China-Africa exchanges: Drumbeat links China and Africa
CGTN | Updated: 2018-09-04 09:05
![](http://img2.chinadaily.com.cn/images/201809/04/5b8dda72a310add1c69a1363.jpeg)
Cultural exchanges between China and Africa have a history going back centuries, and music is increasingly becoming a part of that.
In recent years, African drums like the djembe have gained a huge fan base in the country. With their energetic rhythms and one-of-a-kind sound, the African drum traditions are winning over Chinese hearts and sparking curiosity in people old and young.
Every Sunday afternoon, an African drum show makes a splash near Beijing's bustling Houhai Lake.
Liu Yong, who makes a living by selling and playing djembes, initiated the Houhai drum group 10 years ago. To his great surprise, a whopping 5,000 drummers have joined him ever since, trying their hands at challenging rhythms.
![](http://img2.chinadaily.com.cn/images/201809/04/5b8dda72a310add1c69a1365.jpeg)
"Rain or shine, we will meet up and play drums together. That's our goal," said Liu.
Liu said in the beginning, they had only a couple of people playing together and many of them were passersby. "But now, people from all walks of life are playing here," he said.
![](http://img2.chinadaily.com.cn/images/201809/04/5b8dda72a310add1c69a1367.jpeg)
In Africa, hand drums are more than just musical instruments. They are an indelible part of the continent's heritage. But for Chinese people, the newly-found obsession with the beats is another story.
"Every Sunday, Liu Yong and I help each other to carry our drums to Houhai by car," said a drummer who has played with Liu for six years. "When I play the drums, I feel purely happy and calm."
"I have played the djembe for almost a year and it makes me more confident, " added another drummer, who bought his drum with the signature of an African drum master.
- China arts festival to highlight Chinese achievements, deep-rooted bonds between Chinese, US people
- Exhibition on folk arts of China's Hebei held in Belgium
- The 4th China-CEEC Summer Dance Camp held in Hungary
- Belt and Road Initiative yields fruitful results in the cultural arena
- Confucius Institutes a bedrock of China's growing cultural ties with Africa