Each week, our entertainment reporter tries out a new activity. This time, RACHEL DEVLIN joins in with the
Peterborough Community Samba Band
How to do: samba drumming
Pictured below : Rachel Devlin plays don-key da da da don-key on the agogo bells (5PF0610440) Picture: PAUL FRANKS
I’VE always been mesmerised by samba bands. I’ve watched them at festivals and parades over the years, and every time I find them such a hypnotic spectacle.
I love the rhythm, driving you unconsciously to move your feet in time, as the pounding of drums fill the air with a real joie de vivre.
So it was with great anticipation I joined with the Peterborough Community Samba Band for a Friday session banging the drums.
The group has about 10 members – all samba-enthusiasts, or obsessionists as my drumming mate Lynn joked – all of whom made me feel incredibly welcome from the off.
The friendly atmosphere was vital, because my innate sense of rhythm is severely lacking. I even find walking in time difficult, so, I was fully prepared to completely embarrass myself.
But I needn’t have worried. Not that I didn’t embarrass myself, but it is a quick learning curve and too enjoyable to let yourself worry about a little thing like a red face.
First I was introduced to the variety of different drums that make up a samba band, all with different names and different roles to be performed.
The drums included, to name but a few, a surdu, which is similar to a bass drum; a metal side drum called a repenique; a conical drum played with your hands or a light stick called a timbal; a tamborim, which looks similar to a tamborine, and the high-pitched drum is the smallest drum in the band; and a caxia, which is the samba snare drum.
So, after a speed course to introduce me to the alien names of the instruments, it was time to actually play.
I was quaking with nerves but the group made sure I wasn’t lost.
They explained a simple way to remember the rhythm I was about to play on the agogo bells – a percussion instrument similar to two cow bells of different pitches.
Basically, you use whatever notation or sound will help to remember the specific rhythm for the piece. For example, and I hope the group’s members forgive me if I get this wrong, but my rhythm on the agogo bells went something like this . . . don-key don-key da-da-da-don-key . . . I kid you not!
But using simple words like this really do make being able to play along possible.
And I was surprised at how disciplined the rhythm of each drummer had to be to create a great sound. Naively, I thought it was all just one big improvised spot.
Fiona Lidgey, one of the group’s founding members, explained: “It really is about discipline. When it is people who have played together for a very long time, there may be some room for improvisation, but only with one drum.
“It has to be a disciplined rhythm for the band not to sound a big mess.”
But one thing is for sure, when I didn’t let my concentration lapse, which is surprisingly easy to do, I kept in time with the band and felt this rush of excitement that I was helping to create a wonderful sound that feels almost primal and you can’t help but tap and jig up and down with the beat.
Obviously I was hooked and loved hearing why Fiona was so drawn to Samba.
She said: “I was hooked from the beginning when Lee Higgins, who used to be the music development worker at the city council, started the group about 10 years ago.
“I can’t imagine life without it now. It’s fundamental to who I am.
“I love how samba really drives you and it’s very social, you learn a new skill and you’re involved in real team work.”
Next I took a turn on the surdu drum and I revelled in how its deep base sound filled the room, like it was laying down the backing track for the higher pitched drums.
However, my time-keeping was quite worrying, confirming my belief that natural rhythm was an attribute I could not boast about.
But Fiona explained that my dire rhythm would definitely improve over time.
“Everyone can learn the rhythm. It’s not to do with natural talent, it’s automatic muscle memory.
“It’s like driving a car and the co-ordination all becomes second nature.”
Well here’s hoping she’s right about me, because Fiona is not the only one who was completely hooked on Samba after her first experience.