Voyage Around India & Drums Galore

Hello, Friends!

Once again….wheewww!!! This blogging thing, along with all the social networking that one does nowadays, is not as easy as it first seemed that it would be to me…that’s for sure. I mean, I know many individuals who sit at their computers and simply stream the words out, with their first-drafts sounding brilliant and socially relevant and all that. Well, that’s hasn’t exactly been my case…so far.

However, overcoming my own self-imposed filters, I’ve turned over a new leaf, in my own mind, and will, from now on, simply throw down, on this blog, thought snippets concerning one of my favorite subjects – drums and music. But, now, “snippets” is the key word! For as the fragmented ideas and/or observations pop up before my eyes or in my mind, I’ll be throwing them into this media vehicle…come as they may.

So, check this out: allow me to point you towards a video clip that I put together from footage shot during a trip to India a couple of years ago. The trip was a blast… incredible, to say the least! I was warned many times by my Indian colleagues and friends that I would be surprised but, let me tell you – in reality, India is like a different planet altogether! My great friend, Drumbrother and tabla mentor, Pundit Samir Chatterjee (http://www.tabla.org/) has talked to me a few times about how the Vedic culture originated more than 6, 000 years ago, due entirely to the arrival of people from a different galaxy, the majority of whom intermingled with the developing beings inhabiting the Indian sub-continent, while a few branched out over to what is now Germany. And, according to Samir, this is one reason why German and Sanskrit are so similar…



Backstage after a concert in Houston with Pundit Samir Chatterjee and the Chhandayan Percussion Ensemble, also featuring Henry Hey, Dan Weiss, Baba Don, Nano Valerio, and Yousif Sheronic.

But, back to my new video - The music soundtrack is a composition of mine titled, "Twilight in Samarkand", inspired by this trip to India and a performance tour I did through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkmenistan, and Moldova.



And, of course: DRUMS!!!

Here’s a clip that a good friend turned me on to, featuring some badass cats, slamming down the maple on the skins.



I’m talking about Ginger Baker, Bobby Graham, Alan Grindley, John Kearns, Bobby Richards, Ronnie Verrell, Andy White, Ronnie Stephenson and Arthur Mullard, jammin’ together on this tongue-in-cheek drum fiesta! Enjoy!