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JA C K SO N ’S FLO W E R S
3804 N. E. San d y Blvd. Portland, OR 97232
(503) 282-0657 • 1 (8 0 0 ) 303-0657
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INGA MUSCIO!
The Mambo Queens are in a groove
And the beat goes on
W o m en g a t h e r to l e a r n
a n d c e le b r a t e th e r h y t h m o f life
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NOON-MIDNIGHT, SAT., NOV. 11, 2 0 0 0
AGATE HALL, UO CAMPUS
Info and tickets: (541) 3 4 3 -4 8 6 4 ; kali@ efn.org
DEB CLEVELAND • IRENA FARRERA • DANCEABILITY • COMEDY • ART • KIDS EVENTS
Mother Kalis Books
720 East 13th Avenue • Eugene, OR 97401
(541) 343-4864 • kali@efn.org
A
istory, tradition and community will
merge with powerful rhythms during the
second annual Women’s Drumming Con-
it II ference, which kicks off with a concert
Nov. 3 in Portland. If the words “women’s
dmmming conference” conjure images of
Birkenstock-clad hippies beating congas under
a full moon, expect a surprise: These perform
ers, many of whom identify as lesbians or bisex
uals, are serious, talented musicians displaying a
wide range of drumming styles.
The Portland-based Rhythm Givers will get
the beat going, followed by local favorites the
Mambo Queens. Afia Walking Tree and her
Spirit Drumz of Santa Cruz, Calif., will bring
the house down as the closing act. For those
inspired by the performance, the conference
offers ample opportunity to participate in sev
eral workshops throughout the weekend.
Cuba native Virginia Lopez, creator and
director of the Mambo Queens, will lead a
workshop titled “Elements of Afro-Cuban Per
cussion: Traditional Afro-Cuban Technique for
Congas, Bells and Claves" from 1:30 to
3:30 p.m. Nov. 4. Participants also will learn
about the history behind the rumba and other
distinctive Cuban styles.
Lopez, a wealth of information and anec
dote, is a woman who has made it her business
to know every facet of the music she plays and
teaches. Aside from performing with the
Mambo Queens, she teaches percussion and
traditional music, including the sacred music
of the Yoruba people, who inhabited what is
present-day Nigeria.
“What makes Cuban music beautiful today
is the influence of the West African people who
were taken to Cuba in the 1500s,” she says.
“Spanish music was influenced by North Africa,
because the Iberian Peninsula was colonized by
North Africa for over 800 years. The flamenco?
You can tell it comes from Africa; it’s all in the
movements of the hands and feet.”
Tississat, director of the Rhythm Givers and
one of the conference coordinators, also will be
teaching a workshop. She, too, emphasizes the
importance of history in music but says the par
ticipants first and foremost should expect to
“get their hands on the drum.”
The workshops, with their active and edu
cational components, are ideal for families, as is
the kid-friendly concert. "Kids are the best crit
ics,” Tississat says. “If the kids aren’t dancing,
then you know there’s a problem."
For Tississat, who specializes in West African
rhythms as well as ones she has composed her
self, the conference is one part of her quest to
create a drumming tradition for women in Port
land. She sees the dnim as a tool of expression
P
Al C
but also as a tool of healing for women, a way to
facilitate a sense of community.
She also directs a workshop called Rhythm
Village on a wooded site in Nehalem. During
the weekend, a small group of women “live to
gether in village, cook together, drum together.”
Tississat defines living “in village” as getting
back to our roots by living together in a small
group, just as our forebears did. She eventually
would like to fund and maintain a permanent
drumming village for women, complete with a
lodge recording studio, spaces for drumming
and a sustainable garden.
She also has great expectations for the con
ference. “In 10 years, I would expect to see
more traditional dance incorporated as well as
more styles.”
Tississat already is planning workshops in
Celtic and other frame drumming techniques
for next year. What she really would like to see
is “all women’s drumming communities coming
together.” She thinks Portland could become a
hub for women’s drumming, joining the strong
communities present in Santa Cruz and Oak
land, Calif.
Mazzi, a Rhythm Givers member, is a recent
drumming convert. She was hooked by a friend
about a year ago and has been drumming with
Tississat for about six months.
Drumming has been “the most powerful
experience in my life,” she says. “At first it’s
kind of intimidating...and frustrating, but
the drum teaches focus, concentration and
perseverance.”
Mazzi, who began drumming with no musi
cal background, helped coordinate the confer
ence. She also is working on a grant to start a
drumming program in public schools.
“It’s a lot of work, a lot of commitment” but
quite rewarding, she says. Adds Tississat,
“When women get together and drum, it’s a
very special thing. ” j n
The second annual WOMEN’S DRUMMING
CONFERENCE concert starts 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at
Henson Hall, 3 5 3 6 S.E . 26th Ave. Tickets are
$12 in advance from Mystic Moon, 3125 E.
Burnside, or $15 at the door. Workshops will be
held Nov. 4 and 5 at Henson Hall. Admission to
one workshop is $25; a full pass is available for
$60. The concert is open to all, but the workshops
are for women only.
V ir g in ia L o pez can be reached at
503-238-2465 or www.mamboqueens.com.
TISSISSAT teaches drumming classes at Open
Gate Studios, 1007 E. Burnside St.
is a Portland free-lance writer
who can be reached at mitchcale@juno.com.
MlTCH C
a le