Conga Missionary!

  July 20th, 2004 , Summertime and I am teaching Tumbadoras in Taiwan! I have been blessed with an invitation to teach congas and percussion to young Chinese percussion students at The University of Taiwan for 2 weeks. Their ages range from 10 to 25 . These talented percussionists begin their studies very young here in Taipei. The Ju percussion School in Taiwan, Republic of China, is our host. They are world renowned for their exciting percussion performances . These summer camps have been held every year for nearly a decade and are co-sponsored by Remo Drums. The enrollment is at its  highest ever this year at a head count of 287 young people. These kids are fierce as they play a variety of percussion instruments proficiently including Marimba.,snare drum, etc.

   Ok, getting use to the time change is insane. I am supposed to adjust to working graveyard hours USA time immediately because they are ahead of the West Coast by 16 hours .  I know this  is going to sound like I am whining but my Chinese Alumni host from The University of Taipei poured lots of whiskey  with beer chasers down my throat the evening I arrived . Not wanting to insult their culture I  stupidly went along with the festivities and  and I am hurting bad the first day.  The humidity is hideous to endure with a horrible hang over. I should have known better after a grueling 16 hour flight, with a forced stop in Anchorage, Alaska due to someone having heart attack on board the plane.

Anyway adapting to the hours is not easy, at age 50 I am not as nocturnal as I use to be as a young musician. As the days go by I am fed a variety of strange foods that I can't identify prompting me to make many unscheduled visits to the restroom. Despite being utterly fascinated by my  first visit to Asia. I learn the hard way to stop eating everything I am offered !     

A week later thanks to to many cups of coffee I start to adapt to the time change. Working in Taipei is becoming more enjoyable and something unexpected occurs. I  arrive early one morning to teach my first Conga class. These wonderfully enthusiastic Chinese children begin their new daily chant to me. The are psyched and  know they are surprising me by singing in unison. " I love to play the Conga, I love to play the Conga!" .
I am laughing my ass off and I am so impressed as they belt this out in perfect English.  
Dios Mio, At that moment it is clear to me What a privilege I have been given . The Taiwanese youth love everything about Nuestra Musica Latina ! I get to change their world just a little bit by sharing my life's passion with them. As my two week teaching assignment draws to a close it is time for student performances.  My 16 year old class tears up the final student performance slot with a percussion piece entitled " Ritmo Capprichudo"( Stubborn rhythm) . I have composed it especially for them and it utilizes components of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythms. These kids absorb all of the percussion vocalizations parts easily .They mesh this with the live percussion parts I assign them and my Chinese percussion chorus and section is going off at the performance.
They play it beautifully and steal the show with their enthusiasm.
I am very proud of what they have accomplished after just 2 weeks in Taipei, Taiwan.
I am no longer visiting the bathroom frequently thanks to a less adventurous diet which only includes rice and noodles.

Despite all of the challenges I have faced it has proven to be a profound  rich cultural experience that this Nicoya (guy from Nicaragua) will never forget.

Que Viva Taiwan!

Jorge Bermudez-Aug. 12th, 2004