Festival of Drums

The Festival of Drums in Warsaw first took place in 2006, and this year will be the second rendition of this festival. The festival aims to boost the popularity of world music, educate people about traditional playing techniques and to popularize traditional drums as an instrument. The program of the festival features first and foremost percussion workshops, led by the top Polish specialists in South African percussion. Mikołaj ‘Miki’ Wielecki will lead a workshop on the carnivalesque hot rhythms of Brazilian samba drumming, while a workshop on Cuban congo playing will be led by Nikodem Bąkowski. This year's festival will also introduce a session of playing a drum kit, with a focus on Afro-Caribbean styles of playing such as salsa, meringue, reggae, and dancehall. Discussions on technique will be led by esteemed musicians Hubert Zemler and José Manuel Alban Juárez. In addition, there will be the possibility of participating in improvized jam sessions, as well as dance workshops joining dance and music in the traditions of African, Cuban, and Brazilian cultures. Besides practical workshops, a serious of lectures will take place about the culture and music of Africa, Cuba, and Brazil, led by esteemed musician. The festival will also encompass a trade fair of drums and percussion equipment, individual consultations with instructors, and of course a group jam session. The workshops will take place August 1st until August 4th, between 10:15 am and 10:15 pm, while the drum trade fair will take place on the 5th between noon and 4 pm, and the lectures will take place on the 5th between noon and 8 pm, with the final jam session starting at 5 pm. Starting at 9 pm from the 1st through the 4th, several parties will take place in conjunction with the festival, and a party pass for all four nights can be purchased for 30 PLN.