It's all about drums...the grandmother drum

[cass]

I listened to a fascinating woman speak on the radio yesterday. Siraj Holsworth(sp?)She is a Seneca Iroquois from the East Coast of America. She is the Keeper of the "grandmother drum" and is touring around Australia with it at the moment. It is 7 feet in diameter, encrusted with 200 clear and rose quartz crystals.
She said the drum is the heartbeat, she uses it to unify and celebrate. We are diverse, but the truth is we are all one people, who share a common heartbeat.
This weekend she will be at the Lismore City Hall to perform a ceremony for a Bundjalung( aboriginal) elder who died recently, a woman who had devoted her life to reconciliation. I would love to be there, but can't...
but all is not lost.
Next weekend the Australian Allgirl's Surfing contest will be held in my hometown( pray for good waves). My neice and a few friends are competing, so I was going up there to cheer them on. Luckily the Grandmother Drum will also be there that weekend They are having a "keepers of the flame- women's business" meeting there also. I'll get to hear the drum...I hope.

I give thanks for that alignment.

It's all about drums

 

[u2popmofo]

The Drumkeeper?

Is that anything like the Gatekeeper? Maybe she knows the Keymaster.

 

[cujo]

Their child... the Keymaker?

 

[u2popmofo]

How does this all relate to Zuel?

 

[cujo]

Keymaster can Stay Puffed for long periods... much like the Zuel can resurrect themself.

 

[u2popmofo]

Ah yes, I think I heard Egon say that once.

 

[cujo]

Don't cross the streams mofo... it's too dangerous.

 

[u2popmofo]

I won't, I'd rather get 'slimed'

 

[hiphop]

That sounds promising, cass.

Drums can be very... hypnotizing, kind of.

Enjoy

 

[cass]

promising indeed
but just in case I don't get there...I'm already happy
I went to see my favourite local band last night and my o my, the drummer was just brilliant. There was a request for a solo at the end of the night and he just totally went offhe and the bass player get such a good groove going.

I don't think the keeper of the drum is Sigourney Weaver...but you never never know...
I think she must be an equally fascinating person though and I hope to meet her. She just happened to be interviewed on the radio the day of the 50th anniversary of Hilary and Norgay's climb to the summit of Mount Everest. After her interview , the DJ had asked people to ring the radio station and sing "Climb Every Mountain" (just your usual diverse morning of radio) It turns out Siraj Holsworth has indeed climbed every mountain when she was a young woman. She was the youngest person to ever climb Denali(sp?) the highest peak in Alaska and lots of peaks around the world. Her brother always sang "Climb Every Mountain" to her before she set out. It is "their " song. She graciously drummed and sang it, native American style, impromptu, live, on the radio
Girlpower

After what I witnessed last night, I think we need more than a woman with a drum to solve racism...but I sure admire her spirit for trying.

 

[u2popmofo]

I don't think the keeper of the drum is Sigourney Weaver...but you never never know...

hahahahahah Good one.

I felt bad, I thought we ruined your thread. Sorry about that. Glad you can accept my and Cujo's idiocy.

 

[hiphop]

*bangs the drum*

BOOM

 

[cujo]

I don't want to work,
what should I do all day?

PS- Cass, good sport you are.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

goddamn it.


i now have this song in my head

 

[Salome]

I've had worse songs in my head


she must be quite an inpiring woman

 

[cass]

It should be a great weekend...I have the opportunity to help quite a few people, young and old. That always makes me feel good.
Hip hop...I have a feeling the grandmother drum is very sacred, so I don't think you bang it, you listen.
There is a djembe troupe around here. Now they DO like you to bang their drums...and dance like no one is watching.

Where I grew up...this bit makes me sad , is a very very ancient male aboriginal initiation ground ( bora ring) It does not get the respect it deserves imho. I have done as much research about it as I can and discovered there would have been a community ring about 500 metres away from the male area, used by the women and children. It has long been defiled and built over.....so maybe this weekend will bring back some of the spirit. So much was lost when my forefathers declared war on the indigenous people of Australia..so much.
I'm looking forward to this.

 

[hiphop]

whoever said instruments were like women in a way

Hip hop...I have a feeling the grandmother drum is very sacred, so I don't think you bang it, you listen.

Oh. I respect grandmother drum. So I won?t bang it.

Still, I have the feeling the drum would like it.. maybe I am allowed to touch that instrument.

I will bang another one.

 

[cass]

well fancy that...more girlpower, Aussie girlpower

Sue Fear, age 40, yesterday became the first Australian woman to climb Mount Everest. She also attained another record but I'm not sure of the detail, climbed 3 highest peaks?

I have a feeling I will meet Siraj and I wonder if she would accept a gift and what size her feet are? She wore her full ceremonial dress to her radio interview the other day, except for her moccassins. Her whole outfit is made of white leather, I forget which creature she said it was made from.It also includes celtic patterns, spirals in the decoration. She didn't wear her white moccassins as it had been raining and they have horrid sticky red soil around the Lismore area( well not horrid for growing things, horrid for staining clothes in the wet) I have a pair of beautiful brown elk hide knee-length moccassins that are laced up the side around old Amercian coins. Elk hide is a lot thicker and softer than any leather I have seen in Australia. Maybe they will fit her and she may like them. They are from her area too I think, the northeast.
They have a story...I'll tell it...one day.