Some people dance to the beat of a different drum. For students
in one particular on-campus percussion class, that drum is from
Africa.
An eight-week African drumming class led by Fred Jones is one of
the many cultural programs offered by UCLA’s Department of
Cultural and Recreation Affairs.
“These are rhythms that have traveled the world,”
said fourth- year ethnomusicology student Jamal Ali, a participant
in the class. “All these African traditions have spread out,
and it seems like a very prolific type of music. That’s what
gets me.”
According to program manager Derrick Baker, raising awareness
for different types of cultural arts is something the department
are always looking to do.
The type of African drumming Jones teaches involves a single
drum called a Djembe and a set of three other drums called a Djun
Djun. While many students are not familiar with these instruments
initially, one of the best things about the class is that Jones is
dedicated to teaching more than just the music, said Ali.
“He’s pretty laid back, but at the same time
he’s involved in getting you to play and teaching you about
the history,” said Ali.
Jones said his mentor and the source of all the information he
shares is Mamady Keita, an African drumming artist from Guinea,
West Africa.
Jones says his inspiration comes from learning about his own
cultural roots and wanting to share that knowledge with
students.
“There’s a great learning that goes on here,”
said Jones. “It’s more a class in culture than it is in
drumming. Traditionally, drums are used for accompaniment in
activities of joy, partnership, prayer, and a lot of other things,
so we’re learning about those things as we play.”
The class currently draws an enrollment of about 15-20 students
each quarter. According to Ali, one doesn’t need an extensive
musical background to join the class.
“The only people that it’s really tough for are
those without rhythm,” said Ali. “They have a really
hard time with it, but even those people can improve.”
For third-year philosophy student Petra Sedlmeier, taking the
class is a way of improving her own drumming skills in order to
have the chance to play at other venues, such as the Venice Beach
drum circle, whose participants often incorporate African rhythms
into their playing.
“I’m hoping that through this class I can get a
better sense of the rhythm,” said Sedlmeier. “All the
people gathering together, it makes a really nice community, not to
(mention) the amazing sunset.”
But according to Ali, drum circles, including the one that often
meets at Venice Beach, are not popular with all musicians.
“With the drum circles, you either love them or hate
them,” said Ali. “For a lot of musicians, they think
it’s just a jumble, a chaos. But others really enjoy the
whole freestyle aspect.”
West African drumming’s influence can be found in
everything from electronica to rock ‘n’ roll, leaving
another reason students are driven to learn the art form.
“African rhythms are in everything, in all pop
music,” said Ali. “It’s also close to the music
of my homeland, and I thought it was important to explore
that.”