Citizen Cope : Let The Drummer Kick

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

The hip and happening place to be in The Hamptons this summer isn't a swank party on a huge green lawn or a hip hop bash at P. Diddy's. It's the Monday Night Drum Circle at Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack.

Started two summers ago by a group of local drummers, it has grown to become the Hamptons equivalent of a mini Woodstock every Monday night.

Families show up with beach chairs, blankets, picnics, wine, beer, bon fires and the crowd swells and swells as the evening progresses.



Starting at about 6:30, the lineup goes something like this:

Samba Drums- a group of about 30 drummers and various back-up percussionists play about 4 "sets" by roving in and amongst the crowd, moving like a sort of amoeba, led only by the drum master and his whistle.

African Drums- More tribal with lots of barefoot dancing and a tighter circle.

Fire Dancers -Kicked in about mid way thru the African Drums, just as the moon was rising and the sun setting.

Debauchery- By 9:30, kids get sleepy and the 40 something parental crowd begins to depart and gives way to the REAL partiers who keep thinks going well into the night with more drums, reggae, and the prerequisite heavy doses of hooch and booze.

It's nice when drums rule-it's as primal as music gets.

It's two-fer Tuesday so after last night's inspiration, I thought I'd share two of my favorite "salute to the drummer" songs from the old guard and the new guard:

"Jin-Go-Lo-Ba" by Olatunji, one of Nigerians most beloved drummers.

by Citizen Cope from Citizen Cope

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