Benny Greb Dazzles Filipino Drummers in Meinl Day Manila 2010MANILA, Philippines - Hundreds of Filipino drummers gathered in the Marian Auditorium of Miriam College in Manila last July 10 to witness the tasteful and musical virtuosity of drumming sensation
Benny Greb, in part of celebration of
Meinl Day Manila, an event hosted by
Lyric Piano and
Meinl cymbals.
Despite having been done only for the second time, Meinl Day Manila is now regarded as the biggest and most anticipated drumming event in the Philippines. For this year’s celebration, dozens of eager attendees were waiting outside the venue for hours before the doors opened, after which many rushed to get the best seats to enjoy a better view of their idol in action. More than 500 people attended this year’s event.
The audience was thrilled as Benny Greb went onstage. After a brief introduction, the crowd went wild as Benny slickly played a couple of tracks from his new album. He then proceeded to an extended drum solo that highlighted his innovativeness and versatility.
During the question and answer portion, Benny captivated the audience with his profound, sound ideas. Benny also demonstrated his technical expertise drawn from years of experience, and comprehensively explained the concepts he introduced in his DVD,
The Language of Drumming. After concluding the drum clinic with his signature track “Grebfruit”, he received a standing ovation from the audience.
Meinl Day Manila 2010 also featured the official introduction of Filipino drummer
Benjie “Bagets” Mendez to Meinl’s international roster of artists. When Meinl’s Asia Pacific Sales Manager Uwe Becker introduced Bagets, the crowd cheered loudly, even urging him on to play the drums. After a brief photo session by Benny, Bagets, and Uwe, a raffle draw for some great Meinl items was held. Lucky participants from the crowd were able to win some cool Meinl gear, including cymbals used by Benny Greb during the clinic. A signature/photo session was done at the end of the event, where the excited attendees had their chance to meet and greet Benny. Attendees also had the chance to try out the latest Meinl cymbals, most notably from the Byzance series, which were on display outside the auditorium.
Meinl Day Manila 2010 proved to be another successful event for Meinl and Lyric.
More fantastic events will be coming in soon!
For more information about other events by Meinl and Lyric, log on to
http://www.meinlcymbals.com/ and
http://www.lyricpiano.com.ph/.
Benny Greb played tracks featured in his latest CD, Benny Greb Brass Band.Benny Greb's performance is a complete course on its own.Benny provided very useful insights during the question and answer portion.Benny entertained every question that the audience asked.The audience tried to hang on to every word Benny said.Filipino drum idol Benjie "Bagets" Mendez (right) was congratulated onstage by Meinl’s Asia Pacific Sales Manager Uwe Becker (left).Filipino drummer and new Meinl endorser Benjie "Bagets" Mendez struck a pose with Benny Greb.The attendees were all smiles during the signing and photo session.(photos by Andrew Contreras)