VETERAN percussionist Bongo Herman recently started a music programme at Charlie Smith High School in Trench Town, teaching students the rudiments of drumming.

It is an initiative of Ziggy Marley’s Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment (URGE) children’s foundation.

“Di drum music lessons has been going on for di past three weeks. I am also teaching over 12 students African dance, because drumming goes along with di dance,” Bongo Herman told the Jamaica Observer.

“I am teaching them di one-two order of di Nyahbinghi. That is what Bob (Marley) used in most of his songs. Di bass, di funde, and di repeater.”

A Trench Town native, Bongo Herman is pleased to pass his craft on to a younger generation and help preserve a part of Jamaica’s creative heritage.

“It means a lot to me, knowing that I come from Trench Town an’ is down there di Nyahbinghi ting started by me an’ a lot of di Rastafari bredrins. Brother Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Ken Boothe, Alton Ellis; all of us from Ambassador Theatre. Knowing to di fact that I doing something for Trench Town, mi proud of it.”

— Basil Walters