African Inspired Drum Circle Brought the Beat to Kids In Honor of Black History Month

Local African drum circle guru Chazz Ross took over the La Pintoresca Branch Library Wednesday afternoon to give a classroom sized group of students the opportunity to make music in unison on authentic African drums as a part of the City’s Black History Month celebration.

Ross and his bigger than life personality brought over two dozen drums for the group of Washington Elementary students to beat on as a way to learn not only about Black History Month, but also to understand the role that music plays in everyday communication across all races that live here in Pasadena.

“The drum was used when Africans couldn’t communicate. The drum gave sounds, it gave signals and it gave a call and answer and so what we did today is we practiced that. We practiced how to communicate without using our language,” said Ross.

Chazz Ross and his technical showmanship reflects forty years of achievements in African music and dance and Latin percussion. He plays African and Latin instrument combos and is alternately a master of exotic stick, hand, and wind instruments such as didgeridoo, djembe, congos, bongos, timbales, singing bowls, and harmonica.

He single handedly led a group of over 30 young students in a thumping stampede of hand drumming beats.

“The drums are unique. The drum is the most important thing we have. The drum takes us back to our root. The drum is our heartbeat. The drum is what we’ve heard for the first nine months of our life. I don’t teach drums, I just just bring it out,” said Ross.

Ross has performed at the LA Opera, Aquarium of the Pacific, and Skirball Cultural Center to name a few. He mentors young, disadvantaged, senior and special-needs people in libraries, alternative schools, missions, juvenile halls, probation departments and senior-citizen centers -while guiding dynamic, interactive Drum-Circles.

His latest drum circle at the La Pintoresca Branch Library was a testament to his love of getting people excited in the art of live music.

“Drumming is one of the most healing activities you can do. If you have a heartbeat–and I think you do–you have a drum. All I do is connect you with the drum you have inside,” said Ross.

Ross’s drums are djembe drums made in Africa with heads made from thin African goat hides.

“They’re sonically superior to any other drum. They’re actually the loudest drum there is made,” said Ross.

Ross describes himself as a “3-D” entertainer–setting him apart from most drum instructors he’s encountered.

“Most entertainers are two dimensional, meaning you sit and you watch them. Not with me. I reverse the stage,” said Ross.

Ross and his musical teachings ring true to the values of Black History Month.

“I share the Kwanza principles of collectivity, of getting together, of listening and I teach kids about the fundamental roots of what we celebrate,” explained Ross.