We were supposed to get rain today, but it’s looking less likely now.
Of course, this is summer, and in this place, that means weather that can change in the beat of a bird’s wing. It’s one of the reasons why the birds are less active now; even aside from the high temperatures and the recent constant pall of smoke, they know that the mercury can plunge in moments and an air filled with oppressive heat can just as suddenly be battered by giant hail.
We had some of that hail over the weekend, and we’ve had more rain since, albeit mostly in the dark overnight hours. But those storms have come fully ornamented and well-rounded: The lightning has put on extraordinary shows on all sides, dancing atop the peaks; the drum is the song of thunder, the heartbeat of storm and sky.
With such performances, we mostly haven’t missed the sight of the moon and stars.
The work that is this week’s Friday Feature embodies the raw power of the thunder, rolling like the storm across a darkened desert sky. From its description in the Other Artists: Drums gallery here on the site:
A Pueblo drum gives voice to the heartbeat of the land. Master drum maker Lee Lujan (Taos Pueblo) created this large traditional upright drum from a length of cottonwood trunk, a whole and unbroken circle of old wood. He stretched tanned rawhide over top and bottom to create a dual-sided instrument with spectacular resonance, then hand-laced both covers together across the drum’s circumference using sturdy sinew. Once the drum was bound together, he used the remaining lace to create one handle on each side, top and bottom, by spiraling the sinew tightly together in an arc and then tying it off at either end. Another small length of sinew forms a loop at one handle to hold the beater, a rough-hewn length of wood chosen for balance, pads one end, and wraps it in buttery soft white deerhide. Drum stands 21.5″ high by 18.25″ across at its widest point. Another view shown below.
Cottonwood; rawhide; sinew; deerhide
$495 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Note: Size and weight require special handling; extra shipping charges apply
Pueblo drums are a very specific type of upright, crafted in particular ways to facilitate their use and maximize their resonance and power. Lee’s drums are always beautiful specimens, entirely apart from their sound; their traditional construction emphasizes the glowing grain of the wood and the richness of the hide and sinew. It holds its own thunder within.
A few moments ago, I interrupted my writing to walk outside and help Wings with a task. As I’d been writing, what was only a faintly darkened haze to north and west had built up into a high, solid bank of violet stormclouds, the bases of the thunderheads showing themselves before they begin moving in overhead. Outside, the wind is rising, and we may not have to wait util the dark hours after all.
Now we wait and listen, hoping to hear the sky’s heartbeat — the drum of thunder and of rain.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2021; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
