A Evening with Chikoro Marimba

Saturday, June 18, 2011

11:55pm

Tonight was quite possibly THE BEST night yet at Earthaven, and definitely makes top ten evenings of all time. A marimba band from Asheville came to play at council hall, and they were INCREDIBLE. The music was absolutely intoxicating; it was the kind of music that vibrates through your whole body. Not only that, but it was the kind of music that you cannot possibly sit still while you listen to it. Obib was the first one up to dance, and I was right behind her. The music was so thrilling and so tangible that it was completely natural to let it flow through myself and emerge in dance. Before the second song was over, the dance floor was full, and it was obvious by the energy in the room that everyone was having a fantastic time. I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire evening!

The strange thing was, just a few hours ago I was feeling a little left out because some people decided on the spur of the moment to go to Asheville to see Rising Appalachia (whom I love!!!), and I couldn’t go because they were staying over at a friend of a friend’s house and I was cooking dinner. However, I didn’t let it bother me, because I intuited that it wasn’t what I was meant to be doing tonight. Well, I was SO right! Nathaniel, a new, awesome friend from Permaculture class, who I hadn’t seen in a couple of weeks, had randomly dropped in right before dinner, so he and I headed to the council hall together to see the band that came to us.

When we got there, they had just finished setting up the six different marimbas, which were incredibly cool. They had a “bass” one that was so big, the player had to stand on a bench to play it! The marimbas also made a truly breathtaking sound in the council hall, which is a fairly small, circular building with a great deal of stone in it. The acoustics were unrivaled.

And the dancing was ecstatic. If the music was intoxicating, the kind of dancing it inspired was euphoric. I could not be still! I stopped between songs to chug water, but when the music started up again, I felt drawn to the dance floor as if I were magnetized. About three songs in I realized that it had been a mistake not to make sure I had a hair tie with me. I was getting HOT! I searched the building, but the best I could come up with was a fork. So I pulled my hair into a tight bun, stuck it through like a chopstick, and was right back on the dance floor. Why yes, yes that is a fork in my hair. Functional, if unconventional. As Nate pointed out to me, “It is the Western equivalent of a chopstick.”

Then, after one particularly exhilarating song, one of the players announced that the title was “Jabberwocky.” Another of them recited the first stanza, to which I chimed in. Then, I don’t know what otherworldly goddess-being suddenly took over my body, but I continued and with fiery passion. I declaimed the rest of the poem, right there in the middle of a crowd of dancers and players, complete with vorpal-sword swashbuckling, embellished tones, and wild facial expressions. It was only several minutes afterwards, when the adrenaline rush from the wild delivery and the enthusiastic round of applause wore off, that I was like “What. Just. Happened?!?! I don't DO stuff like that!” That was a short-lived moment though, and I promptly refocused on the bliss of turning myself over to the music and the dance.

The band played for several hours. Nathaniel and I, and a half dozen or so others, stayed and danced until the very end. Oh, we all had SUCH an awesome time! My feet ache, but I am beyond joyful! AHH! I can’t imagine a better place to live!!!