''Drumstruck'', billed as the world's first interactive drum theater experience, is an interactive play created by South African entrepreneur Warren Lieberman and Kathy-Jo Ross. The play is based on the corporate

team building Team building is a collective term for various types of activities used to enhance social relations and define roles within teams, often involving collaborative tasks. It is distinct from team training, which is designed by a combine of business ...

performance group Drum Cafe which brought together companies through playing the

djembe A djembe or jembe ( ; from Maninka language, Malinke ''jembe'' , N'Ko script, N'Ko: ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe ...

Drumstuck originated in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, it toured

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

before coming to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 2005.

Drumstruck played 40 previews and 607 regular shows from May 2005 to November 2006 to sold out audiences at Dodger Stages. It took its audiences on a journey through South Africa through drums, gumboot dancing, zulu dancing and song. Each audience member was provided with their own djembe and played and sang along with the show, representing the sharing of music present in

African music Given the vastness of the African continent, its music is diverse, with regions and nations having many distinct musical traditions. African music includes the genres amapiano, Jùjú, Fuji, Afrobeat, Highlife, Makossa, Kizomba, and others. The ...

. The show also featured eleven South African performers dressed in traditional clothing including: Tiny Modise, Africa Djane, Ayanda, Sebone Rangata, Enoch Mahlangu, Richard Carter, Molutsi Mogami, Ronald Medupe, Nomvula Gerashe, Sponch Mogapi, Simon Letsoela and one American performer LeeAnet Noble. Drumstruck has toured in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

every year since 2008. In 2008, Drumstruck toured China, Nanjing International Theatre festival and Performed some Drumstruck elements during the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony In 2009 Drumstruck toured Japan – 2 weeks in Tokyo – 3 weeks touring around Japan In 2010 Members of Drumstruck perform with Shakira, K’Naan at FIFA World Cup Concert, in Japan – 2 weeks Tokyo – 3 weeks touring around Japan and South Africa during FIFA world Cup. In 2011, 2012 Drumstruck toured Japan to sold out tours of 5 weeks

Background

In 1997 the Drum Cafe set up shop in Greenside Johannesburg, as a musical showcase for traditional musicians, as well as a space where drummers could meet and jam together in a small soundproof room. Some of the very first people to perform there were Waddy Jones from

Die Antwoord Die Antwoord (, Afrikaans for "The Answer") is a South African alternative hip hop group formed in Cape Town in 2008. The group comprises rappers Watkin Tudor "Ninja" Jones and Anri "Yolandi Visser" du Toit, a male/female duo, and producers H ...

, Neo Muyanga from

Blk Sonshine Blk Sonshine is a jazz duo featuring Malawian-born Masauko Chipembere and the South African Neo Muyanga. The group was formed when Chipembere, who had been raised in the United States, traveled to South Africa to explore its jazz traditions, uniti ...

. The drumming caught on and Drum Cafe performed their first team building event in October 1997 as a means of uniting people from different races in corporate South Africa. Between 1997 and 2002 Drum Cafe performed thousands of drumming events around South Africa. In 2002, because of the demand, Drumstruck was written in order to open the show to audiences outside of the corporate world. The first show was at the Theatre on Mandela square in Johannesburg.

References

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External links

Drumstruck! (official site)

Drum Cafe! (official site)

Drumstruck Japan Tour (official site in Japanese)
Off-Broadway plays

Background

See also

References

External links