Pulse: A Stomp Odyssey

I missed seeing this movie at IMAX. On one of my birthdays, when I lived in Houston over 13 years ago, I did get to see Stomp live. What I watched on this dvd was more than Stomp. This movie is a celebration of the pulse, the diverse rhythms across the globe in different cultures and continents. There is no narration, like in a documentary. The various pieces are tied together with the rhythms of divergent cultures from the Jackie Robinson Steppers of New York to the Bayeza Cultural Dancers of Johannesburg, South Africa, from Timbalada and Os Zarabe of Salvador da Bahia to Les Percussions De Guinee. It is the rhythms in each culture that makes them seem similar, interconnected.

The professionalism of the various groups is evident. The speed and technique of Eva Yerabuena, a traditional Flamenco dancer from Spain, is incredible. It made me want to get a wood box (cajon) like her accompanying percussionists. The Timbalada, who play during Salvador's annual carnival, have a massive sound that reverberates through the crowds. The same can be said of Kodo, who create their thundering sound with taiko drums in a performance that must take incredible physical stamina. I didn't want to get a taiko drum because I know I'm too old and out of shape to even attempt play like they do!

This is an amazing journey into drumming, rhythm, and dance around the world. The rhythmic expressions in diverse cultures around the world create a pulse that interconnects people on a nonverbal level. It is this nonverbal level that makes it difficult to describe this dvd. You have to experience it for yourself.