TORONTO — During the NDP leadership convention March 23-24, you always knew when eventual winner Thomas Mulcair entered the room.
No, it wasn’t his charisma or his presence or the fact that when he entered a room, no matter how large, he changed it.
It was the drummers.
In a bit of showmanship unusual for NDP conventions, which are more accustomed to serious policy tracts and modest self-promotion, Mulcair had a group of enthusiastic young drummers (one columnist called them African drummers although they all were white) who led him around and announced his entrance.
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Think old black-and-white movies about Great White Explorers entering African villages and being met by a local chief whose presence was announced by drummers and whose appearance was signaled by frantic tribal rhythms.
An important person was about to appear.
So it was whenever Mulcair entered the arena. His supporters would cheer when the drumming started in the distance, and as the noise got closer, they cheered louder, creating what passes in the NDP as exuberance.
The drummers would appear through the crowd, Mulcair trailing and shaking hands.
The drummers wore red (a reference back to his days as a Quebec Liberal, perhaps, or maybe just because NDP orange was taken by other contenders?), and they were very enthusiastic.
So imagine the Saturday evening scene in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre that is a concrete behemoth.
It is the end of the NDP leadership vote after a long day of computer and counting glitches.
Delegates are anxious to get to the parties.
There are two contenders left: insider and party grandee favourite Brian Topp, an understated candidate whose only glitz were little top hats for supporters to be attached to their hair, and Mulcair.
Topp arrives, to the cheers of his supporters. He takes his seat among them, most wearing little Topp hats.
Then comes the sound of distant tribal drumming from the other end of the hall.
Mulcair is on his way. His supporters cheer.
The drumming gets closer and a handler comes to push media aside who are trying to take photographs.
The drummers need clear space to turn right, he says. Clear the space.
Mulcair needs clear space to go straight to the adoration of his delegates on the bleachers. Get out of the way.
How un-NDP is that display of self-promotion?
Twenty minutes later, Mulcair is declared the new leader of the NDP.
The drummers strike up their frantic drum rhythm.
At least everyone knew the new leader was still in the room.
