Vivian ’25, William ’25, and Hawk ’25, reflect on the language of music as a form of connection.
When people ask me, “why don’t you dance?” I usually respond, “I make the music, not the moves.”
Well, after three full and glorious days in Colombia, I think I’m starting to groove (despite the oppressive heat!). The first thing we do at La Escuela Tambores de Cabildo is always some form of movement, and the outgoing and accepting vibe of the school has made me a little less insecure about my two left feet on the dance floor. This morning, as I grounded myself in the damp sand, trying to breathe through the humidity, Cecilia, the voice teacher at the school taught us how to feel and dance to the Cumbia rhythm before we started playing. Just an hour later, I found myself jiving and moving along as I played the llamador, a handheld drum, instead of being anxious about maintaining the beat.
This afternoon, after a lovely lunch on the beach, three dance instructors came to teach us some Champeta, a distinctly Cartagenan style of dance. I was still a little reserved about dancing, but I promised myself at the start of this trip that I would not let my worries hold me back from life-changing experiences; in this case, that was definitely the right call. The only way to describe the Champeta is a dance that is danced because there is nothing to do except to dance to the music. As we gathered in a circle to share our individual dance skills, I adopted a “full-send” mentality, and gave every move my best as I ventured into the middle of an undulating circle of limbs and bobbing heads.
At dinner, despite my exhaustion, I still busted a couple of moves with my friends. If I have taken away anything from this trip that I will use every day from here on out, it is the value of intentional movement. I can make the music, and the moves.
With jazz hands,
-Vivian ’25
Listening to Rafa talking about the spiritual connection between the percussion of the Llamador, I witnessed myself doubting if that was true. I distinctly remember me thinking ,” there is no way this small drum could have a spiritual effect on me as I play it”. Throughout the rehearsals we had, I started to realize little by little the impact it had on the song itself and me. Suddenly, the spiritual connection struck me when I was on the stage playing with my Deerfield Academy friends and the kids from the school. A rush of energy and excitement took over me. Before it was our time to go up on stage, I was nervous I was going to be off beat and mess up, but something or someone took over me. I don’t know what it was. I was playing the Llamador fluently and having the time of my life. Having fun on stage made it seem like I knew my Colombian friends forever I am just extremely thankful for going on this trip. Also, I have always loved music but this trip has opened a new type of music genre for me. Thank you, Deerfield, but most of all thank you Columbia for welcoming me with open arms.
-William ’25
This day was super fun as we finally got to perform what we have been working on the past couple of days as a group. It was really beautiful to hear all the different sounds coming together so beautifully and I feel like it really represented all of us as different people from different cultures coming together to create a beautiful piece. Coming into this trip I had no idea what a Tambora drum was and I definitely didn’t know how to play it. But by the end I was not only able to play it but I was able to excel and play it well. Not to mention the fact that I was able to understand its significance to Colombian culture and more specifically the Afro Colombian/Caribbean culture. And the fact that the teachers and students there were able to teach me how to play this beautiful instrument so well, in my eyes, represents how music is a language in itself and how it can transcend among language barriers small and big. These teachers and students could barely speak any English yet we were able to share something so beautiful through music. I definitely feel like this day and the performance was my favorite part of the trip as I feel like it really encompasses the purpose of the trip as a whole.
-Hawk ’25
