iCon Clave! Drum Workshop with Master Drummer Miguel Bernal

Got clave?!? Beginner session. Ages 14+ Registration required.

This is an in-person program.

Come learn how to play Rumba, Makuta, and other Afro-Cuban conga drum rhythms, all while keeping the beat with “clave”, in the uniquely Cuban way. In this workshop, visiting Master Drummer Miguel Bernal will lead a beginner session. A more advanced workshop will follow at 2:00 p.m. that builds on the fundaments established in the beginner session. Participants are encouraged to register for both. Bring your conga drum if you have one, or you can borrow one (no Djembe drums, please).

Miguel Bernal is a world-renowned percussionist who plays with the Portland, Oregon based Pink Martini. However, his passion lies in the traditional music of his family’s religious faith, Santeria (La Regla de Ocha), to which he has dedicated his life. He is widely recognized in Cuba and abroad as a master “Batalero” and is a wealth of knowledge and inspiration. He routinely returns home to Cuba to play for ceremonies and events requiring his Bata skills, and is an active participant in the religious lives of his family members.