A Ramadan Drumbeat Is Sounded in Queens

Mr. Boota, a limousine driver “I’m late today,” he explained as he popped the car trunk, hauled out a barrel drum, grabbed two rough-hewn wooden sticks and, as a few bewildered mechanics watched, pounded out a galloping rhythm. The clamor echoed off a nearby hotel. however Mr. Boota, a limousine driver, has built a sideline as a ceremonial drummer for his fellow Pakistani immigrants. He is also New York City’s foremost — and perhaps only — Ramadan drummer. A few hours before dawn during the holy month of Ramadan, drummers throughout the Muslim world take to the streets to wake the faithful in time for a meal before the daytime fast.

Mr. Boota, 54, introduced the ritual to the darkened streets of Brooklyn about eight years ago. But after his drumming roused a spate of noise complaints, he restricted himself to a few blocks along Coney Island Avenue, where many Muslims live. This year, however, he has decided to push back — gently. Ramadan began on Aug. 11 and ends on Thursday, and on this recent morning Mr. Boota was taking the tradition farther afield, pioneering new drumming territory in Queens.