Drum Tao: A Spectacle of Sorts

Fresh out of college, not knowing where to go, or which career to pursue, someway, somehow, I found myself in the wonderful world of travel writing, events, and performance arts. This was a note I published during my internship seven years ago. Happy reading. :)

For some reason, I love being in the theaters more than being at the cinemas. Whether I'm performing on stage or watching a live performance, there exists a certain kind of vitality of being inside a theater that you can't find any place else. And when you chance upon a free ticket to a concert that is one of the most talked about performances in Manila right now, you just can't pass up the opportunity.

Opportunity struck when I had my internship at Travelife, a luxury travel and lifestyle magazine dedicated to bringing the world to its readers. And quite literally did so. The team, led by Ms. Christine Cunanan, happens to be the guys responsible for bringing the world-renowned Drum Tao players from Japan to the Philippines in an event known as Drum Tao: Art of Drum Tour held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila.

Accidental VIP

When I started working for the magazine, they needed help in the promotions and preparations for Drum Tao. Immediately, I was reminded of my teammates back in college (as if college was a very long time ago)--the UP Pep Squad, especially the drummers. Maybe they can pick up a thing or two from the show that they can integrate into their prep up for the UAAP competition. And so I'd suggested encouraging the different drummer squads of different universities to watch the event. The marketing team bought the idea and that's one of the things I did in the few days of my internship up until the premiere night last July 12.

The Drum Tao gala night, the most anticipated night for the magazine team, was when all the planning and preparations came into play as we played host to all the celebrities, media, industry executives, representatives from the embassies of Japan, Vietnam, India, Thailand, USA, Netherlands, and countless more present at the event. I suddenly felt so lucky to be in the midst of the intermingling of these VIPs all at once. How lucky was I to be able to rub shoulders with these people who strive for excellence, who are the best at what they do, to engage with them even in the smallest small talk? At that one time, I felt almost like a VIP myself. Little did I know I was about to be one, sort of.

By eight o'clock, all the guests are comfortably seated inside the theater. Without anyone else to accommodate at the registration booth save for a few latecomers, we could finally go inside and see the show for ourselves. Although there was one problem: I didn't have a Travelife ID. Ms. Meg,  one of my supervisor, told me to just grab any ticket available. So I took one from whatever was left at the booth. I got in and asked one of the ushers to assist me to my seat. It turned out that the ticket I got was intended for a VIP who was a no--show at the event. I felt sorry for him, but felt joyful for myself as I took his place and sat on one of the best seats in the house. All that was left for me was to enjoy the show.

All form the Heart

I can't even begin to put into words the magnificence I witnessed on stage. I held my breath a few times over many of their routines. Some of their acts would start out with slow beats and then the pace would progress. It would go faster and faster, crazy even, as if the players were caught in a trance and lost in their music, yet none of them was out of beat. They beat their drums with an incredibly powerful yet graceful force; it seemed that their playing and pounding was choreography in itself. My heart pulsed with every drum beat, as if dancing in the intense rhythm created by the players.

In one routine, it's like I was transported to a mountainous region in Japan, where the beating of drums and the blowing of flutes were sounds one with nature, like the thundering falls from the mountain top and the whisper of the gentle wind; I just breathed and took it all in. They sang a traditional Japanese song in that same routine. I didn't understand the lyrics but I liked it a lot, so much so that it was my favorite performance in the entire show. Later on, I realized that music transcends nay culture or race, we appreciate it despite any language barrier, because music is a language we can all understand.

It was a spectacle to sorts--music, dance, martial arts, even comedy. The Drum Tao players aren't just a bunch of talented drummers, they're multifaceted performers. And mind you, they're no more than a troupe of sixteen people pulling off a two-hour extravaganza. You'd probably wonder where they got all their energy from. The answer unfolded right before my eyes.

Watching the Drum Tao players perform reminded me of why I've always loved the theater. Unlike movies at the cinema, performances in a theater require no cuts, no edits, no retakes; and the emotions are as raw and real as they can be. I saw it in the way the drummers played, in the way they lifted and struck their drum sticks, in the droplets of sweat trickling down their arms, in the genuine smile on their faces. It was all from the heart.

Disclaimer

Although it seems that I'm writing this to promote the event, I'm not. I don't have to. I'm all the media and advertisers who watched the concert are already doing just that. I have been really fortunate to be able to see such a performance and one way of showing my gratitude is by sharing my experience through this article in the hopes of encouraging other people to pursue their dreams with the same fervor and heart as that of a Drum Tao player.

My only regret was that I wasn't able to bring my camera. And so I didn't have any decent picture of myself at the event; nothing to brag about with my friends to whom I would say, "Oh look, I was there with this and that person!" After all, it's not every day that you get to converse with the Ambassador of Sri Lanka, walk beside a journalist from the Inquirer, or watch a far-famed troupe of Japanese drummers in a one-of-a-kind concert. But then again, this being a sensational event, cameras were everywhere, taking pictures of everybody who's "somebody" in Manila's high society. Who knows? I could've been captured in the background of several photos wearing my cocktail dress, courteously assisting a diplomat, scratching my head, or picking my nose. Now that would've been worth boasting. Until our next adventure!

xoxo,
Rachel

Usinkable

Can you hear the sirens off in the distance?

The world outside seems cold and weak

But here with you now, I'm lost in this moment

'Cause your're the only one that I need

I count every second that ticks by

I only want you here by my side

Unsinkable, unsinkable

Unsinkable, unsinkable

These voices echo in the darkness

I want to let out what you hold inside

Your are more beautiful than you'll ever know

What's behind those troubled eyes?

I count every second that ticks by

I only want you here by my side

Unsinkable, unsinkable

Unsinkable, unsinkable

Is it unthinkable?

That we're unsinkable?

We've kept our heads above the water

Reaching for the sky

We battled for this time

We walked the firing line

Please reach out for me

And show me that you're mine

Thank you, The Next Step, for inspiring dance.

The River Running

As a family, we used to go out of town once every summer, since school was out. This time, the trip was different, because we did not go too far away to beat off the heat.

End of May last year, we went to Villa Felomina, a natural spring resort located in Indang, Cavite. We relocated from Manila to Cavite when I was barely a year old and so this is the province where I grew up in. But I did not know that there is such a place as this in my home province.

The spring where we swam was actually a river running between a forested cliff and a steep valley. The water was cold and refreshing. In the middle of the spring was a big rock. It was half submerged into the water, which reminded me of the Marooners' Rock within the Mermaid's Lagoon in the story of Peter Pan. We sat on the rock when we got tired of swimming.

To our surprised, there were little fish that swarmed and nibbled on our feet. They were the same fish that were used in some specialty spas where they bite off the dead skins of customers. They went in and around our toes, on to our legs and tickled the soles of our feet as they fed.

It was one of the most relaxing spa treatments I have ever had and it was really nice to see those fish in their natural habitat.

There was an artificial cement bridge built over one side of the river, perhaps to control the flow of water or to make a mini waterfall.

Being amidst nature is always a magical experience, with the gushing of water in the river and the chirping of birds on the canopy blended so well in a beautiful melody that made you just want to close your eyes, breathe in, and join the dance.

I hope that this place would be kept pristine.

Now that my siblings and I are a bit older, with work and all, it is just getting harder and harder to find time for family. So I am more than grateful for times like this that we could get together as a family and especially within beautiful places that always remind us that the Lord is good and His love endures forever.

And find pleasure in all their simple joys, remembering her own child life, and the happy summer days.
-Lewis Carroll