Dubai drums

I just had a group drumming experience courtesy of Dubai Drums awhile ago at Bur Juman. Oh, It was fun.

Participants were divided in 4 groups, around a dozen per group, facing each other. Dubai Drums guys, including founder Julie Ann Odell and master drummer Atsu of Ghana, comprised one group. Mallers - anybody who wished to join - comprised the other groups. African drums in various shapes and sizes were provided.

I sat in in one set, where Atsu acted as conductor of sorts. On my left was an Indian couple with their young kid and on my right was a group of Middle East teens. We started with a simple rhythm, which, right away, began to sound complicated because participants were drumming in different ways and because of the syncopations made by the Dubai Drums players and by this Santana-percussionist-wannabe. Later on, Atsu would signal us to pause, count - 1, 2 - then play again. Sometimes, he would make us stop banging our drums and clap our hands instead, as the Dubai Drums group continued with the rhythm and one member did a solo. At one point, we did a call-and-answer song: O ya o yaya, o ya o yaya. Drumming went on for 30 minutes. And like the little kid beside me, I enjoyed each minute.

Now, I'm thinking of going to the Full Moon Desert Drumming event on the 26th. Tara ...