Drumming Up HOPE for Haiti in San Diego was a huge success in bringing the community together, raising energy and money for the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund. Together we raised $850. Special thanks to Christine Stevens, Frank Lazarro, and Sundiata Kata for serving as the event team of facilitators. Also, thanks to the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad for lending extra drums and of course, the World Beat Cultural Center in San Diego for providing the perfect venue for the event.
Without any prior knowledge of the event, two Haitian women just happened to stop by, learn of the drum circle last minute, and eventually stand up on stage to share some very powerful stories. They told personal stories of life in Haiti and how they had come to the United States. One woman actually experienced the earthquake. She recalled sleeping on the ground that night with hundreds of other survivors, feeling the aftershocks and tremors all through the night. Out of the group of hundreds sleeping outside on the ground, one man had an iPhone that picked up CNN. The woman served as a translator for the crowded group of homeless survivors so that they could learn of the devastation that the earthquake left behind in their country. Please donate to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund.
Thanks to Roshann Chahidi, we have some great video clips of the drumming energy from our Drumming Up HOPE event on February 11, 2010. If you attended the event, please leave a comment and let us know what the experience was like for YOU.
It was amazing and fantastic! I’ve drummed with these drummers for at least 3 years, and wow ~ We’ve all come a long way. It is an honor to witness our group growth and evolution within the class. After the performance, and after the overwhelming applause, we continued with a program that engaged both performers and audience members in making music. We sang and played Christmas, Hanukkah, and winter songs. We shared our family traditions. Doris and John mentioned that their tradition has always been to hang ice skates on the wall as a decoration. We debated whether Santa Claus actually exists. It is a fact that most residents at La Costa Glen actually DO believe in Santa Claus. We laughed and shared more memories.
Catch me if you can–