A collaboration of four accomplished musicians, The Drumheads are lifelong disciples of the art of rhythm. With their music firmly rooted in the tradition of West Africa, their rhythms are as exotic as their instruments.
Hand drums and shakers create complex overlapping patterns, forming a fabric of sound - clever, ever-shifting arrangements form multiple layers of rhythm. Drum solos resonate against these beautiful patterns.
"It's thrilling when all the parts meld. It is definitely a case of the whole being more than the sum of its parts," says band member Peggy Collins.
True to their art form, The Drumheads incorporate an exotic array of traditional West African instruments including djembes (hand drums) and three kinds of doun douns (bass drums) of various sizes.
"To play a doun doun, you hit the drum with a stick and with the other hand you play a bell," added Collins. "We also play the balafon for some songs - something like a xylophone, but with wooden slats and gourds underneath that act as resonators."
The Drumheads are now expanding upon their traditional style by adding other instruments and vocals to their music. They recently played at the Earth Day celebration in Roberts Creek and had saxophonist and violinist Blaine Dunaway perform with them.
The Drumheads will play at the Sechelt Family Arts Festival, July 30, and in Winegarden Park on Sunday, June 12, in conjunction with the Gibsons Jazz Festival.
