Montreal Act 3: The Tam Tams







Does anyone know when and why the tam tams started? Someone once told me, like most crazy things, it started in the 70's when some African immigrants started giving djembes and drum workshops in the park and then it took on a life of it's own.

The tam tam gatherings happen every Sunday on the North East (I guess) side of Mount Royal. Sometimes it's so loud you can hear it 5 blocks away. Basically people come from everywhere with any type of instrument and just jam away!

The festivities are however not limited to music and dance, there's a a fair share of flair bartenders practicing with plastic bottles, circus school student juggling and jumping around...showing off their circus students biceps and abs , hobos picking up garbage.....and my favourite medieval jousting! Yes I said Jousting, where does one get jousting gear and attire nowadays??? I don't ask but yes every week there is some sort of medieval fight going on.

The tam tams is like a little Woodstock in Montreal every Sunday without the musical talent but about the same amount of drugs. It is a gathering of all the city's freaks and some non-freaks, men, women, ladyboys,Hipies dogs, cats, people on a family picnic, people dropping acid everyone is welcome. You can dance like no one is watching you, the way we all do when we're home alone cleaning, only now you can do it with 100 other people who look just as stupid and no one cares.

There are stands of jewelry and bongs, and hand-made crafts, in fact every item there I had seen somewhere in Thailand or Nepal......made me travel for a few hours last Sunday and all I had to do was walk 10 blocks south of my place.

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