I received some very sad news yesterday about the passing of a friend and longtime contributor to the Philly music community, Dante Bucci. For those of you who don’t recognize the name, there is a chance that you might have come across him backing various local artists like Mutlu and Amos Lee on percussions or at his own solo performances, but you may have most likely come across the bearded, long-haired fellow on the streets of Center City at lunchtime or after work, in Old City during First Friday, or on the campgrounds of Philly Folk Fest tapping on a rare, flying saucer-like instrument called the Hang drum. He was a master of it and in my humble opinion, the premier Hang drum player in the world. You can find a collection of his demonstration and performance videos with millions of views on YouTube. Dante instantly loved the instrument after discovering its existence, and he enjoyed educating others about it. He was a gifted musician and special person. He came from a kind, music-loving family, and shared what he had learned from them with others. Philly Folk Fest started last night, and will be going on through the weekend. It was his favorite event to attend every year, and he was a fixture there, whether as an official performer on stage, a volunteer, or a random entertainer in the campgrounds. He will be missed this weekend and way beyond it. I’d like to offer my condolences to his family, girlfriend and friends for their tragic and sudden loss. Also, my apologies because this is the first time that I had to write something like this about a friend, and I know that these few of words could hardly encapsulate all that he has meant to others. RIP Dante. (Photo by Jump Philly) – Q.D. Tran
