By Alex Wayne
Guyana not so long ago lost a talented drummer who migrated to the U.S. in search of a better life, and he is certainly chalking up notable points as he keeps glued to his roots in the foreign land.

Just recently Primo and his followers hosted their ‘Feel the rhythm of the drums’ festival and it was well received by fans abroad. Even though he is abroad, his African Drumming School in Guyana also hosted their leg of their festival at the Botanical Gardens in Georgetown last month
The event was held in honour of the school’s fifth anniversary.
The event, which is also referred to as the “drum circle”, featured drummers, dancers and singers from around Guyana… The main focus of “Feel the rhythm of the drums” event is to continue inspiring, educating, and revitalising the culture and drumming art form by bringing together talent and the community at large.
The school started with ten amazing drummers and it has since expanded. Offering a six-month certificate programme, the school covers the history of drumming, types of drums, keys, and rhythms, and everything else associated with the art of drumming.
At the school, the focus is solely on hand drumming, teaching the student techniques and styles for various forms of hand drums from around the world, including congas, bongos, djembe, and doumbek.
Students gain knowledge of the origins and history of various types of hand drums, the proper way to hold and position drums, what’s the proper hand position; basic hand strokes specific to the student’s type of drum, play and read rhythms specific to the students type of drum, develop time-keeping skills by playing often, play and read more complex rhythms, and developing creative solo ideas

Who is Orlando Primo?
Orlando Primo was born on December 12, 1986, at the Davis’s Memorial Hospital, in Georgetown, Guyana.
Being the seventh of 11 siblings, he began playing drums at the tender age of seven with his brothers Jumo. ‘Rubber Waist’ Primo, and Kurt Primo, as a beginner at the many thanksgiving services his father spearheaded.
He was not really a quick learner with the drums, but his dad and brothers always remained spellbound at the melodious and stirring rhythms he created.
By age ten he was ready to take on the world as a young drummer and from there on, improved rapidly until he became one of the most talented African drummers around. He soon became a household name, creating his own style and routines which always found favour with his audiences. In 2003, they formed a group called the ‘Primo Brothers’ of which Orlando was the ‘second man in charge of things’ despite his tender age.
This group took top honours in the ‘E Kaabo Kabiesi Competition’ in 2004, and placed second in the African Cultural Association Drumming Competition in 2005. In 2006 they again won the E Kaabo Kabiesi Competition, and repeated that feat in 2007.
Since then, Orlando has greatly improved his act and has rapidly moved up the ranks to become one of the most talented and skillful African drummers not only in Guyana, but in several neighbouring countries.
His musical accolades are paralleled by his academic achievement – he completed secondary school where he earned is Diploma in general studies at Campbellville Secondary School (Guyana) and is currently perusing is Associate Degree in Business at Delgado Community College (DCC), in Louisiana.
The talented drummer became the face of drumming after he launched ‘Majek Fingers Drumming School, the first drumming school in Guyana in 2010. His pictures appeared on Billboards and Phone Cards all over Guyana and in the local newspapers, making him one of the most recognisable faces in the art on the local shores.
Shortly after, in September 2010, Orlando held the first African Drumming and Dance Festival in Guyana. He has represented Guyana at several competitions – in Barbados at the Global DAY of Drums; in Suriname at the Inter-Guyana Culture Festival (2011); at the International Day of Peace in Brooklyn NY (2014) and at the Congo Square Rhythm Festival in New Orleans (2015).
Orlando believes in using and imparting his gifts and talents, and now builds his drum school upon two pillars: inspiration and education. His school won first place at the Music Arts Festival in 2013.
Other events at which he has performed include the International Day Of Peace, Bambola 2000 African Group event, Mr Streets New Orleans Showcase, Cong Square Rhythm Festival 2015, and Hurricane Katrina 10th Anniversary.
Presently he spearheads his own drumming class (four times monthly) in the U.S. and has just launched his new website, the international home of MFDS. He is presently in college pursuing business administration and has been invited to the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival in Canada five times already.