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Jim Cornall
uriel jones. photo by jim cornall
The fifth annual Cape Breton International Drum Festival took place in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, this past April 30 and May 1.
The Festival was opened by the historic Louisbourg Fife & Drum Troop. Tiger Bill Meligari followed, using a 16´´ hi-hat to demonstrate a technique called dual-speed sticking: striking the cymbal with both ends of the stick. After a period of instruction and audience participation, Bill finished with a loose and relaxed solo.
Tambourine virtuoso Alessandra Belloni then enthralled the audience with a variety of dance, vocal, and rhythm pieces. She was later joined by drummer Sergio Bellotti, as she continued to explore the different musical possibilities of the various tambourines she played.
Saturday's Otarion East Coast Showcase featured regional drummers Matt Casey, Simon Miminis, and Alister Hunston. They were scheduled to be followed by an acoustic/electronic drum duo featuring First Nations drummer Keith Dawson Jr. and festival co-host Bruce Aitken. Unfortunately, health reasons prevented Aitken from fully participating, leaving Dawson to play some powerful drum pieces before combining with drummers Skip Hadden and Marcel Bourgeois. Ultimately,...