wolftracks@bigfoot.com
I had been playing djembe for an African Dance class for about 6 months. It had a drum leader, an accomplished Afro-American djembe player that tried to get the rest of us -less accomplished- drum smackers on beat and “in the pocket”.
A Brazilian conga player appeared one Saturday with another player who spoke english and proceeded to humbly blow us all away.. He continued to come and the main player became ill and had to drop out so the dance leader asked Eliezer to take over the lead role. His style, besides being on three congas instead of djembe, was subtler and more “musical”. Although he can play traditional African rhythms , he does play them with the Afro-Brazilian accent.
I was at a point where I needed some instruction to get my technique and awareness of the rhythms up to an adequate level for the class, and he was to be my teacher. We also started recording Eliezer playing South American percussion which is now available both from us on CD and at the Taka Boom Drum Club page at MP3.com.
Although I am learning poquito espaniol, and he is learning a little english, we have managed to communicate and get this ritmo thing happening!
At the class I am now playing a homemade DjunDjun /bell set up (pictured on the main page) . There are 2-6 more drummers and sometimes 50 dancers that show up each week so the place is rockin. Really a blast to play for. 2 Hours , one 5 minute break and a real workout.
Now, a little bit about Eliezer...
Eliezer Freitas Santos has been playing percussion since the age of 4. He is the son of Candomble' (Afro Brazilian Religion) priests and lived in a Candomble' temple from 1967 to 1987. He has participated in and also directed many dance and drum performances in Brazil and Argentina and has toured in Spain, Switzerland, France, US , Uruguay, Paraguay , Chile and Peru. At the time of the recording he is living in Minneapolis Mn, and teaching and playing in many situations there.
He sits in with a variety of bands here that are playing South American music.
This story is unfolding. More to Come.... (written 12/4/2000)
A poem I did a while back to close...
DRUMMER’S APOLOGY
Songs are like
birds
and I am the Dodo
Large, legs too long
Wings too short to fly.
Chants run like lizards
Slipping through tall grass
Or warming bellies
On hot rocks.
Rhythms, not melodies
The beating of the wings
Not the air that is captured
Causing flight
My nest is made of sticks.
