Drum up a frenzy

On the lines of the Modern Drummer Festival, which is held prominently in the US, the city too has been hosting its very own Mumbai Drum Day celebrations for three years now. Quite like the American festival brings percussionists of all genres under one roof, this special day is dedicated to all-drum sets. 

Kickstarted in 2016, the event is a brainchild of musician Gino Banks, who aims to bring the magic of the drums to the fore. Gino laments that the instrument is usually relegated to the back of a band or ensemble, and to end that, he has brought on board professionals from across the country for the first time. 

“The drum is a visual instrument,” says Gino, who is a prolific drummer himself. “And from a performance point of view, drums are always at the end. Here, the idea is to put them right in the front.”

This edition will include ace percussionist Taufiq Qureshi taking centre stage, besides Jai Row Kavi from Mumbai, Arun Kumar from Bengaluru, and Nishant Hagjer from Guwahati. One of the highlights of the show will be 12-year-old Steven Samuel from Kochi and Taufiq’s Mumbai Stamp. 

“We have a good variety of age and style,” grins Gino. “Nishant is a metal drummer, while Arun has played with the likes of Vijay Prakash and S.P Balasubramaniam. I wanted to feature young talent this time, so I got Stephen and Taufiq’s Mumbai Stamp.”

The band, known for making music from trash, will be opening the proceedings. Says Taufiq, who has also curated the content for the band, “We pick drums, bottles, and tin cans from people and from the municipal bins. At the event, the band will be playing on large tin cans, plastic paint cans, buckets and plastic bottles.”

The renowned percussionist will himself be performing solo with instruments from Brazil and Africa. “I will be playing the Berimbau from Brazil and the African Djembe, on which I will create the tabla repertoire that I have learned from my father Ustad Allarakha, exploring rhythms,” he smiles. 

At first look, it seems strange that a festival that’s based purely on percussions could be popular. But Taufiq explains that a beat or a rhythm is enough to attract people, given that it’s simple to understand and sticks with the listener. “Rhythm is inherent in us — we breathe, walk and even talk in rhythm. You identify with it much faster. Even when there’s no melodic structure, there’s a rhythm structure that’s identifiable in things. Rhythm has it’s own identity and characteristics, and one can hold their audience for long, through rhythms,” he explains. 

Meanwhile, prepping for his set, Stephen, the young gun from Bengaluru is charged up, hoping the audience will enjoy his act. “I’ve been playing since the age of two and I love playing the drums, because it makes people happy,” says an enthusiastic Stephen. “For my act I will be playing genres like funk, rock, Indian and more… all together!”

And while solo performances are set to get the audiences grooving, a jugalbandi to end the day will be the high point. “I will join all the performers on the stage for a jam,” Gino says, excitedly. 

Calling it an event unlike any other music festival, the drummer hopes to run it for “the next 100 years”. Says Gino, “India is rich in its tradition of percussion, and now we have a festival only on drums. This isn’t a conventional show!”

— Today, 7 pm onwards, at St. Andrews Auditorium, Bandra (W)