¡MOYUBA! Afro-Caribbean Drum Ensemble

The five members of ¡MOYUBA! Afro Caribbean Drum Ensemble are all gifted musicians, but they're also diligent students of their craft.

Founded in 1995, MOYUBA! took a trip to Haiti in 1998 to learn directly from the source about the hypnotic, rhythmic music it performs.

"We met a lot of important people that specialize in traditional folkloric drumming," says Kane Stanley, a founding member of the group. "We tried to get to the real root of the music by studying with people who do it for real. We've received their stamp of approval and we're running with that. Once you find out what's real, then you can play with it, but until you learn, it's hard to take liberties with it."

Stanley and his colleagues - Ryan "Manito" Wendel, Dusty Brown, Eric Cosby and Swen Froemke - will open for African roots music purveyors Toubab Krewe at 10 p.m. on Friday at Georgia Theatre. Although MOYUBA! has spent many hours performing in clubs in Athens and around the Southeast, the band is scaling back its concert dates to concentrate on performing in schools.

"We teach a little history and talk about folklore and oral traditions and then we play some," says Stanley. "It's like getting a history lesson and a concert at the same time."

But the band - which is also in the middle of a six-week residency playing for Afro-Haitian dance classes at Sangha Yoga Studio on Prince Avenue - is pumped about its club date with Asheville, N.C.-based Toubab Krewe, which has also displayed a desire to get to the "real root" of its sound by voyaging to locales like Mali, Guinea and the Ivory Coast to expand its repertoire.

"It's really exciting to be playing with those guys," says Stanley. "They're a wonderful group that has traveled to Africa to study. They went to the root, just like we did. I really like them because they use traditional instruments with a modern twist. It should be a pretty nice night. We're trying to push the school performances and we've got a lot of them lined up, so we just do the club shows when we know it will be special."

The members of MOYUBA! are well known in local music circles as they have also spent time in numerous other ensembles such as Cosmic Charlie, Entropy, Chachaca, Grogus, Bling the Children Back Home and Catbird. Stanley believes membership in other bands is often what brings folks out to see MOYUBA! for the first time.

"We're pleased when we can get anyone out to see us because they're usually blown away," Stanley says. "Some don't understand what it is we're doing, but this is music for celebration and worship. We like putting people in a trance."

And Stanley is adamant that while MOYUBA! introduces some improvisation in its compositions, this is not your basic Classic City jam band.

"It's pretty exciting to watch," he says. "We've got the whole thing worked out. This isn't some kind of hippie drum circle thing. There's a real science and history behind what we're doing and we've spent a lot of time on it."

Armed with Cuban Bata drums, congas, gourds, shakers, bells and other percussive devices, the ensemble has been working on a pair of recording projects, both of which should see the light of day later this year. The first release is a full-length album which Stanley says will showcase traditional Cuban Bata drumming and Haitian/Cuban percussion styles.

The second project will feature performances that can be used by students in the Afro-Haitian dance class for practicing their steps away from Sangha Yoga Studio.

"It's going well," says Stanley of the dance-practice CD. "It's more of a tool for the dancers but it remains true to what we're doing."

MOYUBA! sticks closely to the traditions of traditional drumming, but band members aren't shy about adding their own touches to the mix.

"We're musicians in various Athens groups, so we've taken our respective styles and have applied it to folkloric drumming," Stanley says. "We take traditional songs and arrange them with changes to make them sound like modern songs. It's a traditional art form that we've put a new twist on."

- Athens Banner Herald

The five members of ¡MOYUBA! Afro Caribbean Drum Ensemble are all gifted musicians, but they're also diligent students of their craft.

Founded in 1995, MOYUBA! took a trip to Haiti in 1998 to learn directly from the source about the hypnotic, rhythmic music it performs.

"We met a lot of important people that specialize in traditional folkloric drumming," says Kane Stanley, a founding member of the group. "We tried to get to the real root of the music by studying with people who do it for real. We've received their stamp of approval and we're running with that. Once you find out what's real, then you can play with it, but until you learn, it's hard to take liberties with it."

Stanley and his colleagues - Ryan "Manito" Wendel, Dusty Brown, Eric Cosby and Swen Froemke - will open for African roots music purveyors Toubab Krewe at 10 p.m. on Friday at Georgia Theatre. Although MOYUBA! has spent many hours performing in clubs in Athens and around the Southeast, the band is scaling back its concert dates to concentrate on performing in schools.

"We teach a little history and talk about folklore and oral traditions and then we play some," says Stanley. "It's like getting a history lesson and a concert at the same time."

But the band - which is also in the middle of a six-week residency playing for Afro-Haitian dance classes at Sangha Yoga Studio on Prince Avenue - is pumped about its club date with Asheville, N.C.-based Toubab Krewe, which has also displayed a desire to get to the "real root" of its sound by voyaging to locales like Mali, Guinea and the Ivory Coast to expand its repertoire.

"It's really exciting to be playing with those guys," says Stanley. "They're a wonderful group that has traveled to Africa to study. They went to the root, just like we did. I really like them because they use traditional instruments with a modern twist. It should be a pretty nice night. We're trying to push the school performances and we've got a lot of them lined up, so we just do the club shows when we know it will be special."

The members of MOYUBA! are well known in local music circles as they have also spent time in numerous other ensembles such as Cosmic Charlie, Entropy, Chachaca, Grogus, Bling the Children Back Home and Catbird. Stanley believes membership in other bands is often what brings folks out to see MOYUBA! for the first time.

"We're pleased when we can get anyone out to see us because they're usually blown away," Stanley says. "Some don't understand what it is we're doing, but this is music for celebration and worship. We like putting people in a trance."

And Stanley is adamant that while MOYUBA! introduces some improvisation in its compositions, this is not your basic Classic City jam band.

"It's pretty exciting to watch," he says. "We've got the whole thing worked out. This isn't some kind of hippie drum circle thing. There's a real science and history behind what we're doing and we've spent a lot of time on it."

Armed with Cuban Bata drums, congas, gourds, shakers, bells and other percussive devices, the ensemble has been working on a pair of recording projects, both of which should see the light of day later this year. The first release is a full-length album which Stanley says will showcase traditional Cuban Bata drumming and Haitian/Cuban percussion styles.

The second project will feature performances that can be used by students in the Afro-Haitian dance class for practicing their steps away from Sangha Yoga Studio.

"It's going well," says Stanley of the dance-practice CD. "It's more of a tool for the dancers but it remains true to what we're doing."

MOYUBA! sticks closely to the traditions of traditional drumming, but band members aren't shy about adding their own touches to the mix.

"We're musicians in various Athens groups, so we've taken our respective styles and have applied it to folkloric drumming," Stanley says. "We take traditional songs and arrange them with changes to make them sound like modern songs. It's a traditional art form that we've put a new twist on."

- Athens Banner Herald

Percussion summit
The Main Event
| | Story updated at 8:36 PM on Friday, July 13, 2007
Some of Athens' top drummers and percussionists have come together to establish ¡MOYUBA! Drum Ensemble, practicing a unique musical method that reflects the traditions of Cuba, Haiti, the African Diaspora and other cultures.

The five-piece groups features Ryan "Manito" Wendel, Kane Stanley, Eric Cosby, Swen Froemke and Dusty Brown, who individually have provided the backbeat for groups such as Grogus, Bling the Children Back Home, Cosmic Charlie and Entrophy.

- Athens Banner Herald

Percussion summit
The Main Event
| | Story updated at 8:36 PM on Friday, July 13, 2007
Some of Athens' top drummers and percussionists have come together to establish ¡MOYUBA! Drum Ensemble, practicing a unique musical method that reflects the traditions of Cuba, Haiti, the African Diaspora and other cultures.

The five-piece groups features Ryan "Manito" Wendel, Kane Stanley, Eric Cosby, Swen Froemke and Dusty Brown, who individually have provided the backbeat for groups such as Grogus, Bling the Children Back Home, Cosmic Charlie and Entrophy.

- Athens Banner Herald