NZ's Biggest Percussion Event Hits Wellington

NZ's Biggest Percussion Event Hits Wellington

More than 200 drummers will hit inanimate objects to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Fringe NZ and Wellington’s Full Moon Drumming Circle during Fringe NZ’s first free outdoor event - Drumstruck.

“Drumstruck is New Zealand’s biggest ever evening of drumming and percussion”, said Murray MacDonald, long-time drummer, organiser of the Full Moon Drumming Circle and Art Director of Drumstruck.

“We’re rapt because it’s taking place in some of Wellington’s pre-eminent landmarks so the audience and drummers get to move from the Lagoon in Frank Kitts Park, over the City-to-Sea Bridge and in Civic Square.”

Drumstruck is the first free outdoor event for this year’s Fringe NZ festival. Fringe NZ and Wellington’s Full Moon Drumming Circle are celebrating their joint tenth birthday with the biggest gathering of rhythmic maestros ever held in New Zealand.

>From 5pm groups of drummers and dancers - the Batucada Afro-Brazilian drummers, City of Wellington Pipe Band Drum Corps, JamboJambo Africa Drummers and Full Moon Drum Circle drummers and dancers converge on the Lagoon at Frank Kitts Park, arriving just before 6pm.

“Anyone with a drum or portable percussion device is welcome to join the Full Moon Drum Circle group’s procession to Drumstruck. Meet at Glover Park, off Ghuznee Street before 5pm,” says MacDonald.

At 6pm the official programme begins with a striking combination of beats from around the globe. Then, summoned by Putatara (conch-shell horns) and Japanese Taiko drums, the audience and performers move to the City-to-Sea Bridge for acoustic performances, including Taikoza Kodama (International Pacific College Taiko), and the ACG Chinese Lion Dancers and Drummers.

As the sun sets in the west and the full moon rises in the east the stage programme begins. Confirmed acts include School of Hard Knocks (Jazz-kit duo with virtuoso jazz drummer Chris O’Connor and a very special guest), Afro-Cuban percussion quartet Rumbata, Indian Tabla (Ritesh Parbhu from Indo-Dub fusion group Moksha) and Ogomu Korean Drum Dance (Ami Lee). The finale is a spectacular, specially composed orchestral percussion piece from the NZSO percussion team (led by NZSO principal timpani, Larry Reese).

After 9pm the audience moves into an electro-acoustic zone under the bridge where digital trance and tribal rhythms blend with live percussion and other acoustic instruments. Appearing in the electro-acoustic zone is the Sun Drum (James McCarthy) and the wave drum.

Then the Full Moon Drum Circle and Fire Dancer take over on the Jack Illot Green (the old Circa Lawn). It’s an hour or more of spontaneous drumming, fire dancing and collective euphoria under the full moon. The emphasis is on participation so bring drums, acoustic percussion, didgeridoos or your dancing shoes and join in.

When: 6pm-9pm Where: Lagoon, City-to-Sea Bridge, Civic Square What: Drumstruck - NZ's biggest ever percussion event Cost: Free!

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