Drummer provides the beat for neighbors

SHANGHAI－Although Charles Foldesh, a 37-year-old drummer from the United States, had to temporarily stop performing due to the COVID-19 resurgence in Shanghai, he has transformed his balcony into a stage, winning applause and cheers from his neighbors.

The megacity, with a population of 25 million, is currently under temporary closed-off management. Amid multiple rounds of citywide nucleic acid testing to stem the spread of infections, Shanghai has become a primary battleground against the Omicron variant.

Foldesh, who is also a drum teacher, has lived in Shanghai since 2007. During the ongoing closed-off management period, he is making good use of his talent and time by playing drums while sitting on the balcony of his apartment in the city's Hongkou district.

Foldesh has become a viral sensation, as videos circulating on the internet show him drumming a melodic rhythm amid enthusiastic cheers of his neighbors.

"That is cool. Hope the beats can drive everything bad away," comments a user on the popular short video sharing platform Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

Life under the pandemic has been frustrating for a lot of people although they have got food, water and other basic necessities, Foldesh says.

"The other day when I was out there, I noticed that all the neighbors were on the balcony, making a lot of noise, like Shanghai Jia You (Shanghai, keep going).So I heard everybody was going a little crazy, and I figured that it was the right time to set up the drums on the balcony," he adds.

"Playing drums on the balcony is really something I've wanted to do for a long time," Foldesh says, adding that he did not anticipate such an energetic reaction from the neighbors. "I thought they would be yelling at me to stop, but everybody was really enthusiastic about it, and it kind of brought the spirit of the community up a little bit."

Expressing his astonishment at how his video has garnered widespread attention on social media, Foldesh says a lot of his friends and acquaintances outside of Shanghai sent him the video to confirm if that was him.

"I'm happy to give them some energy, but I guess it also lifts the spirit of people outside Shanghai, as well as the community. So I'm glad people liked it," he says.

The skilled drummer says he is optimistic about the situation in Shanghai and that his family has stocked up on supplies and stockpiled food. However, he has been concerned about his work, as he is unable to teach or perform, leaving him without income.

"I experienced the pandemic in 2020 when many clubs were closed for a while, and then they opened gradually. During that time, I took full advantage of the time to practice and settle," Foldesh says.

"China's response to the pandemic is very strong and swift, which allows people to return to normal life quickly. The real heroes in my eyes are the delivery people because they have kept us safe at home during the pandemic," Foldesh says.

Xinhua