Audience lend a hand as sound of drums comes alive

Sharjah: It was music to ears as drums from around the world came alive at American University of Sharjah auditorium.

The auditorium was packed for the Hundred and One Drum Night concert held late on Wednesday.

In the first session, the audience enjoyed the powerful rhythms of Africa, India and Arabia.

In the second session, the audience joined the two bands in an interactive and fun drumming session.

More than 150 drums were distributed to the audience as they followed the musicians' instructions and made "merry music".

The two-hour event, which was organised by the Cultural Event Committee at American University of Sharjah, was open to the public, faculty members and students.

Samrin Abdullah, a student, described the concert as superb. "What I loved the most was the energy of the artists from Ghana and Senegal. Then, there were the dancers who were a joy to watch, the Emirati drummers who played their great traditional beats, the Indian drummers who added a special touch to the whole programme and finally the Afghan drummer who definitely made an impression on everyone."

Professor Martin Giesen, Chair of the Cultural Event Committee, said the event was meant as a community activity since drumming gives people a feeling of participation and communal harmony as they all make music together.