M-Audio Wizoo Darbuka [26/30] Darbuka

28

3 English

Mohammed Zaki

(Bendir, Riqq, Sagat, Tura, Bongos)

Originating from Alexandria (Egypt), Mohamed Zaki began drumming at the age of six and was already

working with dancers by the age of ten. Through his varied career Mohamed has worked in Egypt with it’s best

known musicians and dancers (such as Dandash and Hindela or Hanan and Mustapha Amar), in Germany

(with artists like Mohamed Askari, Sharazad, Rita Sherif, Beata and Horacio Cifuentes, Zahrah, Nabila and

Sabina Zaida) in Poland with the Philharmonia of Opole and Hannè, in Paris with Natasha Atlas and in 2001

he accompanied the world renowned author Günther Grass’ project “Novemberland” as it toured through

Baby Sommer, Günther Grass, Matthias Frey, Büdi Siebert und Lothar Krell . In Egypt he was co-founder of the

group Rahalah, worked as an advisor for the Free Music label and as Soloist with artists such as Mohamed

Mounier, Mohamed Mohey, Fathy Salama and the Sharkiat Group.

The Instruments

Darbuka

Also known as the Tablah or Dumbak, the Darbuka is a single-

headed hollow hand-drum found in most Middle Eastern and

Arabic music ensembles. The cylindrical body (goblet-shaped

with a narrow waist) is held under the arm and across the players

lap and played with the fingers of both hands, one from above

The Darbuka was traditionally made from fired clay and the head

from goat, calf, or fish skin, stretched and glued to the body. A

modern Darbuka is likely to have a cast iron body and a Mylar

head with adjustable skin tension. These plastic heads are favored

in contemporary performances because they are louder and cut

through.

Darbukas are almost always ornately decorated with wood, tile or bone inlays, etched metal, or Middle

Eastern paintings and designs.