DICIEMBRE DE 2017
Alfredo Hidrovo ’ srhythm
PERSONAJE
The famous percussionist behind Luna Llena de Tambores talks about his career not only as a musician but also as a creator of one of the most popular cultural events over the lasts years .
Keep Up With the Drums Alfredo Hidrovo is a man of contagious energy and enthusiasm . He has been following the beat of the drums since he was a child . Although he doesn ’ t seem like it , he ’ s now on his late fifties . Alfredo started playing covers of everything was new on MTV . Being influenced by artists like Stewart Copeland from The Police , Alfredo played at parties , the only available stage in Panama ’ s capital city back then . He admits “ It was great for me finding the energy and the rhythm in the drums ”.
Alfredo Hidrovo studied at Berklee College of Music , Boston , before Danilo Perez was famous in Panama . At first , Alfredo felt intimidated , he thought he wouldn ’ t have the talent to compete with such amazing musicians , but he overcame that feeling and got his degree in recording engineering and flew to New York . He lived there for fifteen years : not only did he worked at today ’ s disappeared music shop Manny ’ s Music , which was famous for receiving the best musicians in town for sixty years , but he also played the drums and percussion , everywhere and with anyone . That experience made him stay grounded and allowed him to be more musically versatile .
“ Something I loved about New York was that everybody played original music . There were no covers ”. He played from punk to folk music . Particularly , he played his music indance and yoga classes . There , he had to put his creativity at its max in order to have fun and get his job done . “ I know I ’ m good with rhythm because I make the dancers dance !” He says laughing .
Cosmic Folk and El Rito de la Luna
Hidrovo has released three solo albums composed , played , and recorded by him . He admits they have a guiding thread , but it was the Panamanian musician Carlos Iván
Zúñiga who baptized them as “ Folklore cósmico ” – or Cosmic Folk in English- . The albums were inspired by world music and pop-rock elements , both present in the songs .
Some will be surprised to know that the project which gave Alfredo acknowledgment and satisfaction started right in Casco Antiguo . Back from USA , 2005 , he managed to open a workshop in La Casona ( an old bar in Casco ), in which he ’ d teach music theory to children . He was inspired by the kids who earned their lives playing urban music in New York with buckets or plastic tanks on the streets . Although the project was sabotaged , Alfredo went on : he was a music teacher at both a school and a foundation . There he was interested in going back to the buckets with professional musicians under the big corotú at the Sports Garden , in Ciudad Del Saber , Clayton . Although there were no musicians – only general public- , the matter turned into a didactic and funny activity .
Eight years later , Luna Llena de Tambores is a monthly event that has gone around the country , entertaining thousands . More than ten thousand people have gone to the concerts Alfredo presents passionately . He ’ s not the kind of strict , rough , egocentric singer . In fact , the unexpected successfulness of the event has made him grow : “ My emotional and personal development has been something incredible . I ’ ve had to teach and I ’ ve had to reinvent myself . Here you have to make the crowd move , which brings an amazing energy .” He confesses .
Next year will bring new challenges to Hidrovo and his tamborero legion : He will present not only the soundtrack of the event , but also a book compiling his music career , which he expects to show abroad . The fun , inclusive , and cathartic side of coming together to play tambores in a community is a kind of magic that this Panamanian musician will surely be doing as a real rhythm shaman .
爀攀猀琀渀愀稀挀愀䀀栀漀琀洀愀椀氀 ⸀ 挀漀洀
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