DrumQuest is a biannual contest for drummers held in Ukraine.

History

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DrumQuest was launched in March 2016 by Tobi "Medic Drums" Fatonade,[1] (born Olutobi David Fatonade),[2][3] a Nigerian drummer endorsed by Starsticks[4] who is currently living and playing[5] in Ukraine.[6] DrumQuest brings together different, talented but previously unknown drummers for a contest to provide a platform for their exposure to the world. The winner also goes home with a prize.

 
The Contestants at the SECOND edition of DRUMQUEST

DrumQuest, which is currently open to drummers of all ages, also provides an opportunity for young drummers to be mentored by established drummers. DrumQuest has grown to become a bi-annual event and has been touted by some media outlets as "Europe's Biggest Drumming Contest".[7][8]

First edition

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The first edition of DrumQuest took place between 5 and 12 March 2016 and featured Alexander Lyulyakin,[9] a drummer for Boombox and The Erised as one of the judges.

 
The Judges at the FIRST edition of DrumQuest

Fifteen drummers from all over Ukraine participated in the auditions.[10] Oleg Noga, a twenty-year-old drummer, won the first edition of DrumQuest.[11] In 2017, Noga moved to Poland to play with bands there.

Second edition

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The second edition of DrumQuest took place between 2 and 3 December 2016[12] at Dom Pechat[13] in Kharkiv. At the grand finale, Daniel Varfomeleyev, a twelve-year-old drummer from Dnipropetrovsk, beat fifteen other drummers to win the contest.[14][15]

 
The Moment Daniel Varfomeleyev was announced as the winner of the SECOND edition of DrumQuest

For the second edition, Alexander Lyulyakin, the drummer for Boombox and the Erised, returned as a judge. He was joined by Paul Kholdyansky, the drummer for Prime Orchestra[16] and Vadym Samosyuk of Los Samos. Anyanya Udongwo, musician and internet sensation famous for his rendition of "Hallelujah" at The Voice of Ukraine reality show 2014[17] (where he finished as a semi finalist), also performed as a guest artiste. The second edition was better than the first as more entertainment journalists covered the event.[18]

Upcoming edition

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Plans are being made to hold another edition of DrumQuest by October 2017.[needs update] More judges are expected to join the panel and more drummers have been invited.

References

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  1. ^ "Tobi-Medic Drums story". Save The Nations. Retrieved 2017-07-19.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Sunday Adelaja's Blog Inspiring: Nigerian Medial Student Hosts Biggest Drum Show In Ukraine! - Sunday Adelaja's Blog". sundayadelajablog.com. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  3. ^ YBLNigeria (2017-03-08). "Focus: Meet Nigerian medical student in Ukraine, F. Olutobi, the creator of Drum Quest, regarded as Europe's biggest drumming competition.pic.twitter.com/TfhN4SJowE". @yblnigeria. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  4. ^ "Барабанные палки StarSticks Украина". vk.com. Retrieved 2017-07-19.
  5. ^ Star Sticks (2015-11-03), Tobi Medic-Drums for StarSticks, retrieved 2017-07-19
  6. ^ "The 25-year-old Lagosian who established the biggest drum contest in Europe". G9IJA. 2017-02-14. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  7. ^ Ayoola, Simbiat (2017-02-13). "Meet 25-year-old Nigerian who established the biggest drum contest in Europe (photos/video)". Naij.com - Nigeria news. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  8. ^ "The CJD Blog|Food, Inspirational/Lifestyle Blogs". The CJD Blog|Food, Inspirational/Lifestyle Blogs. Archived from the original on 2016-12-05. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  9. ^ "Александр Люлякин: Я не брезгую никакими стилями музыки, кроме нашего шансона". www.theinsider.ua. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  10. ^ Drum Quest Ukraine (2016-01-25), Реклама, retrieved 2017-07-19
  11. ^ CampusDelight1. "Inspiring Stories of Nigerian Students". Campus Delight Magazine. Archived from the original on 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2017-07-09.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Drumquest Ukraine (2016-11-23), ПРИГЛАШЕНИЕ ОТ КОМАНДЫ DRUM QUEST, retrieved 2017-07-09
  13. ^ "Дом Печати" (in Russian). 2017-04-30. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  14. ^ Drummer Daniel Varfolomeyev (2017-01-23), Tiempo De Festival - Dave Weckl - Daniel Varfolomeyev 12 years - DRUM QUEST UKRAINE - 2016, retrieved 2017-07-09
  15. ^ "12 year old boy Daniel Varfolomeyev wins DrumQuest Ukraine - Gemssblog". gemssblog.com. Archived from the original on 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  16. ^ Праздник Дзержинский (2016-08-29), PRIME Orchestra Symphoshow World Hits ENG 2016 ПОЛТАВА, retrieved 2017-07-19
  17. ^ Lola Westham (2014-10-24), The best performance ever of Hallelujah by Anyanya Udongwo, retrieved 2017-07-19
  18. ^ "DRUM QUEST UKRAINE - Drum solo - Drummer Daniel Varfolomeyev 12 years | первый канал познер". tv1pozner.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2017-07-09.[permanent dead link]