Feel the rhythms of Africa
RHYTHM IS AN intrinsic part of a carnival. In Rio de Janeiro the drum rhythm is relentless and driven by the city's competing samba schools. Revellers at the Lan Kwai Fong Street Carnival will be moving to the beat of African drummers.
The band, Africa Djembe, comprises a team of five drummers led by Mamadou M'Baye.
The performers are all from Senegal in West Africa. 'We have all been drumming since we were small children,' says M'Baye.
This will be M'Baye's third year performing at the Lan Kwai Fong Street Carnival.
'Last year it was amazing. Everywhere we went people were responding very positively,' says M'Baye. 'We were the last performers on the stage. And by all accounts the crowd did not want to let the drumming or the carnival end.
'This year we will be playing two different types of drum, the djembe and the sabar,' he says. 'We are going to be trying to teach the crowd some African dance as well.'
M'Baye taught African drumming and dancing for three years at Hong Kong's Academy of Performing Arts.
He also teaches drumming to business executives and works with schools. As well as introducing children to drumming and rhythm, he also teaches children to use drumming as an anger management tool.
'In Africa we use it as a way of communicating: between human being and human being; between humans and animals; and between humans and the spirits, says M'Baye. 'It's our fax machine or e-mail,' he laughs.
Drumming runs in the family. M'Baye's brother, a master drummer, will be flying in from Germany to take part in the carnival.
He also played drums at this summer's football World Cup 2006 in Germany.
