About Mecca Bodega
Mecca Bodega is a percussive driven band from New York City featuring imaginative rhythmists Marc and Paul Mueller. With seven CD releases and extraordinary live performances, they continue to create a unique, hypnotic sound that is fresh and challenging to the ear and spirit. Mecca Bodega's latest CD "Skin," on Harmonized Records includes high energy performances by Djembe master Dr. Djobi and French Horn player/keyboardist Alex Brofsky!
The instruments featured on their compact discs and movie scores range from African drums and Brazilian percussion to hammered dulcimer, found objects, guitars, didjeridoo, and voice. Mecca Bodega is a part of the Music Under New York program and when not touring can be heard performing all over the city, from Grand Central Station to Lincoln Center. They are members of the Home Grown Music Network.
Mecca Bodega has been featured on National Public Radio broadcasts of "New Sounds" on WNYC and Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" with Simon 7 of Didjworks. They've recorded several film scores, including HBO's Subway Stories, directed by Jonathan Demme; they also appeared in this film. Mecca Bodega worked with Public Enemy and Stephen Stills on the soundtrack for the Spike Lee movie, He Got Game. Their music has been a part of several internationally aired PBS programs including Hasten Slowly: The Life of Sir Laurens Van Der Post, and recently, the group is featured in the German documentary, Musik Im Untergrund.
The band has collaborated with M. Doughty (Soul Coughing), Mary Lorson (Madder Rose), Chris Rael (Church of Betty), Kevin Salem and numerous other performers. In addition, Paul has been busy recording and producing CDs and DVDs in his studio, including the Jammy's DVD release featuring the Allman Brothers, Bob Weir, Jon Scofield, Steve Winwood and others.
Having an insatiable appetite for touring, Mecca Bodega has touched audiences nationally and internationally, including performances at Lollapollooza, Woodstock (reunion), Celebrate Brooklyn Summer Festival, Merkin Concert Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and tours of the U.S. and of Australia.
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- The Instruments of Mecca Bodega
- Roll your cursor over the different instruments in the picture at left to find out more about them.
- Gonbop Drums
- These are conga drums on a stand made by the company "Gonbop." They can be played as hand drums or with mallets. The bottom trunks collapse into the drums to make them easier to transport. The conga drum evolved in Cuba and became popular in the U.S. with the Afro-Cuban jazz movement of the 1940's.
- Djembe Drum
- The djembe is present in many regions of West Africa. It is a mortar-shaped drum that has an animal skin (usually goat, cow or antelope) stretched over one opening and is beaten with bare hands. There is a broad spectrum of sounds that can be produced by the djembe which makes it ideal to be used as a solo instrument.
- Djembe Drum
- The djembe is present in many regions of West Africa. It is a mortar-shaped drum that has an animal skin (usually goat, cow or antelope) stretched over one opening and is beaten with bare hands. There is a broad spectrum of sounds that can be produced by the djembe which makes it ideal to be used as a solo instrument.
- Caixixi Shakers
- The casing of these shakers is woven like a basket and is filled with many small, hard particles (seeds, stones, etc.). These shakers originate from regions of South America; although shakers have been used in music and ceremonies all over the world throughout the history of humans, seeds and stones.
- Didjeridoo
- The didjeridoo is from Northern Australia and has been played by the Aborigines for about 40,000 years. It is a tree branch hollowed out by termites, stripped of its bark, and painted with traditional dream time symbols. The length of the didjeridoo helps determine the note that is played. It is played with a special technique called circular breathing and is used for healing and during sacred ceremonies.
- Sekere
- The sekere is a calabash gourd surrounded by a net which has beads strung into it along its entire length. It is rhythmically shaken and hit with bare hands which causes the net to move and strike the beads against the sides of the calabash.
- Goat-Hoof Shaker
- Animal hoof shakers have been used by the Native Americans and by many other cultures all over the world in different forms of music and ceremonies. The goat hooves shown here are strung together in a circle and can be worn around the ankle or wrist or held in the hand to play.
- Icebell, Chinese Cymbal, Cowbell Sculpture, Metal Shank
- We use Peter Englehart percussion made from metal and springs. We call his piece pictured here "The Shank." The metal cowbell is handmade by Alexandra Limpert.
- Ashiko Drum
- A straight, cone shaped hand drum originally from Nigeria. It has a wooden shell and animal skin stretched over one opening. This drum is also called the Shiko.
- Gas Tank
- 1970 Caterpillar gas tank in B flat.
- Guitar
- A guitar fish is a stingray that somewhat resembles a guitar in outline when viewed from above.
- Hammered Dulcimer
- The hammered dulcimer is an ancient member of the zither family and is an ancestor of the psaltry. Dulcimer literally means "sweet song," and its design and playing style helped give birth to the modern day piano. The dulcimer player uses hand-held hammers to strike the strings, while a pianist uses fingers on keys to force hammers inside to strike the strings. The hammered dulcimer has two strings per note, which creates beautifully sustained notes and harmonies.There are several versions of the hammered dulcimer that are played worldwide. Persia: Santir; Russia: Chang; India: Santoor; Thailand: Khim; Korea: Yangum; Switzerland: Hackbrett; Hungary: Cimbalom.
- Jun Jun Drum
- A large two-headed African drum made with a wooden or metal shell. The one shown here was skinned by Sekou Jawara. The jun-jun drum is used in djembe orchestras to accent and call changes in the music.
- This instrument's name is Boris.
