7th International Frame Drum Festival (27.07. - 04.08.2012)

This year's frame drum festival has most certainly offered one of the most versatile programs since its beginning in 2006. And responsible for it was most likely this year's theme „Crossing Borders". Numerous musical and cultural borders were crossed while an extensive line overlapping programs was offered. The frame drums being sometimes more and other times less in the centre of the event. While the individual concerts were richer in contrast, each evening was provided with its own very special note.

The festival opening was in the classical Tamburi Mundi style with a traditional frame drum program. Plus a special highlight of Italian ecstatic drumming with Italian mask dances and of course fiery virtuous drumming sounds from the ensemble Tamburello Café.

For the first time this year, there were deliberately some "excursions" into contemporary music: when the Norwegian percussion trio SISU presented the audience with entertaining and fascinating moments while integrating a sparkling composition by the Tactician master drummer, Sattor Fozilov into their modern program. And again, when Isao Nakamura and Joss Turnbull presented their quiet and intimate, yet full of energy sounds.

New was the theme Reading and Music. The author of „Sams", Paul Maar, created jubilation among the audience when he personally read from his book „The Flying Camel", being accompanied by the Capella Antiqua Bambergensis and numerous frame drummers, among other Murat Coskun, Maryam Hatef and Mohsen Taherzadeh. The latter performed as Artist in Residence in many projects and introduced among other his project "Merasim Percussion Trio".

Two evenings were reserved for regional concerns: The Kaiserstuhl Percussion Ensemble (Director Friedemann Stert) an excellently playing ensemble attended the festival and met here festival frame drummers like Philipp Kurzke or Mohsen Taherzadeh. The director of the Freiburg Accordion Orchestra, Volker Rausenberger conducted the unique project:„Accordion Orchestra meets Frame Drums". They interpreted compositions from Bartok to Abou Khalil. Certainly one of the most extraordinary constellations of this year's Tamburi Mundi Festival.

Jazz sounds were presented by the ensemble FisFüz. The American percussionist, Raquy Danziger who resides in Istanbul experienced her very successful German debut at the Tamburi Mundi Festival. Tamburi Mundi goes America was another unusual and unique project: N. Scott Robinson from the US assembled during the festival week a few top class frame drummers and created the „Frame Drum Circus", with among other the newcomer from Israel, Yshai Afterman, with whom the audience in Freiburg was very positively impressed. During the Dance Evening, titled „Crossing Borders", traditional Indian dances (Shany Mathew) encountered contemporary dances with African elements (Henry Motra). An intensive evening, very expressive and of imploding energy where at the end the audience was able to dance to the music of more than 30 live frame drums in the auditorium of the E-Werk.

The big „Saturday evening concert" led this year again into the traditional "Summit of the Frame Drummers". It was conducted by Ramesh Shotham and included on stage drummers from Korea, Tactician, USA, Iran, Israel, Brazil, India, Italy and Germany. Another highlight was the solo drumming by Carola Grey and the breathtaking presentation of the Korean percussion ensemble, Noreum Machi.

Vocals and frame drums were in focus two times this year: For once the Norwegian songs by Oyonn Groven Myhren accompanied by the Norwegian Shaman drum „Runartrumma", with which she enchanted and transposed the audience into another world. And second, the Brazilian singer, Lygia Campos in combination with Brazilian percussion (Gilson de Assis) and Italian drummer (Andrea Piccioni). The applause for this final concert on Sunday was ecstatic.

For the first time during this Festival 2012 and in co-operation with the Schlagwerk-Percussion company, a Tamburi Mundi Frame Drum Award was awarded. Winner of the at the festival live competition was the Spanish frame drummer, Pere Olivé Aymerich. The Family concert, numerous courses for children as well as the free of charge participating activities like the drumming parade or drum circle were an enormous force of attraction for many families. And whoever was able (or allowed) to stay up longer could participate in the nightly sessions and the „Drumming in the night", under stars in Freiburg's Stadtgarten. Completed was the program by the Tamburi Mundi instrument exhibition which has meanwhile become although a small but a world-wide very valued expert exhibition for frame drums.

Next to 20 concerts and numerous other activities, more than 50 courses were again conducted this year for various playing levels and various themes around the frame drum. During this year's nine days, more than 100 artists presented a widely ranged program to an enthusiastic audience. The concerts were well attended and the number of visitors amounted to more than 4500 for the entire events. For the first time, the Festival 2012 received next to the city sponsoring also a contribution from the state Baden-Württemberg and is now cooperating with such international institutions as the Carl-Schurz-Haus in Freiburg.

For all of you who are interested: The Tamburi Mundi Festival is on tour in Austria on the 26^th and 27^th of April 2013 at the Festspielhaus St. Pölten and will be presented again in Freiburg from July 27^th until August 4^th in 2013.

Ulrike Kudla