David Adekoya’s performance in Held By The Rhythm is a medicine for sadness
By Michael Kolawole
Aduragbemi David Adekoya’s performance in the short film Held By The Rhythm is brief but poignant, serving as the emotional negotiation between the dispirited protagonist and the spirited drummer.
Dressed in all black in a white studio, David, whose stage name is DAYVEEDD, twists his body, jumps in the air, and rolls on the floor. His movements express the internal confusion and discomfort of the protagonist (played by Isaac Boluwatife Ojo), who watches him on a laptop at The Montgomery Theatre & Art Centre in Sheffield.
In a bid to distract himself from his inner conflict, the protagonist covers his ears with a pair of headphones and immerses himself in DAYVEEDD’s dance video.
Meanwhile on the stage right in front of the protagonist, the drummer (Adeniyi Adekoya) plays the Djembe drum, trying to catch the protagonist’s attention, who neither hears nor sees the drummer on the stage.
When DAYVEEDD’s dance piece ends on the laptop, the absent-minded protagonist lifts his head to survey his surroundings and is surprised to see the drummer. As though confronting the protagonist for being absorbed and neglecting his presence, the drummer stands and fiercely fixes his gaze on him. The protagonist stares in awe and bewilderment, his eyes bearing it all for us to see.
Though the film has no dialogue, DAYVEEDD’s dance piece serves as a candid but muted conversation between the distraught protagonist and the fiery drummer, transmitting feelings and stories.
Through DAYVEEDD’s prancing and drifting, we have a glimpse of the protagonist’s consciousness. When his dancing images are superimposed with Adeniyi’s inspirational drumming, we get the impression that music and dance expressions are synonymous and both have the power to bestow clarity on a confused mind, which in turn leads to happiness and self-actualisation.
Despite its relevance to the story, DAYVEEDD’s performance is so transient that it almost loses its affecting significance. The brevity renders the performance a mere flicker amid the film’s broader current of disorientation and seeking clarity of mind. What might have been a lingering catharsis quickly dissolves into fleeting memory the moment the protagonist becomes aware of the drummer on the stage.
Regardless, Held By The Rhythm depicts that a moment of relaxation from daily stress could lead to cheerfulness and mental lucidity, and becomes entirely transformative. The writer and director, Adeniyi Adekoya shows us that music, if well matched with dance, could be a medicine for sadness.
