Although psychedelic rocker Mickey Hart may still have a following of Dead Heads, many don’t know of his innovative career revival. The Global Drum Project, a world music ensemble founded by the former Grateful Dead drummer, as well as the other notable percussionists from ’90s group Planet Drum, will prove that rock legends can, in fact, make a comeback when they come to Royce Hall tonight.
Planet Drum, the group’s prototype, first came together in 1990 and was the first ever to receive a Grammy award in the world music category the following year. Each member of the ensemble represents a distinct tradition in world music. Zakir Hussain represents the powerful tradition of India, Giovanni Hidalgo the rhythms of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, Sikiru Adepoju the rhythms of West Africa, and Hart the classic American beats.
“And of course I’m the ol’ American backbeat and the groovemeister,” Hart said. “It’s really a great combination.”
Hart’s lifelong fascination with world music began well before his success with the Grateful Dead. The global collaboration actually began in 1970, with longtime friend Hussain, whose father, Ustad Allah Rakha (a master of the tabla, an Indian percussion instrument), was Hart’s teacher. In addition to Planet Drum’s percussionists, Jonah Sharp, an electronic musician, brings an innovative contrast to compliment the ensemble’s acoustics.
“These (musicians) are the best at what they do; they are the best in the world, so I feel very fortunate to be playing with them,” said Hart.
Although this fusion of world-renowned musicians doesn’t offer a complete global perspective ““ it certainly doesn’t represent all of the percussion styles of the world ““ Hart believes it channels some of the most powerful. According to Hart, the Global Drum Project is a performance meant to uplift the spirit through its trance rhythms: the much calmer, cooler forms of rhythmic stimuli, as opposed to faster, more aggressive rhythms.
“We tend to go towards the meditative and the trance rhythms because it’s the most rewarding side of percussion, because most drums are played too hard and played very aggressively,” Hart said. “There is a beautiful, romantic side to percussion, a wonderful soft side. So, we’re exploring some of these more subtle, elegant and trance-inducing rhythms, as opposed to the rhythms that are more spectacular.”
Those attending Global Drum Project’s performance tonight can expect not only to experience the meditative and transformative power of world music, but also do a bit of dancing in their seats. Although the globally acclaimed percussionists excel at what they do, Global Drum Project is not meant merely as a virtuosic performance.
“Actually, it’s meant to dance by ““ it has a groove that makes you want to dance,” said Hart.
Dancing, which goes hand-in-hand with percussion performance, is the kind of release Hart sees as essential for elevating society when times are hardest. Music transports people to a place where priorities can be rearranged to focus on more important matters.
“And especially in these times, in these economic and political times which are so very stressful, this is the kind of music that is needed,” said Hart. “(Music) gives insight into things that perhaps you are not able to see in the normal consciousness.”
Ultimately, the Global Drum Project is more than just a group of talented musicians fusing diverse heritages ““ it is a symbol of music’s potential to move people. As a world-music ensemble, the group holds a lot of power in its ability to unite a diverse population of students at UCLA.
“This kind of music is supposed to uplift the spirit. If you uplift the spirit and do all the things that are innate in this kind of music, which are, it brings joyful feelings, it establishes community, it’s something that people can understand and get into and have a common bond in; it does lift the spirit,” said Hart.