Vamola pulls it off!

Folklife. Spent the full four-day Memorial Day weekend there. I dyed my hair on Saturday (deep brown with a purple sheen and blond streaks, pretty radical for me), had a good little jam with my Saturday group on the Folklife grounds. On Sunday, I met the Lions bus as they pulled in, ready with all their Folklife buttons. As soon as the bus appeared it started thudding and booming. I figured they were just drumming or something - you know those Lions - but it turned out they were all banging on the windows shouting to each other "There's Kathleen! OH MY GOD LOOK AT HER HAIR!"

It's nice to feel like I have a family!

I'd been drilling the Lions repertoire ferociously all week. Went through the past month of rehearsal recordings, sorted out the last confusing hand signs, drilled myself on the most dangerous breaks. Well, it paid off, I nailed everything! Every single break. I put all my power into it, ALL my heart and played like I was at Mocidade, full out. Some of the Lions have not seen me play full out before. They'd only seen me at the recent rehearsals where I was hanging back, because I was learning the repertoire! - Trying to hear what everybody else was playing, stopping to record, stopping to listen. That's the learning phase. But, once I've got it, then I play for real.

The Lions dancers were fabulous. The crowd was mesmerized. We blew the 6/8 a little bit but recovered, and nobody cared, it was great.

Such an honor to play with them, as always.

As for VamoLa - I'd been working with them SO hard, trying to get it together. I hadn't been slated to play for them but in the end I joined them on second surdo (where they most needed support). We got partway into the first piece, our beautiful 6/8-reggae medley. The dancers were flying, the groove was tight and confident, and the drummers all shot each other a surprised and thrilled look that said, clear as day: "Oh my god. This is going really well." A zing of confidence shot through the whole band at that moment and I knew the entire show was going to be fantastic. And it was.

It was another of those trademarked VamoLa Miracle Shows - when they pull together at the last second and somehow, impossibly, pull off an electrifying world-class show. Out of the blue.

What was cool was, I knew my teaching had made a difference. Over the last month I'd re-taught the entire repertoire, every single break in every piece; and taken apart the surdos and re-taught them all from scratch; and changed the basic samba call; and done a lot of basic rhythm training. Now it was suddenly so much stronger. In and out of every break seamlessly, none of that stuttering hesitation.

I was so proud of them!!

In the end it was a toss-up between Lions and VamoLa for the better show. The Lions are always technically better; they have that tidal wave of unstoppable confidence, ripping swing, and a much higher caliber of skill across the board. But VamoLa's got a more varied repertoire (they mix in a lot more northeast stuff, with samba-reggae, and more section features and solos), better drummer visuals (a ton more moving & smiling & dancing from the drummers, and surdos up front - always the crowd favorite for most visually charismatic drum). And by sheer luck of the gig, all of VL's top-flight pro dancers had reappeared. Ben Harris had turned up too and he was FLYING on timbal and on third. Made me wish I was on third... but that's what I have the Lions for.

It was damn impressive. I wish the Lions had been able to stick around to see it. The Lions are used to being king of the hill; and usually, rightfully so; but I honestly think VamoLa's got some great repertoire & showmanship that the Lions could learn from.