CULTURE
STAR-BULLETIN / 2004
Members of Red Mountain converge on a red cedar and elk hide drum during an Intertribal Council of Hawaii Warrior Society Pow Wow held at Kapiolani Park.
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Hitting it home
The drum is the heartbeat of cultures worldwide, including Native Americans hosting a Pow Wow from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow at Kapiolani Park. The event will feature dancing, singing, arts and crafts, food and, of course, drumming.
Not good with a beat? A drum can still be enjoyed as a home accent or accessory. Some have surfaces big enough to be used as a coffee or accent table. Even in silence, others command attention when placed on a console table, mantle or armoire, adding another cultural dimension to your living space.
Here are a few that may strike your fancy.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The whimsical designs of the Bongo ($1,249), left, and TamTam ($2,249), right, are a blend of form and function. Designed like space-age drums, they're ottomans with storage space under their caps. From Leolux in Germany, they're available at INspirations at Pearl Ridge and the Honolulu Design Center.
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DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The Rain Drum, above, from Interior Accents at the Gentry Pacific Design Center, is 25-by-18 1/2 inches high including the "frogs," and makes a nice small coffee table on its own ($1750). Rain Drums, also known as Frog Drums, were used by some Indonesian cultures to summon rain. Made of an alloy of metals including bronze, copper, tin, zinc, lead, iron and gold, their beat summoned the spirit of rain to usher in a fruitful harvest, and symbolized good luck and prosperity.
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DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
The Rain Drum, above, (about $300-plus depending on size) from Siam Imports at 2567 S. King St., is 16-by-16 inches, small enough to be used as a solid base for a glass table top. Place gel dots bought from a hardware store on the "frogs" to prevent the glass from shifting. Alone, it adds interest and provides contrast to a deck or garden as a plant stand or occasional table. Wait for the rain and enjoy its drum song.
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DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
"Djembe drums originate from Africa, and those who make them treat them as an art form," said Jerome James of Chuck James Drum Shop in Mapunapuna. The African-inspired drums are available through the shop at 834-4967. Those shown here, though, hail from Indonesia. At left, Bali Aga at 307D Kamani St. offers one with an intricately carved base at 18-by-8-inches wide ($90). At right, from Chuck James Drum Shop, a djembe 23-by-11 inches wide ($285). Its goat skin head is rimmed with goat hair to cushion a drummer's wrists. Use one as a focal point on a console table or mantle.
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