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The Official Newsletter of |
| SUMMER | www.rhythmtraders.com | JUNE 2008 |
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***If you would like to receive this newsletter and other special updates via email, please SUBSCRIBE HERE to our E-news list.*** |
IS SUMMER ALREADY HERE???Welcome to the Summer Edition of our newsletter!We'll recap our latest workshop with Mamady Keita, review new products (especially at Latin Rhythm Traders), must-have CDs, and tell you about upcoming events, trips, workshops, and more. We've got lots of pictures and links, and as usual, we've dug up info on a very rare drum to show you. Read on to learn about the "Grandmother Drum...all 2002 pounds of her! |
 Grandmother Drum |
Famoudou Konate Workshop Tour 2008: | |
 Famoudou Konate Workshop 2007 |
SORRY, SOLD OUT!! HOPE TO SEE YOU IN 2009!! For information about Famoudou's workshops, please check out our: FAMOUDOU KONATE 2008 INFO |
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IN EVERY ISSUE: Thanks for taking the time to check out our web sites...and even better, come visit us at the shop! Read on or click on the links below to jump right to the section you want. Our workshop with Mamady Keita was fantastic. We've got photos and news from Mamady's visit to Portland. We are anxiously awaiting Famoudou Konate for his annual workshop here in Portland. Lots of new products to share with you, including the arrival of Famoudou Konate's new CD, "Hamana Namun". We also have some dates and info on drumming workshops around the world. Plus some sabar shell blow-outs! Check out all the details on our African Drumming news at: The African Beat . In our Latin Quarter, we've got some NEW PRODUCTS from Bata drums, to new timbales, and our completely re-designed retro looking "Mambo Series" congas. Most of our products are back in stock, including our "Eduardo Velazquez" Signature timbales that many of you have been waiting for. We have new finishes available in our Mambo Series bongos and congas as well! Sarge has an update in Drum Set News Check out some amazing deals we have on our Gretsch Drumsets. Have you taken a peek at his tom drum tuning tips on Youtube? We'll give you that link. | ||
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MAMADY KEITA WORKSHOP PHOTOS!! | ||
 Mamady Keita Workshop Portland, June 2008 (Photo taken by Camille Boynton) | ||
 "Take it up a bit!"(Photo taken by Camille Boynton) |
Plenty going on at African Rhythm Traders! We had a fantastic "Weekend Djembe Intensive" with Mamady Keita in April. We worked the entire weekend on brand new rhythms he's composed...even one from his next CD. If anyone claims to know these rhythms, "you lying"! He taught us Matoto, Sundjata Fasa, and Takoworo, complete with breaks, solo phrasing, and mixes. | |||||||||||||
| And good news! He is planning a US tour with Sewa Kan for 2010. And if that is not enough, Mamady is busy working on a professional level DVD, Volume 2 of his book, and a re-issue of the popular video instructional series from Japan. We will be bringing you all of these new materials as soon as we get them. |  Mamady showing us Matoto (Photo taken by Camille Boynton) | |||||||||||||
 Sekou Receives his Tam Tam Mandingue Diploma (Photo taken by Camille Boynton) |
During his stay, he presented
our own Sekou Soumah with his TTM diploma. Congrats Sekou! Congrats encore to Sekou and his new bride, Catherine Palmier, who were married
the following week. For more photos from our workshop, please go to our Photo Gallery, to the Mamady Keita section: MAMADY KEITA PHOTO GALLERY section. | |||||||||||||
NEW PRODUCTS!! | ||||||||||||||
 Famoudou Konate's New Album! |
Many of you may have noticed we have Famoudou Konate's latest disc, "Hamana Namun". It's some of his best work to date,
and includes three of his own compositions. He is backed by sons Billy and Diarra, and a whole host of veterans. You will
like this disc. This new disc includes a 24 page booklet, 12 tracks and is over 67 minutes long. The tracks
include: Tiadian, Soma Sandyi, Kawa de Faranah, Kawa de Hamana, Toro, Nanfina, Dunun Mayeleman, Kassa, Dibon et Konkoba Dunun, Bara Duu, Soliwulen, Solibasi,
and Soofetama. To order, go to African Rhythm Traders and check out our:
DJEMBE RECORDINGS section.
We are getting ready and excited for our Famoudou Konate workshop June 26, 27, 28, and 29, 2008. SORRY, SOLD OUT!! HOPE TO SEE YOU IN 2009!! If you didn't make it in to the workshop this year, make sure to register EARLY next year, as space is limited and we do sell out! For information about Famoudou's workshops, please check out our: FAMOUDOU KONATE 2008 INFO
Master Drummer, Obo Addy, is leading a trip to Ghana this summer, and you are invited, no matter where in the world you live. Don't
miss this opportunity to study rhythm in Ghana from one of it's preeminent artists. For more information about this, as well as
his summer camps for kids here in Portland, Oregon,
Go to:
Homowo African Arts and Culture
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 Obo Addy  Sabar Shells from Senegal
We were cleaning out our warehouse and found eight sabar shells from Senegal. Anyone want to take them off our hands,
with pegs and skins for $100 each? You can pick them up, or we can ship them to you. | Or, we also have some unfinished conga shells that we're discontinuing. These conga shells MUST be picked up at our shop in Portland (shipping can crack the unfinished shells). Cost is $75.00 per shell. If you are interested in either of these shell deals, please EMAIL US
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Our local bata expert, Jeff Burres, wasn't content just going to Cuba to learn bata drumming. Now he is off to Nigeria to the Sango Festival.
He'll be there for 3 months, studying Yoruba drumming. We'll be bringing you YouTube clips from where he is. For this, and other YouTube clips,
please check out our channel: Rhythm Traders YouTube
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And finally, our buddy Billy Konate, who if you don't know him is one of Famoudou's sons, is leading a workshop to Guinea for Djembe and Malinke rhythms. Dates are December 12, 2008 to January 9, 2009. The workshop will take place in Conakry AND Sangbarala. This is a great opportunity to study from someone who is very much at the heart of the culture. For more information, you can mail email Billy: konatekounda@yahoo.fr | |||||||||
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 "Mambo Series" Congas |
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Our new shipment loaded with instruments just came in...check out our completely
re-designed "Mambo Series" Congas, with vintage contour and new side plates. Available in 4 finishes, including our NEW!! Black and Amber. | ||
 Black Steel Timbales |
We've just added Black Steel Timbales to our line up. Back in stock are our "Eduardo Velazquez" Signature Brass and Bronze Timbales. To order and check out the specs, please go to: TIMBALES. | |
| Looking for Bongos? We have all of our bongo drums back in stock. From our student bongos, to our Mambo Series bongos (available now in 5 different finishes!) to our top of the line Ash Bongos, we've got some great sounding drums at prices you can afford. CONGAS & BONGOS. |  Mambo Series Bongos: Blue Finish |
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 Grace Choi at Descarga |
The Portland Descarga, hosted by James Travers, is turning in to quite a
scene. Lots of local pros stop by, as well as a number of students coming to throw down. Grace Choi (pictured), who is a student of
Israel Annoh, is just 12 years old. She nailed it.
If you haven't already, you've got to check out the Descarga Jam at the Mississippi Pizza Pub select Sundays at 6 p.m., featuring house band, Aguamiel. For more information about the band, and the dates for their upcoming gigs, go to their MySpace page at: Aguamiel's MY SPACE PAGE. |
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 Gon Bops "California Series" Bongos | What's happening over at Gon Bops? Their list prices have more than doubled in the past year. If you bought the solid stave California Series from us last year, congratulations! The value of your investment just doubled. Really, the quinto that was $800 last year, is now $1700. Bongos were $395, now they're $880. I called Akbar Moghaddam, who makes the California series for Gon Bops/DW, and he assures me the California series is here to stay. He says the price increase reflects the fact that they have decided NOT to produce them in Ensenada, Mexico where PDP are made. They've made a commitment to quality, consistency, sound, and not to take the brand overseas just to make more money. We applaud that. | |
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COOL EVENT!! | ||
| If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, check out the 15th annual Brazilian Summer Festival. Featuring the Grupo Revelacao, direct from Rio de Janeiro with the best Samba and Parode. It happens July 13 at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. For more info: www.braziliannites.com. | ||
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SARGE'S DRUM CORNER...DRUM SET NEWS: | ||
| Gretsch seems to be making the most drumset for the money these days. We've been selling a bunch of the Gretsch Catalina Maples under $700 bucks with a FREE extra tom. Stop in to check them out, along with our acrylic snares, Brady snare drums, and Amedia Cymbals from Turkey...including their crazy 24" ride cymbals. Check out Amedia Cymbals on our web site at: AMEDIA CYMBALS. |  Gretsch Catalina Maple Drum Set |
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 Rhythm Traders own: Sarge |
Sarge has a few great drum tips posted on Youtube...but you don't even have to go that far to check them out! Go to our new Drum Tips page, complete with video footage on tuning and how to re head your snare.
We also have Tom Drum tuning tips as
well. Check them out: DRUM TUNING.
If you'd like to look at all of our cool clips, please do! Check out: Rhythm Traders YOUTUBE Channel |
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Grandmother Drum | ||
This newsletter's featured drum is the "Grandmother Drum". One of our favorite customers, Gandolf, made us aware of a drum he helped build
up in Alaska that he believes may be the largest drum in the world (with a natural head, mind you). Bigger than a Taiko, more humongous
than a kettle drum, and heavier than Alex Van Halen's drum set, is the Grandmother Drum. Here are the specs on this amazing drum:
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 Grandmother Drum | ||
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You can see more pictures of the Grandmother Drum under construction, and learn more about when it might come to a
community near you, as well as some of the history of how it came to be. Check out their website at:
www.whirlingrainbow.com/gmd.htm | ||
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Be sure to sign up on our e-list so we can alert you to sales,
events, and more news. We NEVER give away your information, and we try to only email you once a month or so...only when something is
newsworthy! SUBSCRIBE HERE That's it for now! Thanks for supporting what we do...we are here for you! Peace...and Keep On Drumming!, ---Brad Boynton, & the Rhythm Traders Staff | ||
 |
 African Rhythm Traders For all of our African drums and percussion, CDs, DVDs & instructional materials. |
 Latin Rhythm Traders For all of our Latin drums and percussion, CDs, DVDs & instructional materials. |
 RT Drum Sets & Cymbals For drum sets, cymbals, & accessories for the kit drummers. |