Drumming For Social Change: Chega de Verão (Summer's Arrival)

After one of the most destructive, cold, and LONG winters we have had to endure up here in the Northeastern US, summer is finally upon us. What does this mean? No school (exciting summer plans to be announced soon :), more practice time, summer hangs, workshops etc. It also means that the season of outside drumming has arrived. All over NYC, on Sunday 5/26, people were out and about jamming! Gabriel had the chance to explore some of the outdoor jam sessions happening simultaneously throughout Central Park. On beautiful Cherry Hill, overlooking a lake, there was a Cuban rumba. Further south in the park were djembe players jamming to the beat of a dj. Near by them was a group of Hatian drummers. It was quite a sound, hearing each of these distinctive groups playing at the same time. Most of the traditions we study are just like these ones. They are the result of people congregating together and jamming. Overtime, specific parts become solidified and style-specific. Usually these parts come as filtered versions of sacred drumming rhythms. They take on different dimensions when they reach the street and often receive new names and functions. What was happening yesterday was a way for people and communities to maintain but also continue to evolve their drumming traditions. It was a thrilling process to observe and participate in. It was a reminder that NYC serves as a global meeting point, where people come to find fresh beginnings and new opportunities bringing with them incredible music and culture.

DSC Book of the Month

We here at DSC highly recommend the book Dancing Wisdom by Yvonne Daniel. This book is a comparative study of the traditions of Bahian Candomble, Hatian Voudon, and Cuban Santeria told through the lens of a dance anthropologists. There is some fascinating insight and descriptions of specific rituals and great information about the beliefs held by practitioners of these faiths. If you are interested in learning more about the African Diaspora and how traditions carried to the new world by slaves continued to evolve and grow, then this is the book for you!