Description: reflections on a journey through dance
reflections on a journey through dance
සුභ අලුත් අවුරුද්දක් වේවා! Today is the Sinhala New Year, so I thought I would share this fun little thing my mom, sister, and I made. Here, we are reciting and playing a raban padayak, which is a rhythm for the banku rabanaya, a large frame drum played by a group of people sitting around it on banku (benches). The spoken rhythm you hear is a goofy verse which acts as an auditory mnemonic device, making the pattern and tones of the pada easy to remember.
The banku rabanaya is a fixture of traditional/folk Sinhalese New Year celebrations. Typically played by older women who will also teach the rhythms to children, the drum, its silly verses, and the manner of playing which sometimes imitates games of pattycake, all make me think of playfulness and community. I’ve only seen a live playing of the banku rabanaya once or twice in my life, at annual awurudu celebrations in Toronto – but I think this playful spirit has a life beyond the instrument as well, carried