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A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Friday 12 august 2022
Planet Drum unites global percussionists in common rhythm

By KRISTIN M. HALL and intricacies of the in-
AP Entertainment Writer struments and the tradition
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A that it represents are pro-
Grammy-winning group jected.”
of the world’s top percus- The music video for their
sionists has reunited after song “King Clave,” cre-
15 years on a new record ated with the organiza-
that aims to bring the world tion Playing for Change,
together in rhythm and showcases the members
dance. of Planet Drum and over 50
Planet Drum’s new record drummers from all over the
“In The Groove,” out now, world. “Drums form an inte-
features drummers from gral part of Indigenous Cul-
very different backgrounds tures around the world...
and musical cultures col- used through the centuries,
laborating using technol- not only for festive occa-
ogy to adapt their acoustic sions, but to communicate
instruments into new sonic (sending messages from
forms. village to village... even),”
The collective is made up said Adepoju in a state-
of the Grateful Dead’s ment provided to the AP.
Mickey Hart, Indian tabla “They feature prominently
master Zakir Hussain, Nige- in a broad spectrum of
rian talking drum virtuoso This undated image shows members of Planet Drum, from left, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, community events (spiritual
Sikiru Adepoju and conga Mickey Hart and Sikiru Adepoju. ceremonies, births, funer-
great Giovanni Hidalgo Associated Press als, carnivals, etc), hence
from Puerto Rico. ago when Hart was intro- them, because it is amazing Each of them are masters their universal appeal.”
“The first thing we all know duced to Hussain via his when you analyze and you on an instrument, or in a But Hart, who has regu-
about rhythms is that they father, the legendary tabla appreciate different cul- particular style of drum- larly been experimenting
are universal,” said Hussain player Ustad Alla Rakha, tures, different styles, from ming, such as Adepoju, with electronic sounds in
during an interview from who accompanied Ravi different countries Africa, who was born into a family his solo work, wanted to
Mumbai. “So that is what Shankar. Planet Drum’s India, United States, Puerto of drummers who can play showcase new ways to use
makes it possible for rhythm self-titled first record in 1991 Rico. It’s amazing and we specific parts of language the traditional acoustic in-
players all over the world was the first album to win respect all of them.” on an assortment of drums. struments by manipulating
to be able to interact and in the Grammy category On this third album Hart The talking drum, which he their sounds electronically
communicate and be able for best world music, now and Hussain didn’t want plays, can imitate vocal in the studio. Hart calls it
to work together to make called best global music the virtuosity of the differ- sounds and language. “processed percussion,”
music.” album. Their second re- ent players to overwhelm Hussain said they wanted and he’s able to morph the
“Drums are a language cord earned them another the average listener, in- all those instruments and sound of Hussain’s tabla,
unto themselves,” said Hart. Grammy in 2009. stead focusing on creating drumming patterns to for instance, into the sound
The friendship and collabo- Hidalgo called Planet Drum rhythms that kept up an en- come together “crystal- of bass guitar or strings or
ration between Hart and an “honor for me to travel ergy and pace that would lized in a simple way where even the sound of water
Hussain started decades the whole world with all of get people moving. all the organic elements drops. q

Fake pregnancy transforms lonely salarywoman’s life

Shibata-san, the only wom- roughly correspond to the a company that manufac- Her tone alternates be-
an in her office group, is 40 weeks of a pregnancy tures the hollow tubes used tween outrage and intro-
tired of cleaning up after with occasional flashbacks in everything from plastic spection as Shibata records
the men. One day, when to Shibata’s childhood and wrap to sticky tape. It also the intrusive, obnoxious re-
her section head asks her one stunning flash-forward evokes her intense loneli- marks people make about
why dirty coffee cups are to her return to work after ness and isolation as she her pregnancy “Hey, is it
still lying around hours af- her maternity leave is over. struggles to get by as a sin- cool if I touch your bump?”
ter a meeting, she impro- In a note at the beginning, gle woman in the sprawling a co-worker says and re-
vises an astonishing lie. “I’m translators David Boyd and megalopolis of Tokyo. calls intimate memories of
pregnant. The smell of cof- Lucy North explain that the Yagi, an editor at a Japa- childhood, when she had
fee … triggers my morning title echoes that of a hand- nese women’s magazine, family and friends to sup-
sickness.” book issued by Japan’s writes with authority about port her. Despite the trap-
So begins Emi Yagi’s debut health ministry to expect- contemporary Japanese pings of 21st century life
novel, “Diary of a Void,” ant mothers to chronicle society, particularly its the bright lights of Ginza, a
a bleak, acerbic, melan- their pregnancy and child’s deeply ingrained patterns flashy pregnancy app and

choly story of a woman subsequent development of gender inequality. At a subscription to Amazon
who fakes a pregnancy but with a twist. Shibata’s previous job, she Prime Shibata’s life isn’t
to fight back against a The Japanese word for was subjected to sexual easy.
This image released by Viking workplace culture that “mother and child” has harassment. Later, a wom- Still, it comes as a surprise
shows “Diary of a Void” by Emi
Yagi. expects women to tidy been replaced by one that an she meets in “mommy when the novel takes a sur-
Associated Press up and do all the menial means “empty core” or aerobics” complains that real turn at the end, and
chores around the office. “void.” her husband doesn’t lift the big lie assumes a life of
By ANN LEVIN The novel is structured as a It is an apt word to describe a finger to help with their its own. This is a debut you
Associated Press series of diary entries that Shibata’s life. She works for newborn. won’t want to miss.q