Seattle World Rhythm Festival

[James M]

I completely forgot about it! April 2-4

Is anybody going?

http://www.swps.org/wrf/

[Johnny Conga]

I attended it for the first time last year as an "instructor". It is the craziest thing you have ever seen. Many good instructors show up for this, an don't get paid for it. I refused it because they didn't want to pay me this year, and I did it for free last year. I had over 100 people in my class and not ONE took lessons with me after that. When people took my card and said,"i'd like to study with You". Oh yea, sure. NOT one student. To me it's almost a joke, to see all these people with jimbes and other drums just hanging out and "banging" what ever they have between their legs. It is a total money making weekend for the sponsors but they won't pay the instructors, what's up with that? I thought I was back in the 60's again in Central park with all the hippies, this is where they all wound up , here in Seattle. Of course there will be some great players in attendance from Africa and other places, but they live here. So I don't know what to tell you. It is FREE for everyone to attend for the 3 days, and you can get something out of it, it just depends how far along you are with the drum. .....At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA

[James M]

I'm sorry that was a wash for you. It doesn't make anmy sense that they not pay instructors if they're raking in the money, and especially if they want ya'll to return! I never go to music festivals, myself. We have one famous festival here in Austin called SXSW. I went for the first time this year (during spring break), but worked as a volunteer stage manager at one of the venues. The bands have two paymeny options. One is a check for $175 for the whole band, and the other is a wristband for all the members and one crew so they can get into all the other shows for free. I can tell you that I do not have any regrets not living out my dream of becaming a Rock Star.

I'm not in to the massive groups of people banging away on djembes. I have a nice small drum circle maximum 7 people. I always bring a conga and/or ago-gô, and pandeiro for variation. With African diasporic drumming in the US most people don't have any link to music traditions other than pop culture, but we do come up with interesting things. I try to lay down the grooves to lock it in something more familiarly latino sounding. I can't make it to that one any more so I organized another one, which has 4 max. Today, two others cancelled and one guy came about 30 minutes late and stayed about that long, so I was just chilling by myself for 1hr 1/2, which I really enjoyed. I brought both my congas up (on the bus to campus) which was a pain in the ass, but how can you play with soul if you don't suffer a little?

[congastu]

Spot on!
Sometimes in schools, I can be teaching as many as 35 at one time, so Im constantly dragging congas, Djembes, surdos, percussion et al from place to place. I often joke with the kids that Im going to give it all up and get myself some harmonicas or flutes, but to be honest I love it- its part of the on going training. [Although Ive noticed the older guys I work with can be very good at getting others to move stuff for them!]