The Peace In Love PercussionsThe Total Package
To say that Senegal percussion troupe The Peace In Love
Percussions impressed a few folks at Gypsy Avalon this afternoon would be a huge
understatement. Even if you were to say something along the lines of "the band
completely blew the minds of every spectator huddled around Avalon's tiny
stage", you still wouldn't be anywhere close enough to doing justice to the
remarkable act.
The show began with a woman walking out on stage and asking "Are
you ready to dance?" Shortly after, a flutist emerged from the back and began
playing. He was soon joined by six other musicians all carrying different
percussion instruments. The band did a quick lap and then stood in a straight
line, fittingly enough, in front of the giant peace symbol draped along the rear
of Avalon. Two members of the group wildly shook shaker style instruments. Three
had large, bowl-like hand drums, and one had a djembe between his legs. All were
dressed in what I'm assuming was some kind of traditional African clothing.
After a few minutes of drumming and dancing, the real fun began.
The three drummers began tossing their drums in the air and catching them while
playing as the suddenly boisterous crowd began to voice thier approval. They
then put their instruments down and began walking across the stage on their
hands. The three then reconvened and began twisting their bodies together like a
trio of expert contortionists. They took turn lifting each other up and
performing acrobatic moves that would surely net a high score from olympic
gymnastic judges.
This was just a small sampling of the amazing performance that
was to follow. Everyone did various flips, handstands, and summersaults while
still playing some kind of instrument. The crowd gasped and then cheered wildly
as each feat was unveiled. The band won over everyone in the rapidly growing
audience with their brilliant routines and awesome showmanship that included,
but wasn't limited to, one of the guys grabbing four torches and rubbing fire
all of his body before spitting flames across the stage while the peaceful
rhythms continued to flow. Constantly out doing themselves, The Peace In Love
Percussions make unique music and are entertaining as hell to watch. Basically,
they're the total package and definitely stand out amongst the numerous hidden
treasures that this year's Fuji Rock line-up offers.
Although it's been written by music writers millions of times,
this truly was something that had to be witnessed to be appreciated. I'd be
shocked if this wasn't one of the weekend's highlights for everyone who caught
the show.
Reported by shawn (2005.07.30 / 20:35)
The Peace In Love Percussions
Reported by ryota (2005.07.31 / 15:18)
The Peace In Love Percussions
Reported by clala (2005.07.31 / 16:17)
The Peace In Love Percussions
Reported by hiroqui (2005.07.30 / 23:16)
The Peace In Love Percussions
Reported by ken (2005.07.30 / 23:35)
The Peace In Love Percussions
Reported by yusuke (2005.07.31 / 18:37)
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