Deer Park is meeting point for music lovers

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City’s weekends have found a new beat to groove. And unlike most lunches, this one is for free. All you need is your instrument of choice, and in case that seems too much, just bring along a pair of ears. Delhi Drum Circle, the Facebook name of the group that meets every alternate Saturday in Deer Park is the place to be if you are keen on blasting your post-week blues away. A group started with the intention of having people to play, sing, dance under the open sky, now has an attendance of more than hundred members on any given Saturday.
Margot Bigg, one of the founding members of DDC, maintains that the name is just of their page on Facebook, while they are just a bunch of people who jam together. “My friend and I were thinking about starting a drum circle, but were unable to find a place, until a mutual friend suggested Deer Park, about six months ago. It has huge benches all set in a circular formation, perfect for a drum circle,” she tells us. While the name suggests a preference for drums, one can bring in any instrument they play. “A lot of people come with drums, tablas and dhols, while some simply come and enjoy the music,” says Margot adding that one doesn’t need to play an instrument to be a part of the circle. “People come to dance, listen, sing and even write while listening to drums playing. We have a lot of little children coming over with their parents as it is a family gathering with no alcohol or intoxicants included,” she says.
Kenny Akindele, a drummer from Nigeria has been a part of this circle ever since its inception. “Drum circles are a part of our culture back home, where people sit in a circle to sing, dance and play. And seeing the same tradition feels good as you get to play with so many talented people,” he says. Among the other instruments, Didgeridoo, an Australian wind instrument is popular at the circle too. Yogesh Kumar, a sound engineer by profession brings it to play at the circle. “Most people don’t know how to play it or the drums, but you don’t need to be a professional to enjoy playing. There are so many first-timers who jam every week with us,” he says.