Vancouver's Granville Street 2010 - From Jazz Sounds to Skateboards
Attracted by the music, on the way home from lunch at Oru, we wandered up Granville Street towards West Georgia.
As I described in Granville Street Foodie Tour, the city has set up a pedestrian mall along Granville Street from Hastings to Smithe, along the lines of Broadway in New York - just ten times less crowded!
Walking further south along Granville, we noticed that as promised they have set up scattered seating sections between Georgia and Robson. A few intrepid souls actually were taking advantage of the chairs.
The Jazz Festival is on in Vancouver at the moment, and just outside The Bay a crowd had gathered to an energetic young local band called Kanuka Marimba playing with wild abandon.
They were terrific - I was surprised no-one was dancing. They looked so young and I was so impressed with them, that I looked them up when I got home.
I learned that Kunaka is a community based East-Vancouver band. They have 8 marimbas ranging from bass to soprano , and at the end of each number move to a different instrument.
The Artistic Director, Kurai Blessing Mubaiwa, who is from Zimbabwe, plays mbira, marimba, percussion, bass, keyboard. He came to Vancouver in 2002 and teaches marimba classes to children and youth at the Britannia Community Centre World Music Program as well as playing as the lead musician with the group ZimbaMoto.
Here are two excerpts of their music at ReviewFromTheHouse on You Tube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3t1lDKcjv0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW2fmbNiCvY
We continued up Granville Street passing a couple of street vendor trucks. Here's one called Roaming Dragon.
The next crowd was listening to the Band of the Fifteenth Field Regiment, of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, Vancouver, BC. We stopped for while to listen before wandering on to see people warming up for a skateboarding demonstration. Here's a link to their music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hoYs7QWq_U
When I got home, Mimosa was playing a free open air concert at David Lam park and as I write their music is keeping me swaying in my chair.
I love Vancouver!
Comments
Granville Street today
I also spent a large part of the afternoon on Granville Street, enjoying the music and sights and sounds of all of the activity on the green, astro-turf covered street. Kanuka Marimba was great, and perhaps drew the largest crowds with their attention-getting music and movements. For such young guys, they performed with natural energy and vigour. Can you imagine what it would look and sound like were they to don colourful costumes and perform on a concert stage?
I particularly enjoyed the music of the Band of the Fifteenth Field Regiment. Beginning at age 8, I started playing in bands - a sea cadet band to start. then, a community marching band, and later was a civilian instructor for an army cadet band, a member of a militia band, leader of a high school marching band and percussionist in a "marching orchestra!" Therefore, military and marching type music, and bright colourful uniforms instantly attract my ears and eyes wherever I go.
Although the Band of the Fifteenth today was just a 5-piece ensemble and didn't get around to entertaining the crowd with military music, I particularly enjoyed their show tunes, including their great rendition of "Bill Baily." It was a wonderful way to spend a downtown Saturday afternoon!
your writings
I am so happy to find your website recently; and has been enjoying reading it ever since. Thank you for promoting our wonderful city! Indeed, I love Vancouver too! Keep up the good work!