we are the party makers, we are the drummers of the drum.

It really is overwhelming, this festival called pennsic. The site is 3/4 of a mile wide and nearly 2 miles long, inhabited by a throng of bedecked characters over 10,000 strong. The first night I shuffled home at 3:30 am, quietly giggling to myself. I was happy. I was home. For 10 days I lived in a tent, studied drum with the pennsic "rock stars": Carmine, Nevik and Raquy. Performed at haflas and under the dance pavillion. Late at night pounded the beats at the feral, tribal all night fire circles. Truly, I was transformed into a gypsy vampire, I could drum all night without tire or getting sore. My energy flowing from the fire and the tribal dancers. And perhaps my $9 a day turkish coffee habit. My veins were flowing black with the stuff. The deep inky night sky, and all those lovely stars. Some nights the lightning would flash from the north and the south as the storm split and went around us. Hail pennsic weather witches. As the sky turned, the eye of Taurus was upon me. But when the first indication of the most deep, deep, shade of parrish blue would appear to melt away the night, we would scurry back to our tents. Me, though, I never crashed for long. At 9:30 am I would be up and back at it, all over again.

It's only a few day past, but already I yearn to be back in that dream world. To dwell outside of society, outside of reality.

pennsic bound

hey! well I am off to pennsic tomorrow! so excited! the rest of the goatee mafia is soon to follow, so perhaps you will see us busking or jamming at some late night shenannigans.
I will be working for materialis in the merchant area too.

transforming chaos into high magick

mondays soundtrack:
mazzy star - so tonight that I might see
peter murphy - dust
incus - burning thread
miranda sex garden - peep show ep
perfect circle - mer de noms


I brought back bliss from last weekend's sacred world fest (as well as a few bug bites and a touch of poison ivy). Monday's mundane activities were buffered by the inner peace that I had manifested. Routines could not unerve the state of grace I was in.

Such a blessing it is to be part of such an amazingly talented community. Everyone was so grounded, considerate and generous at this gathering.

The most interesting thing is seeing tribal fusion dance in the context of the modern rock band, liberate the dance form and return it to a more organic feral state. I think dancing outdoors, in the presence of an open fire to live music (amplified or not), is what it always was, and always will be about.

jalsah providence may 17

Carmine and melissa are coming to down to bring us the jalsah love. its more of a do, than a watch, but people do come to watch. in the afternoon, musician and drummers learn the classic turkish tunes in workshops, then in the evening... open jamming and open dance partay!!!

May 17, 2008
at the spot on thayer
286 thayer street
providence, ri

oh yeah, there is always this hype but this time it is true!
the spot is a gorgeous little venue, but tis little and WILL SELL OUT!!!!
So don't you miss out! Do it today!
you can paypal at this here page with all the details.

www.jalsah.org/sites/Jals...Providence/

thank you! thank you!! thank you!!!

hey! thanks to everyone who came out and made the Raquy and the Cavemen/Kassar event I put together a success! Thanks to those who came to the workshops and thanks to those who came to the show. Well, coming to the show was its own reward as Raquy and the Cavemen impressed all with selections from their awesome new disc. Kassar amazed all with their super sublime serpentine dancing! It is always a wonderful feeling to see ones vision come to fruition. Everyone had fun! Everyone was happy!
Thanks to all who supported these artists!
peace,
~Kevin
:)

raquy is a week away!

yeah, I have been working hard promoting and organizing this event, and now the people are all jumping on! thanks to all of you who have already sent your advance registrations in! those of you waiting, send russ an email and check this week, or be prepared to get there early!

yay! yay! yay!

*considers a cartwheel, then decides there is not enough room in here*

:D

the nature of the beat

drum circle last weekend. about 10 or 12 folks. average night to be sure. solid drumming, said one of the hosts. I agree. not the out of this world drum circle magic that this venue is capable off. not completely the other end of the spectrum either. the energy was a bit flagging. between jams, the meditative introspective pauses became painfully too long. one host brought a light tapping barely audible rhythm from the silence that built into the next jam. nice. one dancer in place, but she just sits and plays. new doumbek, she asks me to tune. it needed it, rim askew, 2 pegs ready to fall out. I have is sounded like a proper darbuka in a minute. I inquire of dancer number two, tho earlier text said to expect her, it was now getting late. oh, she had a dancing gig and ought to be arriving. when I heard the bell on the door, I knew it was she without looking up. with heavy theatrical make up and black garb, she wastes no time getting settled, and doffs her cover revealing her dark tribal finery. one and two dance. these are the last jams of the night, and upon the conclusion of the next to the last one, I immediately pick up my doumbek and bust out chiftitelli. two is delighted and comes close slowly twisting and twirling. the hosts have my back, and lay down serious bass beats and shekere respectively. the djembeisms tho, unaware of the way of the chifty, incessantly fill it. well, at least they aren't doing odd slaps off beat. two dances close to my drum and we have a lovely little drummer/ dancer conversation. she is new to dance, but already performing. she brings such confidence and uninhibited movement to her presence. djembeisms are either bored, or want the dancers to be their puppets and rachet up the tempo, taking chiftitelli out of its slow groove. dancer two shrugs and resorts to shimmies, tho it is not that fast. (and this is precisely why that I can see the experienced dancer would shy away from the usual drum circle experience.) I break the beat down and manage to drag the tempo back down by lagging on my doums and scoldingly cracking the kas. snake arms and silhouette serpentine gestures resume. afterwards, the dancers are very grateful for the opportunity to dance to a ME rhythm with live drums.

an anarchist freestyle drum circle is what it is. at it's best it is a marvel of group improvisation. the rhythm can morph and evolve and take you places. but this requires attention, being in the moment, listening and feeling the energy. granted, I was imposing the rigid confines of chiftitelli upon the circle. but my call was 100 percent on! finally this night had some dance energy, just had a lively little stomp, now the night will go out with chifty. dancers were delighted, the circle leaders were feeling it. but djembeisms attempt to facilitate a tempo change was in ignorance of the elements that make good group improvisation, that is: attention, being in the moment, listening and feeling the energy. Certainly drummer's ego is at work. "I" am going to bring this to a climax. this has been an issue to me for a while, this artificial building of the tempo. it is a cheap trick, like swearing or shock art, you are likely to get a reaction. I will let it slide when I see that it as over eager novice, playing with the power. but time and time again, it is the seasoned drummer, controlling the situation to their suiting, and not in tune or in the spirit of the moment. bullying the beat. this: I am going to facilitate attitude of djembeism. natural crescendos are a thing of beauty, oh my. but forced ones take me out of the flow. instead of having a musical conversation, we are now having a debate.

winter spits

Winter spits on new england. The winters are so mild near the coast here, and that has taken some getting used to. Still we have only had 2 real snowfalls (the pic above is from the second one a few weeks ago). I do miss it, so I take to the woods in the snow, hike until I am chilled to the bone and head for home. I encountered two yearling deer on my walk today. One leisurely bounds a short way off, but the second locked me in a staring contest as I stood motionless. It’s head went from side to side and it stamped its front hoof trying to figure me out. Then at last, with hesitation, it took the lazy bounding to catch up with its twin. I could see them still not far away in the woods, white tails flicking. The momentary fight or flee already forgotten. A good portent to be sure.

The house that doumbek built

January 18, 2008

Friday evening we made the trek over the hills of Connecticut for the last gathering of the tribal moon drum circle in Hartford. The Charter Oak Multicultural center has hosted this monthly circle for some time. Also Raquy and the Cavemen as well as Djinn have headlined shows there. Parts of Carmine's latest doumbek video were filmed there as well. The place certainly has its share of drumming event memories.

We arrive 8:15 and the circle is already full throttle. It is a throng of drummers and a handful of string players sitting on the edge of the stage. Soon enough more dancer arrive as well. The main circle jammed for a very long time. As is the nature of this wild multi-headed beast of group improvisation, there are moments of muddiness. But mainly the energy was high, the rhythm morphing was fluid, the circle went places. That is the fun of it. At it's high points is was reminiscent of The Grateful Dead's drum/space!

Some people left, others came. More dancers arrived that were out of this world. The circle went through three phases. There was this peak attendance first phase which made up the bulk of the evening. Then after some socializing breaks, some people departed, but the jams got stronger. The melody makers on amped string instruments kept things happening. The dance energy kept everyone grooving. Then at last, the djembe cowboys rode off into the west, and others wandered away too. Finally it was down to the core, the essence. The time had arrived for the "after hours" portion of the gathering. The doumbek posse was left to hold court and have a midnight jam with the last of the dancers kicking it too. Chiftitelli was offered first and it was accompanied with some classical indian dance moves. Karsilima made a few appearances during the night and the later versions had some musicians take the opportunity to noodle to the 9 beat. The climax of the entire eve was when the doumbek posse jammed out a sublime, psychedelic maqsum riff. It was the sickest drum jam this side of I don't know what!