 1 hour and 40 minutes long and covers every possible aspect of how to play the djembe! [...] |
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