5th International Frame Drum Festival  (04.08. - 08.08.2010)

In his own modest way, Murat Coskun had announced that the 5th international festival for frame drums would have to be postponed one year to 2011. Renovations in E-Werk, the venue of the 2008 and 2009 festivals prevented a festival in the usual big style. Therefore the "Tamburi Mundi Mini Edition 2010" as mini Event in the Wodan Hall?

Far from it. In retrospective, the Mini Edition would have easily passed as the 5th "real" festival. The reason being is that the accumulation of concentrated percussive energy in the workshops and in the concerts was top quality.

For a rousing concert-start, the Korean Samul Nori ensemble "Noreum Machi" whirled through the auditorium of the St. Ursula Gymnasium, the only concert-place outside the Wodan Hall.

The following evening came "Les haulz et les bas", medieval music with a big cast, which also inspired non-medieval listeners with enthusiasm because of its versatility.

The Friday evening concert announced as "Night of Solo Drummers" dazzled through the phenomenal drumming arts of Morteza Ghasemi, Joss Turnbull, Murat Coskun and Michael Metzler. (Murat's piece "Mohammeds hands" would incidentally have also fitted in loosely at a festival for contemporary music, as a composition for electric massage-mat and percussion for eg.).

As a final concert on Saturday evening the Tamburi Mundi trio with Murat, Andrea and Gilson, plus guests Cheikh Kane and Michael Metzler. The usual suspects one could think, yet however the audience who in the meantime has been pampered with 5 years of frame drum festivals is fascinated by the continuous new playing ideas of the musicians that master the entire repertoire from quiet meditative to slapstick comedy.

Also in the workshops, with a maximum of 4 parallel running courses more manageable than in the previous years, the usual high Tamburi Mundi quality was again demanded from the participants. The Location, three rooms on the Areal of the Wodan Hall (and with beautiful weather as well as the beer garden in front) and in the Piano-House Lepthien around the corner was simple and pleasant. As the lending of instruments once again worked smoothly thanks to the support of Anklang Musikwelt and Schlagwerk, everybody was content with the "new" localities.

In addition: many new faces among the participants and the concert-goers, as well as the workshops for kids and the family concert seemed to attract a new generation of frame drum enthusiasts. Whoever couldn't last any longer could of course receive advice from the Anklang Musikwelt stand and take one or the other exclusive frame drum home. Many also appreciated the special, relaxed mood in and around the Wodan Hall, which was also clearly perceptible from musicians as well as listeners and participants.

Summary: We have achieved a completely successful festival with the Mini Edition 2010 which conveyed the feeling of being a part of a great event through the wonderful concerts and the familiar good workshops. In this sense: Tamburi Mundi will also be THE festival in the future for friends of creative (frame drum -) music, whether in E-Werk, in the Wodan Hall or somewhere else.  

JÖRG HERDT