HappyShel's Bio
My Drumming Journey

I've been drumming for 12 years, first playing frame drum at the 1st International Men's Conference, 1991, Austin. Ashiko at the at the 2nd International Men's Conference, Austin, TX., 1992, where I met Rosario Carelli, [my first drum teacher] who placed an ashiko between my legs, taught me Gun Go Do and introduced me to Babatunde Olatunji [Baba placed his right hand upon my left shoulder and said, "Shel - go out and spread peace thru drumming. Take the drums to the children. Drum for peace."
Baba ignited my passion for drumming. I have been blessed by drum, ever since, and drum [for which I give thanks to daily] has introduced me to many wonderful musicians/teachers that I have had the honor to study with and share about the drum: Babatunde Olatunji, Rosario Carelli, Arthur Hull, Paolo Mattioli, Kalani, Sule Greg Wilson, Greg & Charity Beck, Mamady Keita, Bamba N'Diaye, Aziz, Kweku, Eric Stuer, Anne Graham, Lansana and Djimo Kouyate, Papa Ladji Camara, Madou Dembele, Joh Camara, Mohamed DaCosta and many others who have played a significant role in my journey, to whom I give many thanks. Ashe.

My dear friends, Hadi, Sarge and I went to the 1st World Unity Drum Festival held on Kendrick Mountain, August 24 - 29, 1994, where the regional Rainbow Family gathering was held. Many Rainbows had "camp" names, like 'Critter, Sunshine, Sky Blue, Bam Bam,' etc. I, too wanted a "camp" name, however, my dear friend Hadi said, "Shel, names are given, not taken." "Oh, okay," I said and off I went drumming. Some 4 days later, while drumming around the campfire.....with Hadi and others, Hadi came up to me and said, "Shel, you are so 'happy' when you are drumming that your name is now HappyShel. And I responded with, "Hadi you are so 'lucky' to be here that your name is Lucky." And so it is to this day. It was here that we met Jahdene Blount - little did we know that this would be the last time we saw Jahdene as she was murdered, in her home in Dallas, September 24, 1994. Jahdene impacted my life forever. I love you Jahdene!!!

One night, Sarge was out drumming when he left the drumcircle to help with Shanti Sena, leaving his doumbec behind. Later, when he returned to the drumcircle, the circle and his drum had disappeared. Sarge was crushed. He came into camp in the early morning hours, a broken man, so upset that his drum was gone. We notified everyone within earshot of our camp to search for his drum. Later, that day, Jahdene came into our camp carrying Sarge's doumbec....she had found it....and it was this event that bonded us all together.....

On the 4th Sunday in August, Drums Around the World, a gathering of the global drumming community join up in everyone's home cities to pray, drum and dance for peace at precisely Noon Mountain Time.
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I promote West African drumming & drum community building every chance I get through:
Afrikan Village, a Spring drum & dance camp, with our African masters, in Central Texas and the websites: Djembe-L FAQ.   [send me your E-dress so you can get on our list of activities], drum circles in North Texas.  
Djembe sales - djembes that are specially hand-selected and blessed by the Masters,  books, CD's, Accessories, African goat-skins.   All profits, from sales, are infused back into our community to continue the above projects. Thank you for shopping by. "Drum Til You Fly"! [thank you Sule]. I sure do!