By Linda Kor
Those attending Wild West Days this weekend will have the opportunity to enjoy a performance by the area’s popular Triple Play band with guest artist Calbert Brooks, one of Jamaica’s foremost drummers. In the States for a short visit, Brooks is ranked second in Jamaica for his drumming, a passion that has always been a part of his life. “The first time I remember having a sense of myself, I was playing drums,” recalled Brooks. “My father was also a drummer; it is an important part of our culture.” Brooks met Holbrook resident Chris Obren of Triple Play while Obren and his wife Sunny were on vacation in Jamaica 12 years ago. “Sunny and I were on the beach, and I heard these drums playing off in the distance and I was gone,” recalled Obren. Over the years, the mewn forged a friendship, with Obren visiting the islands at least once a year. This year Brooks made the trip to the U.S. and brought his djembe drum to share his talent with the people here. The djembe is a large goblet-shaped drum made of wood with a goatskin cover that’s tuned by tightening ropes along the sides. The drum originated in Africa and is played with bare hands, in many ways similar in appearance to traditional drums used by Native Americans in this region. Brooks is eager to share his culture, one he calls a culture of music, dance and love. He explained that in his homeland, the 13 parishes, or villages, each develop different aspects of African music culture and often gather together to celebrate their different styles that share a common bond. An award winning drummer, Brooks recently opened a school in St. Thomas, the Calbert Brooks Institute of Drumming, where he instructs children in the art of drumming, and how to connect with their heart and their people. “Music shows no color, it just shows love,” he said. Brooks hopes to share that love and passion for his culture with students in northeastern Arizona. He’s currently seeking funding opportunities that will allow him to teach for short periods of time in classrooms or universities in an endeavor to broaden an understanding of his culture. Go online to tribunenewsnow.com to see a video of Brooks performing on the djembe. The performances this weekend are free to the public, with Triple Play on stage from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, July 15, at the historic courthouse gazebo at the corner of Arizona Street and Navajo Blvd., and from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday, July 16, at the Mesa Grill & Sports Bar at 2318 Navajo Blvd.
