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Meet the Richmond drummer who toured with Karol G this summer
9/5/2024 | 2m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
T.K. Johnson joined the European leg of the “Mañana Será Bonito” tour.
Colombian superstar Karol G wrapped up her Mañana Será Bonito World Tour this summer in Madrid, Spain. Playing the drums was Richmond native, T.K. Johnson.
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VPM News is a local public television program presented by VPM
VPM News
Meet the Richmond drummer who toured with Karol G this summer
9/5/2024 | 2m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Colombian superstar Karol G wrapped up her Mañana Será Bonito World Tour this summer in Madrid, Spain. Playing the drums was Richmond native, T.K. Johnson.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipKEYRIS MANZANARES: Colombian superstar Karol G wrapped up her Mañana Será Bonito World Tour this summer in Madrid, Spain.
Playing the drums by her side was Richmond native T.K.
Johnson.
When Johnson auditioned, she didnt know who she'd be playing for.
T.K.
JOHNSON: And that's when I signed... signed a form that I saw who the artist was.
It was, said it was Karol G. I'm like, oh, I know...
I've heard of her.
That's a big artist.
KEYRIS MANZANARES: The 23-year-old drummer returned home after the tour to visit family and her old stomping grounds at Asbury United Methodist Church in Church Hill.
T.K.
JOHNSON: We were starting on buckets and whatever we had around to play on.
Eventually got drums, but yeah, just rudiments and buckets.
It's how I started.
KEYRIS MANZANARES: Kevin Davis, a church member, was her drumline instructor.
He says Johnson has always been a versatile drummer.
KEVIN DAVIS: To know that she's on tour, around the world, to know, that she's on TV doing major programs.
It's, it makes, it pleases my spirit to say that, you know, I know this student, and I see her rising, and it makes me happy.
KEYRIS MANZANARES: She doesn't speak much Spanish, but Johnson quickly learned to play Karol G's songs and joined a 10 date tour across nine countries.
She says music and drumming beats transcend language.
T.K.
JOHNSON: Playing an arena show every night and then stadium shows the last four, it's like these all these people came to see this person, and I'm a part of it.
It's, It's breathtaking to say the least.
KEYRIS MANZANARES: Johnson's number one fan is her mom Evelyn Woodward-Johnson who says she realized the magnitude of the tour during a concert live stream, which at one point surpassed 1 million viewers.
EVELYN WOODWARD-JOHNSON: That tells me she actually has lived out, so far, the message that she posted on her high school graduation cap.
It said, “I just want to be famous.” And I still have that cap, and I was like, “Well, I think she's done it.” KEYRIS MANZANARES: Next, Johnson is heading to Brazil for Karol G's headline performance at Rock in Rio.
For VPM News, Im Keyris Manzanares.
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