Chennai tunes into African rhythms

City residents recently tuned into the rhythms of Africa at an immersive African drumming workshop, hosted by the community Conscious Energy Generators, led by Divya Khanna and Swetha. Participants from across the city experienced the beats of the djembe, guided by facilitator Cheenu, who transformed the space into a musical journey. “African drums have long been used to communicate, celebrate, mourn and inspire — echoing through peace and war, planting and harvest, birth and death,” shared Cheenu.

‘THIS KIND OF COMMUNAL ACTIVITY IS NEW TO CHENNAI’“In Chennai, this kind of communal activity is quite new. When I came here, I didn’t have many expectations, but once I arrived, I immediately felt a sense of belonging. The workshop beautifully brought out the drumming traditions and the spirit of Africa. Along with drumming, they also encouraged us to groove to the beats, which made the whole experience lively. What I loved most was that no one was on their phones — everyone was simply enjoying and connecting together,” shares Preethy Shreekanth, a marketing manager at an IT company.

‘IT’S A HEALING EXPERIENCE, AND IS ABOUT CONNECTING WITH WHO WE ARE’“Rhythm is a part of everyone’s life, and it connects us to our source, and it has a very healing aspect to it. When we come together and connect through a rhythm that we create on our own, it becomes and helps us release pent-up emotions. Many of us carry stress or emotional baggage in our lives. It’s simply about connecting with who we are and with the rhythm that exists in all our lives,” says Ankita Choudary, psychologist.

‘Psychologists say it activates the right side of the brain’“African drumming is believed to be a thousand-year-old form of percussion playing and one of the oldest in human history. Over time, women began dancing while men took up the drumming, gradually shifting the roles. Rhythm has a powerful healing effect on people, and drumming can be therapeutic because it works almost like a form of meditation. In fact, psychologists say it activates the right side of the brain and helps bring out creativity,” informed Cheenu.

‘I COULD EVEN FEEL MY BABY RESPONDING TO THE MOVEMENTS’“I work with children with special needs, and coming here was actually an unexpected plan. Being in the third trimester of my pregnancy, it has been quite stressful. But the two hours were truly wonderful. I could even feel my baby responding to the movements and rhythms of the music. There were certain beats that seemed to make the baby move more, and I could notice the difference. I feel that it wasn’t just good for me, but for the baby as well,” shares Pavitra Kishore, a speech-language pathologist.

Benefits of African drumming:

• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Improves focus and concentration
• Enhances creativity
• Encourages emotional expression
• Strengthens social bonding
• Boosts mood and positivity