More Drum, Dance and Song of the Congo

The other night my family and I had the privilege to see an amazing group perform in one of their first U.S. appearances.  With awesome choreography, drumming and dance, Ngoma za Kongo (Drums of the Congo), take traditional rythms and ritual dance from several regions of Central Africa, combine them and then add their own contemporary elements.  This four man, one woman group had everybody up and dancing by the end.

Healing Power of Rhythm and the Voice

Last weekend I had the pleasure of drumming for a yoga and chakra balancing workshop at my sister's yoga studio (Mystic Yoga Shala).  Instructor Jim Conlan led students through a series of chants in coordination with various rhythms and yoga postures.  My sister and I played along with a cd by famed percussionist Glen Velez comprised of 7 different rhythms that are believed to stimulate and balance the 7 chakra energy centers of the body.
I wasn't able to chant while playing the rhythms, but the concentration it took to play them was a meditation in itself and put me in a yogic state I haven't experienced in a long time while drumming.  I hope to do much more of this kind of drumming in 2011!

My Son Makes Up an "African" Song

Here's a continuation of what I talked about in one of my earlier posts - learning through observation . Alaijah said that he learned this song at one of my Congolese dance classes a month ago.

I never heard him sing anything like this before and then one evening it just came out of him.

Downward Doggin' to the Drums

After months (or maybe it's been years - I'm embarrassed to say) I finally took a yoga class at my sister's yoga studio, the Mystic Yoga Shala. It was a Power Vinyasa class in a 90 degree heated room and definitely not for someone as inexperienced as myself, but I was lured by the idea that they would have live drumming during the class. There were two guys playing djun-djuns, djembes, asikos and other various cool sounding percussion during the entire session! Pretty cool. One thing my sister commented on after the class was over, was how listening to the drums seemed to make the holding of the postures take less effort, or possibly maybe she meant that it was easier to focus and therefore hold and transition between the postures (??) Well, whatever it was, it certainly worked for me, because I don't think I knew how much effort I was putting in to the class while I was taking it. Two days later I can't believe how much of a huge tenderized piece of meat I feel like!

This particular class was partially benefiting and bringing awareness to a very cool organization called Africa Yoga Project

Their mission is "to empower youth, build a global community
and increase well-being in East Africa", particularly in Kenya where they have "introduced hundreds of students in Kenya to the practice of yoga, as well provided educational scholarships, job training food stipends, temporary housing and health services".

I thought there answer to "Why Yoga?" was particularly awesome too:
"Yoga reveals our authentic selves, perfect and flawed, uncovers our limitless potential to embrace change and to take action. The practice of yoga does not only work for upper class westerners, but for Kenyans too. Yoga transforms limitations into power.
Yoga revolutionizes our body, our emotions, our relationships and our ability to serve the greater good"

Nuf said.

Healing the Youth of Nicaragua with Capoeira

This is a video of my good friend Justin Prado whom I met at the Central Park drum circle and became close through our love of drumming. Drumming led him to Capoeira (Brazilian form of martial arts that incorporates music and song). And Capoeira led him back to his home country of Nicaragua (away for 32 years!) where he had the opportunity to teach capoeira to children of the Fabretto youth organization, who's mission is to "enable impoverished Nicaraguan children and their families in underserved communities to break the cycle of poverty and reach their full potential through programs promoting nutrition, health, education, community and character development." www.fabretto.org

Right on, Justin.

Learning Through Observation

I took my 4 year old son Alaijah to one of the dance workshops I mentioned last post and I was so disappointed that he didn't participate in either the drumming or dancing. He has been playing music and dancing at home since he had the motor skills to do it and the the teacher had personally come up to him and encouraged him to do either or both. I couldn't figure out why he would just sit there with his mouth agape the entire time. That was until a couple nights after when he suddenly got in the mood to recreate what he had seen at the classes. It was then that I realized that he was observing and absorbing everything he saw that day.


It reminded me that we don't learn exclusively by action. Our minds can process what we see and then our bodies can execute it later on after what we have learned has really "sunken in" .


Alaijah did just that in these two clips. In one he spontaneously used shakers as drumsticks to imitate the wrist-shakers (forgot the real name for them) the drummers wear. In the next clip he demonstrates his Congolese hip movements.

Dancing with Titos Sompa of Brazzaville

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to take participate in two Congolese dance workshops taught by master Titos Sompa.

"A renown dancer, choreographer, and musician, noted especially as a master Congolese drummer, percussionist, and kalimba player, Mr. Sompa utilizes his multiple talents to make known and keep alive Congolese musical and cultural traditions that offer healing, spiritual grounding, and affirming community to the Western world. " (http://www.mbongivillage.org/)

And let me tell you did I feel the healing when I danced in his class. One thing he always mentions during class is that you should be smiling as you dance and you should love yourself.

Here's a clip of Titos and his brother Biza teaching and performing throughout the years.