Gig

[CongaTick]

Pavlo, Very cool gig schedule, and the grainy shot--- love it. I could feel the atmosphere.

Windhorse... Belly Dancers??? Some guys have all the luck..

Abakua, thanks for your interest and willingness to pass this thread idea along. I just thought it would be cool. Checking the forum's GIGPIX on a Monday morning after everybody's done their weekend gigs would be the way I'd love to start my week. And your gigpix, Abakua, have always been fantastic!

Thanks to all. Keep 'em comin!

[windhorse]

Here's a few more from the Boulder Bolder Race on Memorial Day..
The accordian player is a Racer
It's sort of Boulder's version of Mardis Gras
Dave

[tocandorumba]

That Boulder Bolder Run reminds me of Bay to Breakers out here in S.F. You see all kinds of freaks (clothing is optional), people linked together in costume like human centipedes, others pushing tiki bars complete with bartenders mixing drinks for all. I was on a photo trip in Carmel last month and there was a marathon going on right by the park. There were some drummers playing for all the runners, I wanted to join them so bad! Next year I just might do it!

[CongaTick]

Weekend coming up. Rememeber to load those digicams in the gig bag.

[windhorse]

Last night's gig was a breakthrough!
For the first time, I was the sole Akpon singer, and only played a drum on one song. On all the rest I played bell, clave, or shaker. It was fun being the "front man", but very challenging, as you might imagine..
The gig was for only 20 people. It was a rich eclectic white-bread Boulderite's hob-knobbing event on a beautiful lawn in the back of a rock-castle-like building with ivy and beautiful trees shading white Lenin tables champagne, wine, micro-brewed beer, and as many wait staff as participants. They do these events throughout the year with ethnic themes. Last year it was Cuba, and we were probably a good choice for the music. This year - it was Africa, and the food they served was Ethiopian, of course not common food for regular Ethiopians - but the stuff kings would be served. You know, the special bread that comes rolled up, and you dip it into the food with your hands.
When we got there, we ended up with four guys - out of a possible 10 or so that I called. Orville, our contact, greeted us and told us about how he had promised everyone that they could play an instrument with us on the last song. We agreed with him, and the main host of the event how long it would be and the basics. They fed us, and we didn't eat or drink much so we'd be sharp. I bought a bead necklace from some ladies that had a table on the side. They were Ethiopian and very nice ones for only ten dollars. They matched my bright shirt really well.
The temperature was dropping fast, and I didn't bring a coat, so borrowed one from Orville.
We tuned drums, and Orville started telling the crowd how Bembe was a god and drove a red car - pretty much getting himself in trouble right out of the gate - so Eric jumped in and began a quick explanation of the Orishas, and how they were passed along to Cuba with the religion. I added how our group of four had played differing lengths of time, how this music is some of the oldest in the world, yet the instruments we play were modern. How the music had changed so much in Africa but stayed unchanged in Cuba, and what the songs were that we would be playing. Iyesa, Bembe, Guaguanco (we did three in a row with and without cajons), and finally Mozambique. We explained that this was participatory music and that people could join us at any point and join in on Chorus and dance anywhere.. Several folks danced right off to might right side through all of the Rumba songs, and one guy came up and mouthed and mimicked pretty well on the Obatala songs.
We started pretty rough and wavering with Orville on shaker, taking a few minutes to find the groove, and Chris stumbling over the two drum downbeats and tumbao parts,, but we got into a nice groove after a few minutes. Mistakes are always going to happen, and it’s about the groove you eventually get into, not the slickness of the beginnings and endings, that we always fret over, which people will remember. Chris and Orville may have been the most inexperienced of us, but they did just fine! We all supported each other pretty nicely. At one point, Chris said, “We looked good”. And I knew what he meant. That we didn’t look like a bunch of hacks,, we looked like people – maybe not professionals – who knew what they were doing.
I belted out the few songs I knew --- and for the first time FOUND MY VOICE!
One of my problems has always been keeping a similar key throughout a song series. I think it's because I've heard so many recordings in various keys by different singers. I would practice them in the key the professionals used, so I ended up with a mix of keys. I would always kind of stumble through all the while trying to find my own.. Well last night,, it was unmistakably one key all the way through! I let it loose and relaxed...
For the rest of the night, I kept nailing the songs.. Never wavering on percussion I was playing.. I can't say that has ever happened!
The Bembe started pretty clumsily, but we got really strong half way through Ellegua, and my idea for ending it was not the same as Eric's. I was thinking we'd end Bembe fairly short, and play the other tunes longer. But Eric wanted to draw it out after the songs. (We talked later about it, and he wanted us to have more space between songs for the drums to embellish and show more leads.. I definitely agree with that! But we had different ideas about how long those gaps should be.) So, when we came to the ending point right at the end of Ochosi, he kept playing and glared at us to keep going after everyone else stopped. So we faltered another quicker pace and sort of fell apart right there. Oh well... We all just smiled and laughed it off. And everyone just picked right up and got into Guaguanco next. It was really solid! I did the Inle Pa Los Orishas song series, and the drums this time around were solid. Ritz's quinto was something special! Very cool! We had a bunch of folks up dancing next to us! Then, we did a Bata Rumba with songs to Obatala slower paced. Then, we played a box rumba where I played quinto. I didn't feel too spectacular,, just tried to be tasty, and afterwards Ritz exclaimed how tasty and sweet it fit together.. Lots of compliments all night! People were really having fun!
Then, we finished it off with a Mozambique. Most everyone from the party came up and got a small percussion instrument like maracas, shakers, and sticks out of Orville’s gig bag,, and we just had us one heck of a large ensemble of harmonious fun! Eric and Ritz really had some amazing drum dialogue on the double lead – Eric, and Songo double drum – Ritz. People were shouting, whistling, dancing, and playing all over the pocket! Good stuff!
Everyone left with big smiles and we were showered with compliments!
It was interesting how we got paid. During most of the event a homeless man sat at the back table quietly. I guess since he didn't bother anyone, the managers decided to leave him alone. Before he left he gave a waitress one dollar to tip the band.
She gave it to Eric. So, we made one dollar from the poorest person there..

Dave