By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Group leader Michel Seguin, right, leads Sundrum
members in a rehearsal at Ala Moana Park.
"Hawaii's First International Drum Festival" premieres at Waimea Valley and Adventure Park Sunday as part of the "Butterflies & Finer Things" weekend in Waimea. Drums beat to greet
new butterfliesMore than a hundred Hawaii drummers will join to celebrate a rhythmic interweaving of styles and cultures between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Among the participants will be Sundrum with Michel Seguin, representing Africa; Capoeira Batuque representing Africa and Brazil; the Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble representing Japan; Taebiew Polynesian Drummers representing Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Tonga and Hawaii; Halla Huhm Korean Dance and Drums; and Greg MacDonald Steel Drum Music representing the Caribbean.
There will also be Native American drum-making demonstrations.
The "Butterflies & Finer Things" event marks the opening weekend of Waimea Valley's new attraction, "Butterfly Encounter," a walk-through garden filled with hundreds of butterflies which will be open 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Special kama'aina admission for the three days is $8 for adults and $6 for juniors ages 4 to 12.
Entry to the "Butterfly Encounter" will be included in regular park admission of $24 adults and $12 for juniors ($12 and $6 kama'aina rate, respectively) after the opening weekend.
Call 638-8511 for more park information. Call 524-8416 for information about the drum festival.
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