Credit: Special Arrangement
A group that hosts regular drum circles in the city is set to turn two next month. Called the Bangalore Drums Collective, it was started in 2023 by Krishnakumar Chengeri and Gaurav Gupta.
The sessions last an hour and feature a mix of musical styles — from African, Arabic and tamate music from Karnataka to genres like hip hop, reggae, and bhangra.
The drum circles are open to all ages, “from 6 to 86”. “Many people who attend don’t know how to play a djembe. We begin each session by explaining what a djembe is, how to hold it, and teaching a few basic striking techniques,” says Chengeri, a yoga therapist.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own instruments — djembe, tambourine, bongo, cajon, clapbox, or shaker. “We also offer djembes for rent. Some attendees just prefer to listen, dance, or clap, and that’s completely welcome too,” he adds.
The idea grew out of Chengeri’s journey of learning the djembe six years ago. A chance meeting with Gupta, marketing professional, at a drum circle in February 2023 got him thinking about starting something similar in Bengaluru.
“Cities like Mumbai and Goa have active drum circles, but we weren’t sure how Bengaluru would respond,” says Chengeri. While scouting for venues, they connected with fulltime percussionist Madhu Srinivas, who is now an admin of the collective. The trio shared a common goal: “To give back to the community while having fun ourselves.” To their surprise, their first event at a centre in Yeshwantpur drew 50 registrations.
They initially hosted one drum circle a month. “By 2024, venues began inviting us to host events. We now hold two to three circles a month in areas like Yeshwantpur, HRBR Layout, Kanakapura Road, and RR Nagar,” Chengeri shares.
Coming up
Bangalore Drums Collective will host a ‘Jam and Community Drum Circle’ at Shankaraa Foundation, Kanakapura Road, on May 24, 5 pm. Look up @bangaloredrumscollective on Instagram for details.