African Dance & Drums in Ueno

Sunday, July 2nd 2006.

OMG!!! That was an amazing night!!! Massive African drumming and dancing aaaaaaaall night!!! Crazy crazy!!

Like, I wasn't planning to go to this drum workshop at all... I only wanted to practice my drumming at the Yoyogi Park near Harajuku & Shibuya area.

Like, I took a subway for about an hour and finally got off at the Shibuya station. I was waiting for the traffic light to change and there was a Japanese guy asking me about my drum. So, I unwrap the fabric and showed my drum to the guy. He examined my drum and said that the skin of my drum would need more tension.

He also asked me if I was gonna play the drum at the bar called, Pink Pig (or something like that). Since I was still new to Tokyo, I had no idea what he was talking about. Well, he explained me that the bar would hold a drum circle once a month.

I told him that I really was new to Tokyo and didn't know anything about Pink Pig and I only bought my drum a month ago and still not good at it yet at all...

Then he said, "oh, that's even perfect!! You'd better go to Ueno and join the drum workshop that my friends are holding tonight. Well, it's already started, but I'll call them and let them know you will be coming!" He didn't even give me a moment to think, but just phoned his friend right away.

So, I couldn't say "no" anymore and went back to the subway station. As I was walking back, I was thinking like, "This is crazy!!! It took me for an hour to get Shibuya, but I didn't even had a chance to go to the Yoyogi Park. Now I'm heading back to Ueno just because this total stranger insisted me to go!! I'll be wasting my time and the subway money if this drum workshop sucks!!"

Well, I arrived the bar Kirack in Ueno and holly cr*p!!! This was an amaaaaaaaaaazing drum workshop!!! About 4 drummers (I'm not sure if they were professional musicians, but they were far from amateur!!!) were holding the workshop to about 10 drummers (but these 1o drummers were pretty good at drumming, too). Oh man, I never had sucha great drum jam before! We were so together and the drum sounds we made was just soooo powerful and energetic.

Later, 4 pro-like drummers performed. Oh, I couldn't just stand still and listen to their drumming, it was too great!!! My body started to move and there I was African dancing crazy. Eventually, everyone in the bar joined dancing and it was just soooo amazing!!! Oh I love Tokyo and the massive creative energy here.