This Canada Day I was up early and at Floata Chinese Seafood restaurant, in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Here for the 7th Annual Canada Day Drumming Event, hosted by the Legacy 150 Celebration Society. I was asked to be the MC for the occasion and never say no to a new experience.
So getting the final script the night before I did my best to learn the proper pronunciation of names and titles from First Nations to Irish, Japanese to Korean, and Cantonese. All in hopes of doing this auspicious tradition proud. Not to mention it was being live broadcasted, (not that anyone has live TV anymore).
But that aside, the whole premise of the event is to celebrate Canada Day by celebrating the nation as the cultural mosaic that it is. (This one of those Social Studies terms you learn in high-school that you keeps and you continue to reference.)
I was unaware of how many different cultures use drums in their traditional dance and performances, but was able to see and experience it all first hand today. With this, the coming together of various cultures through drumming made sense. Drums to set the tone and drums to keep the beat. Similarly, today we had individual clubs performing and then come together for two different simultaneous drumming sessions.
I came early to practice atop of the podium. The fear of speaking in large crowds is not an issue for me, it is remembering to speak slow, annunciate, and the pronunciation that trips me up. Especially when with such events like this, there are constantly moving parts, and the schedule and therefore script often get updated and corrected minutes and mere moments before the live start, and then during. A lesson I learned and an experience I now have.
But I digress, this was about the drumming and the bringing of cultures and people together. Drumming away differences in order to celebrate diversity and inclusivity on Canada’s 156th birthday.
The festivities began with a dragon dance, a long snake of a train helmed by 1 with at least 7 individuals tailing after the head (intentional pun).
This was followed by the introduction and walk-ins of individual kungfu and dragon dancing clubs. Each stepping into the banquet hall with their own unique lion in its own individual colouring and pattern. I have never seen so many in one place and time. They included Wushu BC, the Western Canada Chinese Martial Arts Association, Gum Ying Hapkido, and Tao Pai Lion Dance Group.
After the drumming and dancing and all the tinsel, blinking lights, and fluff had settled we welcomed the next act.
Paul Tavai-Latta Polynesian Dancers & Co. of Canada came to the stage and were giving us more than just hula. Beat thumping by Paul, with dancing done by Paul’s award winning students. Students who have performed on tv series, movies, and cruise ships.
Here the cultural showcases was punctuated for a 6 minute drumming session, queued and timed to the rest of the nation. Everyone virtually drumming in unison. And those of us who were not formally trained in drumming were able to take part with small handheld drums. These were provided to each and every guest at their seat. A miniature drum attached to a stick that you spin, and in doing so the two attached balls on it bounce. Balls bouncing back and forth off of the surface of the drum creating a large echo strum.
Then continuing on with the regularly scheduled program we had the three person Katari Taiko Dance on stage led by Steve Kubota. They are the first taiko group to form in Canada.
After them came the Shinmyung Ladies Drum Club, comprised of housewives, founded 20 years ago. They synchronize staggered tempo independently to form a unified melody, doing so without sheet music.
This was followed by the last simultaneous drum circle. Another unison virtual drumming session for 3 minutes straight.
After this there was a group photo of everyone who performed and the Legacy 150 Celebration Society to celebrate the successful event.
This was followed by lunch made and served by the Floata staff. Review of that in a separate post to come.
And as everyone ate mayor Ken Sim made an appearance helping acknowledge special guests at today’s function. This included a WW2 veteran and a lady celebrating her 100th birthday this year.
They all helped to cut the giant celebratory sheet cake, after Ken Sim proclaimed today “Canadian Virtual Drumming Celebration Day and presented the the Legacy 150 Celebration Society with a plaque.
In short this was a great experience and a wonderful way to celebrate Canada Day.
