Recipe: Take two women from Japan, one man from India and four from the USA. Choose with care for ripeness, compatibility and diversity of musical talents and backgrounds. Label them Junko Kato Guilliams, Hisako Yamashiro, Tim Guilliams, Tom Brighton, Arun Matikalli, David Borg and Jim Basset. Expose them separately to the drumming of Africa, the Caribbean and South America and watch their love for this music blossom. Set each aside for a few years to develop performance skills. In a large bowl, slowly add prepared ingredients, mixing gently with congas, djembes, shakers and bells to allow dedicated percussion group to coalesce in happy friendship. Heat courageously with serendipity until piano, guitar, bass, trumpet and saxophones emerge floating in the soup amid cries of surprise and delight. In a separate container, collect classical drum music from places like Brazil, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Cuba, Haiti, Guinea and South Africa. Sprinkle in American jazz, funk, fusion and a pinch of original compositions. Add spoonful after spoonful of music mixture into the bowl of instruments and people. Simmer until tight. Pour onto lighted stage and serve with dancing and clapping. You've just made GumboLimbo ! ! ENJOY ! ! !
Hear the music:
Bembe (download sample)
KuKu-Gunn (download sample)
Sir Duke (download sample)
Come dance to GumboLimbo live at the NW Folklife Festival
Support the Kenya Kids Aids Project.
