Category: Blog
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Amazing Dancer, “Lasensua” from Canada to Maui and beyond!
I have had the great opportunity to know and to have been playing for Lasensua for over 20 years or more. I first met her on the Big Island of Hawaii. Lasensua has lived, studied & performed in many areas of the world. Her travels started in 1974, when she became immersed in Hawaiian culture… Read More »
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DVD review: Ultimate Guru Music presents, “The Art of Fusion Drumming” by Taufiq Qureshi
I recently received a 2 DVD set from Ultimate Guru Music Company in India of a very interesting musical percussion artist named Taufiqu Queresh. The first thing I noticed is the quality of the box, artwork and packaging. Very well done! When you open the box there is full color booklet attached to the box… Read More »
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Mano Secreto; Demystifying the secret hand technique for conga drums
Have you heard of the Mano Secreto? It is the secret hand technique used and first made popular by percussion legends Changuito and also Giovanni Hildago. Prior to these great conga players there was another player named tat Guines in Havana Cuba who was developing this technique. Why is it secret? Because until recently (well… Read More »
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Going beyond the drum circle; learning to play your drum correctly
You have just been to your first drum circle and you are fully charged up and excited to play drums. Or maybe you have been to several drum circles or drumming events. It was fun and exciting to play your drum with other people. You want to do it more and more. So what happens… Read More »
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Studying West African drumming in Mali part one
My first trip to Africa was to Mali ,West Africa. I was always scared to go to Africa even though all my friends and students had already gone and the reports were always very positive. I was scared of getting sick. I heard the horror stories of people getting sick there, the poor hospitals, bad… Read More »
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What is a djembe solo and the four types of djembe solos
I love to play djembes and I also love to study the music we make with djembes. Djembe soloing is a very small part of djembe music as a whole. The djembe is a communal drum and is about community and unity. We all (myself included) get caught up in being the soloist as it… Read More »
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My new DVD, How to Play Afro Cuban Congas has been released today on earthcds.com
My latest instructional DVD, “How to Play Afro Cuban Congas” has just been relased today on earthcds.com. This DVD features almost everything I have learned in the last 25 years or more studying, learning, teaching and performing conga drums around the world. There is in depth looks at all the major rhythms with break down… Read More »
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Studying in Guinee Part 1
Many people often ask me “what was it like to study and travel in Guinee”? And “where did you like better Guinee or Mali”? I love both places to study and live but for different reasons. In Guinee I stayed with the late great Kemoko Sano and his family at his compound in Merveilles. I… Read More »
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How to Play Hand Drums: Getting the Bounce technique
My first drum teacher used to chant repeatedly, “minimum input maximum out put” when it came to the topic of playing techniques and how to hit the drum. It was true over 30 years ago and it is still true now. What he was talking about is that it is not important how hard you… Read More »
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Michael Pluznick teaches Zaouli break into Kuku djembe solo on Toca Stage Series Pro wood djembe
Toca artist and Toca endorsee Michael Pluznick shows the fun Zaouli break and Kuku solo technique for djembes and dunun on Toca Stage Series Pro wood djembe and Toca Freestyle Djundjuns. Read More »
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Drumming and playing music in bali
This last month I had the good fortune to be able to go to Bali once again. My focus was on teaching west african drum classes in Ubud and also playing with every band I could sit in with or gig (work) with. I had no idea that the musicians and drummers I would meet… Read More »
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some good advice
“The courage to meet and talk with people is absolutely crucial. Choosing dialogue is itself the triumph of peace and humanity.” (Daisaku Ikeda) Read More »