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“I look, at my hands moving, they are my hands, but not me moving. They are being moved by the Pulse, the way of the song.” — From the Way of the Pulse, Drumming with Spirit
Local Drum Building, Sales and Repair
Carl Swanson (click to email Carl)
Online Resources for Listening and Practice
Wonderful West African Rhythm Charts and Sound Clips can be found here (Thank You Justin Eskridge!)
YOUTUBE: West African Live Radio (Channel - Drum Circle Loops)
Amazing practice with videos of djembe rhythms (Channel Drum Circle Loops)
Djembe Cases and Drum Supplies
Measure the diameter of the drum head, the length of the drum from floor to top of head, AND the bottom circumference. If these measurements are not given, contact the supplier and get them!
A good carrying case brand to search for online is Humes and Berg.
Bags, Accessories, Drums and so much more!
Drumming Hand Oil
AMAZON - Weleda Sea Buckthorn Body Oil (1x3.4 Ounce)
Also available at Natural Grocers and other local stores.
Below: Tulsa Community Drummers at the Performing Arts Center
April, 2023 -- ORBIT FESTIVAL!
RESOURCES
Inspiring Movies/Documentaries/Clips
Spirit of the Drum (1996) )Click Here or photo below to view)
As it explores the very essence of drumming, it emphasizing the importance of making music in our everyday lives. Guided by the influence of masters Babatunde Olatunji and Gordy and Zoe Ryan, a teen-age boy with a hearing deficiency finds his way into an extraordinary drumming circle, and takes on one of the key rhythmic roles in the group. Throughout this award-winning program are glimpses of drum making and African dance, as well as delightful messages about using your mind and hands to make the most out of life.
Credit: weaverfilms.ca — Used with permission.
Bela Fleck Throw Down your Heart (2008) Free on YOUTUBE (click movie title)
When world-renowned banjoist Bela Fleck realized that his instrument had lost its musical heritage, he decided to make a pilgrimage to Africa to rediscover the banjo's folk music roots. Overflowing with the incredible music of Fleck and the many celebrated folk musicians who hosted him in Africa, BLA FLECK: THROW DOWN YOUR HEART follows the banjo virtuoso on a musical adventure that takes him from Uganda to Tanzania and from the Gambia to Mali. As he travels through the continent to research the history of the banjo and record an album with some of Africa's finest musicians-and, in his words, "to make great music."
Women of the CalaBash (PBS, September 1987)
Excerpt from the PBS Video Series, Alive From Off Center. The following info was found online about the entire show.
"Women of the Calabash," features Ahmondylla Best, Ti'ye Giraud, Madeleine Yayodele Nelson, and Pam Patrick performing "Shekere Tease," "Work Songs," "Bamboo Tube Stamping," "Glottal Breathing," "Shekere Sonata," and South African protest songs against an electronic background in the mythical world of Calabash.
“I look, at my hands moving, they are my hands, but not me moving. They are being moved by the Pulse, the way of the song.” — From the Way of the Pulse, Drumming with Spirit