Amazones Bring Down the House

Feel the fast, energetic beat of the drum. Feel, first your foot taping and then feel your whole body moving. Feel yourself rising to your feet to erupt in a raucous cheer, not just at the end of the song, but repeatedly during the song.

If you can imagine those things then you know what it was like to be at the Amazones concert this past Saturday night at the Rosslyn Spectrum, a concert that is part of the ongoing Planet Arlington series.

The Amazones are a group of ten women, originally hailing from the West African nation of Guinea. The women have each broken with tradition and difficult social circumstances to become a djembe drummer. Their performance is simply amazing.

Saturday night I had the privilege of being at the concert. I don't think I've ever been at any performance that had so many standing ovations. The energy, passion, and skill exhibited from the stage was incredible, and the audience reciprocated with its enthusiasm.

I am now that much more excited about the next Planet Arlington concert - Balkan Beat Box. The website describes their music as "techno fusion gypsy circus". I'm not sure what that means, but if the show is 10% as good as this one, it will be well worth the price of admission.

For information about ongoing Planet Arlington events, including Balkan Beat Box, simply visit www.planetarlington.com. To read more about the Amazones, visit http://www.amazoneswomandrummers.com/.