Drums calling Drums

from
http://latestnewsfromthervheraclitus.blogspot.com/


We Just finished our daily drumming class leaded by the crew member Augusto when in the silent sharp light of the early Saturday afternoon of the delta of the RioParnaiba, a shrimps fishing boat started moving towards Heraclitus. The approach was sound tracked by the loud beats of Maracatu and Ijexà drums.
Two local groups of drummers and dancers, Boi Dominante and Caroço de Dona Elza, where coming to play on board of the black ship. I was watching the scene from the beach of Croata and I had immediately the feeling that something powerful was happening. The water of the sea mixed with the river became the stage of a cultural exchange. The air was fulfilled and soon the red deck was overloaded with ladies in coulurful dresses, children and drummers.
After the guests visited the ship the show started and Dona Elza and Dona Elisa started singing and dancing telling the stories and legends of the local culture. The joyful atmosphere invited immediately to a coral dance and the crew and the bands mixed their movements around capstain and hatches.
After a few songs a new dancer overtook the stage: a bull, representing a legend of the local tradition. It was dancing ina really particular way, moving all around the shining cloths. An unusual instrument made with crocodile skin and a rubber stick was reproducing the sounds of the bull moo.
As soon as the queens concluded they performances, we agreed to show how between watches, duties and explorations we learned how to play percussions. One, two, three, four. Capitain Claus started to play the agogô, a doucle bell of the candoblé tradition. Then the all crew joined the maracatu and Ijexá rhythm, playing the three candomblé drums, named according to the decreasing size, Melê, Biancor and Ian, a couple of djambé and the Agbê, a shaker made with a cabaça (gourd) and a net of beads.
We ended playing some songs all together, dancing, singing or just talking and laughing till we exchanged some presents as a memory of this intense moments. They gave us some CDs and DVDs of local bands, Brilho do Delta, Bumba-Meu-Boi Mscunâ, Bolizinho Precioso, one of their big maracatu drums and a Xequerê, a shaker similar to the agbé.
We gave a signed picture of Heraclitus and moved by theier kindness Xtine decide to offer the agbé she made on the voyage from Salvador to Natal.
By sunset the 30 guest where on board of their blue and orange boat and they started making theier way back Tutoia with the same energy the brought on board: loud sounds and brasilian rhythm while the sun was gently hiding behind the cocunat trees offering its daily show in this untouched paradise.