BY SIMONE J. SMITH
When you hear the sound of African drums, you don’t just hear music — you feel it. The rhythms move through your body like an ancient pulse, awakening something deep within, something ancestral.
These drums are the heartbeat of African culture. Each beat tells a story, a message passed down through generations. From the booming call of the djembe to the steady hum of the talking drum, their rhythms have guided our people through rituals, ceremonies, celebrations, and even moments of mourning.
The rhythm of drumming and syncopated sounds returned to The Rose Mainstage for the 3rd Annual Flow Fest, Brampton’s International Drumming Festival. Back in a big way, Grammy Award-winning, Brampton-raised musician, composer and educator, Larnell Lewis, and award-winning musician, composer and educator, Joy Lapps collaborated to bring Brampton an evening we would never forget.
Since 2012, Larnell Lewis has been playing with three-time Grammy Award winning band, Snarky Puppy. Larnell leads successful ensembles of his own and has toured the globe with highly reputable contemporary musicians, including: Quincy Jones, Laila Biali, Jeremy Ledbetter, Etienne Charles, Gregory Porter, Benny Golson, Lalah Hathaway, Jacob Collier, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Lisa Fisher, Kurt Elling, and Gary Burton, to name a few.
Larnell’s immense talent, fierce creativity, and evolving musical style keep him in-demand as a collaborator for artists internationally. Whether performing on the world stage with internationally acclaimed artists, or playing local gigs in Toronto, Larnell Lewis is consistently a passionate and joyful creator, as well as one of the most skilled musical drummers today.
Internationally lauded: artist, speaker, educator, and creative consultant Joy Lapps activates spaces for community building and creative expression. The award-winning instrumentalist of Antiguan and Barbudan descent treats the steelpan as a tool for engagement, anchoring her artistry in a profound, community-centered musical tradition. She aims to amplify women’s contributions in every facet of her work, giving nuanced attention to women of the Steelband movement.
At her core, Joy connects to music as participatory. The Toronto native has performed alongside: Stewart Goodyear, Roberto Occhipinti, Larnell Lewis and the Toronto Mass Choir, and recorded with Gramps Morgan, whose 2022 release Positive Vibration received a GRAMMY nod, Elmer Ferrer, Jeremy Ledbetter, Johnny Reid and her musical mentor, pannist-composer Andy Narell.
As a leader, Joy has appeared at music festivals and events across Canada and the US including Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Victoria, Edmonton, Halifax Jazz Festivals, Miami’s Ground Up Fest, Mundial and Folk Alliance. As a part of Steelband, she’s performed at: the Queen’s Park Savannah for Panorama Semi-Finals with Birdsong Steel Orchestra, Lamport Stadium for Pan Alive with Pan Masters and Pan Fantasy, Le Petit Journal Jazz Lounge with Calypsociation, and at the Brooklyn Museum with Pan Fantasy.
On Saturday, September 21st, 2024, guests were immersed in a percussive party celebrating culture, music, and drums from around the world. The evening was hosted by Asha Lapps & Ryan Chung and featured performances by: Weedie Braimah and Hands of Time; Esie Mensah Creations featuring Esie Mensah, Yohance Prsons and Taejah Mark; DJ Joshua Lucas; The Recipee; Majoko Duo; and the Flow Fest Percussion Ensemble.
What can I say? It was an event for the senses, and I experienced everything from DJs and roaming musical ensembles to visual art and food. When the drummers played, it was as if they were speaking in a language that transcended words. A language woven from: rhythm, sound, and soul. I couldn’t help but respond — my feet started tapping, my heart started syncing, and suddenly, I was part of the music.
African dance flowed from these rhythms like the wind moves through the trees. The beats guided the dancers, pushing them faster, pulling them back, dictating their pace, their grace. The synergy between the drums and the movement was undeniable — it’s as if the music and the dance were one, inseparable.
Beyond the dance and the music, I realize that the drums are sacred. Their rhythms connect us to our ancestors, to the spirits that surround us. They remind us that we are not alone. Just being in the Rose Theatre that night, with all of the drummers, I feel that unity, that collective heartbeat. It was as if time and space faded away, leaving just me, the drums, and the vibrations of those who came before.
The heartbeat of Africa lives in every beat of these drums. It transcends borders and cultures, uniting us all through the power of rhythm. Whether you’re in a crowded city or an open field, when the drums play, you know — you are home. Thank you Brampton on Stage, and a special thanks to Carrie Libling & Cristina Rizzuto for being such great hostesses.