Beginner & Intermediate/Advanced Tahitian Drumming with Becky

AWARDS

2020 Heiva I San Francisco Drumming/Music Competition, San Francisco, California, USA (Under the direction of Nico San Nicolas)

• 1st Place, Pahu Tūpa’i Rima
• 2nd Place Grand Orchestre  Rohipehe Ava Tau

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Beginning Tahitian Drumming with Becky

Instructor: Becky Martinez

Becky Martinez has been with the Halau since January of 2017.  She and her daughter Shea were drawn to the Halau after looking for a place to connect to Pacific Island culture after Becky spent two years living in the Micronesian country of Kiribati for two years in 2000 - 2002.  There she lived on the islands of M’aiana (the name of her youngest daughter) and Arorae.  

Becky has been drumming with Kalama’s own Nico San Nicolas since July, 2018.  Spending time on to’ere, fa’atete, pahu tupai, ihara, and tari parau while drumming with Kalama, her seat among our drumming ohana is usually behind a to’ere or fa’atete. 

As a long-time educator, Becky is passionate about connecting those curious about Tahitian drumming with an experience that will turn any mystery of these amazing beats into precise clarity and joyful expression among Kalama’s ohana of drummers and dancers.

Halau Kalama Drummers begin our journey together learning the history, instrumentation, language, and traditional beats of Tahitian Drumming, while attending to the sharp technique and precision that pay respect to this rich culture.

Class Prerequisites:

• Open heart and mind
• Curiousity about drumming
• Willingness to learn language and culture in connection to drumming beats and technique
• Time and commitment to practice

Class Goals

• Learn and drum traditional Tahitian pehe (beats) with precision
• Learn to introduce various pehe in the Tahitian language
• Learn cultural connections to the Tahitian pehe we play
• Build interdependence and connection among drummers