Drum for your Life

I have wanted to play the Dhol drum for a long time now. I was hooked into the sound through my love of the Afro Celt Sound System. WOMAD 2007 - the mud year - The Dhol Foundation played in the Red Tent and that was it! What a sound! I met Johnny Kalsi for the first time, he very kindly trudged through the mud from backstage to sign copies of their recent album, Drums and Roses. Now I was really hooked. Decided I wanted to learn to play and checked out TDF's website. Unfortunately the only classes were all in West London.
WOMAD 2009 was the twisted ankle year. I turned my ankle on the site and had to be taken in a buggy back to the tent, where I spent the next 24 hours with my leg up! I missed Peter Gabriel but was determined to get to JK's Dhol workshop. I hobbled down to the arena and got my front row seat with a Djembe drum only to be told that JK had appeared in the morning in place of a late arrival. I was devastated - not a good festival year!
Not to be put off WOMAD 2010 provided me with another opportunity, yes I got my front seat and drum. Not only that, I got to go up and play JK's Dhol on the stage! After the workshop JK gave me contact details of a new class starting in East London. This WOMAD saw the Afro Celt Sound System return to the stage. Magnificent, as good as ever - if you have never heard of them then what a treat you are in for, if you have heard them and never seen them perform - YOU MUST!! Got my album Capture signed by ACSS after their gig.
When I got home from WOMAD I contacted Dav who didn't actually get back to me until March 2011. However during that time I had purchased my Dhol through ebay and it stood very nicely in my living room. Classes started in late March and every Tuesday I join a small band of keen dhol players - I love it! JK has been to visit us once so far.
The Dhol is a very loud instrument so I can't play or practice in my flat because of the neighbours (well I do but only when they are out) otherwise it's the legs. However I do play to the kids at school - they love it! Every day I get better and faster. My dream is to be good enough to perform with TDF.
Since then I have seen ACSS at the Barbican in October 2010 at the Barbican - smokin'. TDF went to Stratford Circus - ace! ACSS at the FEIS 2011 Finsbury Park - on fire!