How Hong Kong’s drum festival is getting everyone marching to the same beat
This year’s event will run under title of ‘One Beat, One World: Connecting Through the Drum’ and incorporate both drumming and dance
Homemaker Emily Cablas Anane and her two sons have been playing Chinese drums as a family activity and will be among about 16,000 people expected to join the Hong Kong Drum Festival at the West Kowloon Cultural District on Sunday.
Anane, 39, who has been living in the city for a decade, said she and her sons – Daniel, seven and George, five – joined citywide drumming workshops organised by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and real estate developer Chinachem a month before this year’s event, with the trio captivated by the activity ever since.
“My sons are excited and they want to do more. Sometimes they use bottles and buckets at home to make the drumbeats and sing along,” she said.
“I can see my older son [become] more confident as he expands his social circle at school and drumming lessons, sharing his love for music with his friends in Cantonese.”
The trio plan to attend the 2024 Hong Kong Drum Festival on Sunday, and look forward to engaging with fellow drummers and sharing their passion for music.
The annual festival, first started in 2003 after Sars – or severe acute respiratory syndrome – hit the city, hopes to uplift spirits with resonating drum beats.
