write about a beautiful spectacle that takes place on the rooftop of Colabs. The centre of attention is four drummers and chairs surrounding them. There are a few interesting stalls and a café. There are banana sticks, shakes and cocktails. Excitement and curiosity are apparent. Those who have been to a drum circle before are asked to raise their hands. They are very few. The first-timers only add to the mood. The performer take their places, a drum each locked between their legs. The audience, unsure of what exactly is expected of them, waits for the quadrummers to begin as some confusedly bang their instruments from time to time. After a brief introduction of the drummers, it is time to begin.

Click

Thump

Click

Thump

Click…….Click..Click

Thump……Thump..Thump

And again, and again. The audience are now drumming alongside the clicks. The quadrummers join in. Background music starts and complements the beats provided by the audience. The same pattern of sound is generated by an array of instruments in chaotic harmony. The quadrummers change their pattern. The audience follows their lead. Each pair of hands seems out of sync with the other. The individual sounds do not match. However, from the many hands that move with vigour and emotion, individual notes merge into something beautiful. The result is music that people are not just listening to as they would in a concert, it is their creation. The audience sits attentively, staring at the members of the quadrum as they lead them into an unknown world. People of all ages make up the circle, and can be seen engaged.

Young ones are joyful; the older participants seem to have found something more profound in the music, enjoying it more than at the superficial level. A few minutes into the song, a dancer enters. His movements mimic that of a snake. Each move demonstrates passion and a sense of ecstasy. More people follow his lead and enter the open circle, dancing, banging their drums. They leave, almost immediately replaced by a different crowd, each dancing their own dances. The lead raises his hands, then slowly brings them down. The volume drops until all are silent. The hands rise, and the voices do, too, once again. Over and over, the voices rise and fall. Many beats are made. Sometimes, the audience kickstarts the beats; sometimes it is the quadrummers. This is apparently the audience’s show. The quadrummers are not performers; they are a part of music. The performance is shared by all on the roof of Colabs. Not a single word is said, yet the emotion is thick. There is vibrancy in alert faces dripping with joy. Smiles linger all around. The joy can be felt in the vigour of the individual beat and the rise and fall of the hands.

Thump…..Thump..Thump

Thump…..Thump..Thump