2nd Annual Greenbelt Rhythm & Drum Festival Sept. 27

Release:

The Second Annual Greenbelt Rhythm & Drum Festival is September 27th in Greenbelt, MD. This day-long festival offers performances, drum classes and drum circles for all ages – for FREE! The lineup of multi-cultural drum ensembles features music and rhythms from Japan, the Caribbean, Africa, Cuba, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. There will be drum classes in West African, Middle Eastern and Afro-Cuban drumming. Between performances, interactive drum jams allow participants to take what they’ve learned in class and apply right away. Special kids’ activities include two parades and drum play-stations where kids of all ages can bang, hit, scrape, shake, rattle and roll! There will be stilt walkers, hula hoopers, jugglers and festive clowns to entertain families all day long.

This year’s lineup features the return of festival favorites Bele Bele Rhythm Collective, an all-women’s West African drumming troupe, and Stream and the Blue Dragons, a Middle Eastern ensemble with an eclectic mix of exotic instruments and belly dancers. The new comers on the performance stage include the powerful sounds of Miyago Taiko, the care-free island rhythms from The Pan Tones, the spicy Afro-Cuban mix of Dom Pakka Tikki, and the introduction of Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang. Janka Nabay is a major figure from Sierra Leone and is known as the King of Bubu Music, a music that spans centuries with mysterious origins. It is “a traditionally Muslim music which is played by up to 20 musicians blowing into bamboo pipes of different sizes” into which Janka has infused his own beats and rhythms with a 4-piece backup band from Brooklyn.

The drum classes will be taught by Kristen Arant, Daveed Korup, Jaqui MacMillan, Baile McKnight and Jason Walker. The drum circle facilitators are Ken Crampton, Katy Gaughan and Bill Jenkins. Children are welcome to participate in the drum circles. Workshops and drum circles are suitable for beginner and non-beginner drummers. Drums will be provided for free on site or can be purchased from one of the many vendors. Vendors will offer drums, instruments, multi-cultural arts and crafts, jewelry, clothing, and food.

Following the outdoor portion of the festival, Black Masala, a band whose music features a colorful mix of sounds that draw inspiration from the melodies of Eastern European brass bands, New Orleans jazz, Balkan grooves, and even a hint of Appalachian twang, will perform inside at the adjacent New Deal Cafe at 8pm.

“The Greenbelt Rhythm & Drum Festival is extraordinary because it embraces diversity and inclusion while facilitating connection through rhythm, dance and active participation. Community-building at its finest and most fun!” says Amethyst Dwyer, festival organizer and Music Coordinator and Co-Manager of The New Deal Cafe.