Re: Bitchin' about the role of percussion in Mideastern influenced Jewish Music

[Eliezer Kaplan <zelwel...>]

Ernie said:
>EK
>agree mostly -  percussion in "belly dance" music is a whole other kettle
>of fish. In the middle-eastern band I play with - percussion (2 players
>(daraboukas/tablas + dancers-zils) is definitely out front followed by the
>leader on ney/zorna/accordion and then with oud and violin, often doubling
>with occasional taksim. often we're doing hand or raks percussion also.
>My understanding of KLEZMER (east european jewish music - the early stuff
>before it came to america) is that percussion instruments were not strong
>or even present and  that the percussion came from the  way the instruments
>were played etc. the drive can come from gutsy fiddle chording or cimbalom
>or accordion or bass, or the ornamentation and attacks/phrasing from
>clarinet and fiddle.
>Not so sure about SEPHARDIC jewish music but I have heard a fair amount of
>sephardic music with daraboukas and frame drums prominent.
>Ernie
>
>
 ...and I'm definitely including Sephardi music. Yes, there are darbukas
and frame drums, and to me they always sound subdued (though it may be that
there's stuff from Turkey or Armenia that I've never heard that may fit the
bill). And there's nothing about modern Klezmer that should keep such
instruments out of the picture (case in point- that Klezmatics track- Fun
Tashlikh). Personally, I think there'd be something to be gained from more
of that sort of drive (darbuka attack) in Jewish music with roots anywhere.
                Ellie Kaplan

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