The day began with a tummy tingle. This wasn't the post-Taco-Bell-tummy-tingle or a night-out-at-Lucy's-Tavern-with-crazy-but-lovely-people-and-many-AMF's-kind-of-tummy-tingle.... but a nice warm exiting feeling.
After chowing down on some delicious and homely South Indian food at theMadras Cafe' (this should be my last Indian meal until I get back home now), we drove back home so that I could finish my finial bits of packing while I was being serenaded by Arpana Arjun who was playing the excuisite, 'Prelude', by Rachmaninoff. Watch out San Diego, Carmel Valley has a new musical storm brewing! I moved into the Rodeway Inn and then set off on my last drive with Mrs. Swathi Arjun and Arpana Arjun to get a feel of places in San Diego I wouldn't have otherwise been witness to, before I reachedKava Gallery. Here I met Jeremy Tomasck, the man taking care of the two grandmasters on their tours and travels across the world as they eriched peoples lives rhythmically and generally.
This is when I bought my beautiful new darling. My first traditional, hand-carved, West-African djembe made out of Lenke wood.
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| My new Baby: courtesy - Jeremy Tomasck |
I chose out of two equally good djembes. This one spoke to me. I shall use it through the duration of the workshop and fly back with it and pray to all the Indian Gods that it arrives in Chattrapati Shivai Terminus, Mumbai in one piece!
After this, Raymond, one of the TTM staff members drove a couple of us, who had met up at Kava, to the venue for the evenings welcome gathering.What's truly amazing is to see the range of people the djembe has attracted today. This instrument has inspired many a folk from every corner of the world, from various heritages and backgrounds to make place in their lives and hearts for the djembe. The group is truly a global one. It felt like a United Nations Delegate meeting at times. Almost every continent was sufficiently represented. Truly inspiring. Amongst the famimliar faces were,James Kwan (Director, TTM Hong Kong), Namory (djmebefola from South Korea), Bing (from Lila Drums, Singapore) and of course, Tara and Michi. In addition, there were djembe enthusiasts from Brazil, China, Israel and so on... And I thought I was the only one travelling halfway across the world for this workshop.
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| International integration |
I have been having a wonderful time food-wise in San Diego. This evenings meal was prepared specially by Mamady's Nephew's family. Fatimata was head chef and she had helpers who were busy toiling in the kitchen since before the time we arrived. Needless to say the meal was transcendentally delicious. Fatimata's mother has been preparing meals for participants of djembe workshops in Guinea with Mamady Keita for years. Now as time passes, Fatimata has moved to the States and continues this tradtion of imparting gastronomic culture to the future flag-bearers of West-African culture.
The meal consisted of West-African fried plantains, chicken prepared in a peanut based sauce and chicken prepared with capsicum, cilantro and pepper with rice. I noticed that the chatter across the room decreased in volume as the food for served; a global positive testimony any chef anywhere.
Next, Monette, officially presented Mamady and Famoudou to the participants and the two masters expressed themselves, their aims, their expectations and their joy and love for being there.
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| The masters |
As the evening progressed and the dessert section was laid out on the table, I started feeling a sense of inspiration. This was similar to the feeling at the start of Mini-Guinea, Singapore in September 2010. Similar, but different.
We start drumming tomorrow morning 10:00 am onwards (for the intermediate level) and 2:00 pm onwards (for the advanced level). Mamady himself was excited as he said that he had a lot of traditional material he would teach us and also a lot of new material that he would be testing on us guinea-pigs.
I say, bring it on... Come back tomorrow...
Come. Drum. Be One.
Taal Inc.
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