The future of a musical instrument has never looked so bright. People all over the world are enjoying the darbuka and many westerners are becoming quite good players also! The darbuka lends itself to many styles of music from Rock and country to dance and trance. It’s such a versitile instrument which also means that its future is safe. The good thing about having an instrument like this leave its shores and travel to the far corners of the earth is that it can then find a new voice and grow in new directions. And that is exactly what is happening.
On my recent trips through Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Greece i was able to see what was happening in local music scenes and what the future was for the darbuka. It’s not until one arives in Turkey that it becomes clear as crystal as to what it is. The Turkish drummers are in the middle of a darbuka and dohola revolution!They are taking what is possible on these drums to a whole new level. The beautiful thing about all of this is that the ceramic darbuka and dohola drums have some back into fashion. Bringing a musical instrument back to its organic roots can only have a positive effect.
It would be fair to say that this darbuka revolution has come about thanks to Misirli Ahmet and his new method of playing. Misirli Ahmets style is sometimes referred to as split finger technique and is a new method that opens up the possibilities on the drum. It is the true modern style.
Before i continue please let me just ask you to leave any judgements you may have at the door. You may have seen many super fast players with light bulbs in their drums simply just plaing fast for the sake of …playing fast! Yes, it does take me back to the decade of the 80’s when super fast guitar shredding was all the craze. Let me just say this- It is a merely a key to unlock a new world of possibilities for any darbuka player that is willing to practice enough and learn the techniques. Once the musicians has the key, it is then their own musical tastes (or lack there of) that you will be listening to.
More to come on this post so please…..stay tuned!!!
Tags: darbuka dohola
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