25th June 2012 0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff Contributing Writer

The healing force of music has long been recognized and utilized in cultures throughout the world. Drummer Hamid Drake, along with a host of others, taps into the musics regenerative and unifying powers at a number of varied events this weekend as he acts as artist-in-resident at the Ash Cultural Arts Center. The shows include Friday nights concert, when the multi-faceted percussionist is teamed with two of his long-time, like-minded, creative music associates and mentors, saxophonist Kidd Jordan and bassist William Parker. The ambitious program, which will be recorded and videotaped for an upcoming release called Our Music is the Healing Force of the Universe, also includes performances by such notables as vocalists Germaine Bazzle and Michaela Harrison, celloist Monica McIntire, gospel singer Lois Dejean, the Kora Konnection plus a number of poets. It will be hosted by Kalamu ya Salaam.

HAMID DRAKE

Kidd is really one of our national treasures, not a just a New Orleans treasure, Drake declares of the saxophonist who he met through one of his first mentors, the late Chicago saxist Fred Anderson. He is one of the last of a generation of musicians who have spanned a large scope of the music everything from R&B Aretha, Ray Charles, Fats Domino to the genre of jazz that was happening before bebop, then the whole bebop era and then the modern jazz era and then moving into the more open playing of the music.

The first time Drake, 55, encountered veteran bassist William Parker back in 1987, they both knew they were meant to play together and have enjoyed a working and personal relationship since that time. Its really nice to meet someone especially who plays the other half of your instrument the drums and bass have a big connection and that has the same views, ideals and similar spiritual philosophy as ones own, Drake says of Parker, who along with his wife produces New Yorks highly-acclaimed, forward-thinking Vision Festival. Hes like Kidd, hes one of those great treasures and hes a student of world music.

We need to have Vision festivals in many different cities, Drake offers. And Vision also has to be extended to our youth that are living on the fringes to let them know that we are available to help.

The Ashe Centers Saturday night program, Celebration of the Drum, will have percussionists representing the styles of Cuba (Bill Summers), Brazil (Curtis Pierre), India, Japan, Ireland and more plus the rhythms of New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians. Each artist will perform a solo piece and during the second half of the show Drake will lead a drum jam.

The healing and call for peace and unity continues on Sunday afternoon with a Drum Circle from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Congo Square. Percussionist Luther Gray and the Congo Square Preservation Society and Hamid Drake invite all interested musicians not limited to drummers to join them.

I feel that we have to find the specialness of our unity and diversity, Drake concludes. I think New Orleans is a very good example of that. Were coming up on a very special thing {the presidential election} its important for folks to not only be musically involved but politically and socially involved. We have to vote. And we have to work together as best as we can as a community because theres a whole generation of people below us that are depending on us.

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