The Politics of Art & Authenticity

I’ve pretty much grown up to the sound of drums. My older brother was a drummer throughout his teenage years (he conveniently got the room in the basement), so I was excited to see an entire drum performance. Now I know what drumming is supposed to sound like (no offense, Pin). My brother was actually pretty good, but Cindy Blackman is in a class of her own.

Watching her performwas like watching Picasso paint or Motzart play piano. She was completely in her element and obviously enjoying every minute of it. Though the two guys in the trio were good too, it was definitely Cindy Blackman who stole the show (which is the point, I think, seeing as it’s called the Cindy Blackman Santana trio). I always thought that the drums were primarily meant to accompany the other instruments, but it’s now obvious that they can be extremely powerful and beautiful on their own. What’s unique about the drums is that they can’t play notes like other musical instruments. It’s up to the drummer to understand exactly how and where and when to hit each part of the drum set. Drumming is a subtle yet integral part of a musical performance. It adds so much rhythm and expression that, while difficult to single out, vastly enhances a musical performance. But when it is singled out, as it was last night, its complexity and power is astounding. The art of drumming is really, truly incredible, and so is Cindy Blackman Sanata.