Hakim Ludin
Percussion
The modern jazz’n’world percussionist started his musical career with a classical orchestral education at the conservatory of Karlsruhe in Germany. After completing his degree, he played in several jazz and avant-garde formations and began composing music for well known theatre groups in Germany. Besides his own projects, studio work and appearances on television, he has performed with highly acclaimed jazz musicians Jonas Hellborg (bass John Mc Laughlin), Terry Bozzio (Drummer Frank Zappa), Alex Acuna (Weather Report) and Luis Conte (Yellow Jackets). As a studio musician he can be heard on several releases. Hakim is regularly called upon to act as the musical director for the international jazz and drum seminar at the Bayerische Musikakademie Marktoberdorf in Germany. As an author, he has published three instructional books on congas and percussion instruments, Flying Congas (IMP Warner), Congas & Bongos and Percussion (both Verlag Müller/Burger). They are considered to be one of the basic works on percussion.
Hakim has been the musical director at the International Rhythm-Seminar at Marktoberdorf (Germany) with the following artists: Terry Bozzio, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, Chad Wackermann, Luis Conte and Alex Acuna in 1994, 96, 98, 2000 and 2002. He performed at the International Percussion-Festival in Warschau Poland and at Documenta 11 in Kassel in 2002. In 2001 he performed at the Journeés de la Percussion in Paris and in 2000 at the PASIC European Meeting in Sofia. He perfomed at the Jazz Festival in Jyväskylä, Finland in 1999.
Hakim’s current projects include Planet Lounge, a collaboration with jazz piano player Christoph Spendel and the sound artist Naoki Kenji. The first CD of this formation will be played on the Entertainment Program of Lufthansa Airlines. Another project is Blue Cave, a collaborative work in global thinking with with the Blues-Harpist, Chris Kramer. The first set of concerts of this formation at the Balver Höhle met with overwhelming audience and critical acclaim. Solo performance Roots of Drums is another of Hakim’s projects.
In the field of modern jazz’n’world percussion, Hakim Ludin has established a new level of artistic work in percussive art. His sensitive approach to playing and colourful musical images are on high demand on live stages as well as in recording studios. Inspired by deep emotion, his magical sound can be called “lyrical jazz”. Hakim Ludin works with Zildjian Cymbals/Sticks, AKG microphones and Remo heads and currently lives in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Discography
Rengineh (2003; with Zarbang Ensemble)
Blue Cave (2002; Blow till Midnight Musikverlag)
Electric Bolero (2002; LIQUID LOUNGE - Elektrolux/ZOMBA)
Masala (2001; Blue Flame Records, BMG)
Journey (2000; Blow Til Midnight Musikverlag)
Peace for Kabul (1996; Blue Flame Records, Warner Chappell)
One World Percussion (1996; Selected Sound, Emi)
The Silk Road (1996; Brother Records)
Binafschar (1995; Blue Flame Records, Warner Chappell)
Unchain My Harp (1993; Vollton Musikverlag; Friedemann Witecka)
Tracks (1991; Valle Venia; Leo Philipp Schmidt)
Avenida Atlantica (1990; Musikverlag Burger & Müller/Karlsruhe)
For more information on Hakim Ludin please visit: www.hakimludin.de
and email him at hakim.ludin@t-online.de
Pejman
Hadadi
Tombak and Daf Player
Considered the “finest Iranian percussionist in the West”
(KPFA Radio and Rhythm Magazine), Pejman Hadadi began playing
tombak at the age of ten with the masters of the instrument
Asadollah Hejazi and Bahman Rajabi. In 1990, upon immigration
to the United States, he began his professional career, performing
and recording with ensembles of Persian classical music as
well as Indian, Turkish and American musicians.
In 1995, Pejman Hadadi joined Dastan Ensemble, one of today's
leading “most-forward looking Persian music ensembles”
(LA Weekly). With Dastan, he has performed in many important
music festivals world-wide and toured extensively in the US,
Europe and Iran. Over the years, he has also perfomed with
some of the masters of Persian music including Hossein Alizadeh,
Shahram Nazeri, Hossein Omoumi, Parisa, Ali Akbar Moradi and
Ardeshir Kamkar both locally and on tour in the US and Europe.
Since 1998, Hadadi has collaborated with Banafsheh Sayyad
and been the resident composer and performer with the Persian
dance group, Namah Ensemble.
Pejman Hadadi’s modern approach to the traditional Tombak
lies in his ability to produce melodic patterns within rhythmic
structures as well as in his experiments with creating complex
variations on the basic sounds of Tombak. He also brings to
Persian rhythm an Indian percussive sensibility that he has
studied over the years. Hadadi has a deep interest in uncovering
ancient Persian rhythms that were later adopted by Indian
music and can be traced in their repertoire.
The recipient of the prestigious Durfee Foundation Master
Musician Award, Pejman Hadadi is the founder of the Neyreez
World Percussion Academy in Sherman Oaks and Newport Beach
in Southern California, where he teaches Tombak and Daf.
“Hadadi’s
music can be mystical and contemplative but also stirring
and celebratory, his more frenetic songs inspired men and
women to applaud wildly”
Jonathan
Curiel, Dirty Linen World and Folk Music Review, 6/01
“Pejman
Hadadi is the finest Iranian percussionist living in America”
William
Bloomhuff, Rhythm Magazine, 5/01
“Pejman
Hadadi delivered nothing short of magic as he transferred
the ecstasy embedded in Sufi poetry with fiery fingers that
had me and the rest of the audience stunned”
Farhang
Farrahi, Javanan Magazine, 5/01
“The
masterful Hadadi delivered an astonishing array of sounds”
Don
Heckman, Los Angeles Times, 4/01
“Hadadi
delivered a mighty tombak solo that had the whole house
out of their seats and yelling”
Greg
Burk, LA Weekly, 10/00
“Hadadi
is a technical wizard who contributes fire and a unique
personality to improvisational passages.”
John
Payne, LA Weekly, 4/98
Discography
Rengineh, 2003 with Zarbang Ensemble
Journey To Persia, ARC Records, 2003 with Dastan Ensemble:
Hamid Motebassem, Setar
and H. Behroozi-Nia, Barbat
Whisper on Kereshmeh Records, 2001 with Ali Akbar Moradi,
Tanbur
Midnight Sun on 7/8 Productions, 2000 with Hossein Behroozi-Nia,
Barbat
Fire of Passion on 7/8 Productions, 1999 with Ali Akbar Moradi,
Tanbur
A Tale of Love on Kereshmeh Records, 1999 with Parisa &
Hossein Omoumi, Ney
Through Eternity on Traditional Crossroads, 1997 with Dastan
Ensemble and Shahram Nazeri
Scattering Stars Like Dust on Traditional Crossroads, 1998
with Keyhan Kalhor, Kemanche
Javid Afsari Rad
Santur Player
Born in Isfahan, Iran, Javid Afsari Rad began studying the Santur and the traditional Persian Radif at the age of sixteen with Parviz Meshkatian and master musician Faramarz Puyvar. His studies led him to Norway, where he later graduated from the University of Oslo in the field of Musicology. Javid’s illustrious career includes solo performances in notable world music festivals in Bayreut, Germany, India, Brazil, South Africa and Holland as well as ensemble work with world known musicians, Pt. Hariprasad, Dr. L. Subramaniam and Chourasia among others. In Norway, where he has lived since 1986, Javid is known as an innovative performer and an ingenious composer. His highly acclaimed work in 2002 included the album COMBONATIONS featuring well known musicians from Iran, India, China, Morocco, Senegal, Gambia and Brazil and the album CARAVAN with musicians from Iran and India. In the same year, Javid conceived and composed the music for the live concert, ASIATIC CARAVAN featuring musicians and dancers from Iran, China and India, which was performed on tour in Norway. Javid has appeared with Zarbang in numerous prestigious festivals throughout Europe. Through his affiliation with a number of Norwegian Arts Organizations, Javid has composed soundtracks for film and theater.
For more information on Javid Afsari Rad, please visit www.combonations.no
Mehrdad Arabi Fard
Tombak and Daf player
Mehrdad Arabi began studying Tombak as a teenager with the venerable Morteza Ayan. His enthusiasm and unrelenting discipline quickly placed him at the top of his class and upon the discretion of his teacher he took up the instruction of other students alongside his own training. Upon Mr. Ayan’s immigration to Europe the training of all the students were placed in Arabi’s hands. In addition to teaching, he completed the Tombak notation of the particular technique practiced by Ayan and compiled and edited this body of work together with his own innovations in rhythm into three volumes of books.
With the guidance of Master Tombak player Amir Nasser Eftetah who had a great influence upon him, Arabi began his ensemble work at the Center for Preservation of Music in Tehran and was later invited to join the Mowlana Ensemble with whom he performed extensively in Iran and abroad. He later collaborated with the Faramarz Puyvar Ensemble as well as numerous other ensembles including the Bidel Ensemble, the Bahar and the Zolfonoon Ensemble.
In 1996 the Borneo University of Art and the Ministry of Culture invited Arabi to Borneo for concerts and recordings. His work was received with great enthusiasm and he was awarded a medal of honor from the University. In recent years, Arabi has performed in more than 150 concerts in different countries including France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Greece, Cypress, Spain, UK, Croatia, Turkey, Malaysia, Singapore and Canada with the aim of introducing the Persian cultural heritage to the world. In April of 2001, Arabi performed at the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida that met with great acclaim from the press as well as the conductor of the Symphony Orchestra who presented him with a medal of honor on behalf of the orchestra.
More recently Mehrdad Arabi has performed to enthusiastic crowds at the Hollywood Bowl; Armand Hammer Museum; Morgen Wixson Theater; and California Plaza as part of the Festival of Central Asia. He was a featured percussionist in the World Percussion Masters concert at the Electric Lodge and the Festival of Sacred Music at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.
In addition to Tombak and Daf, Arabi is proficient in the Kemanche and Violin, which he began studying as a teenager with Mohammad Moghadassi, and later with Reza Rahimi Jafari. He studied the Radif of Saba with Moghadassi and the traditional Radif with Dovoud Ganjeie. He took up classical violin with Rubin Tomassian and music essentials with Mehdi Javanfar, an Orchestra Conductor in Toronto, Canada.
Arabi has participated in more than 20 recordings as a performer, composer and arranger some of which include Mehmaan-e To (Your Guest), Beyaad-e Gozashte (In Memory of the Past), Majnoon, Narges-e Mast (The Drunken Narcissus), Bahar-e Shiraz (The Spring in Shiraz), Concert-e Talar and Nassim-e Bahari (Spring Breeze).
Arabi’s greatest honor has been performing and recording with two of the greatest masters of Persian music, Hassan Kasaie and Jalil Shahnaz. He is also very proud of the distinguished students he has trained who have won first place awards in music competitions across Iran, and appeared on the Iranian National Radio and Television.
Mehrdad Arabi currently teaches tombak, daf, violin and kamanche at Neyreez World Music Academy in Sherman Oaks and Newport Beach, California.
Reza
Samani
Tombak, Daf, Zorna, Ney-Anban
Born in 1977 in Chahar Mahal, Bakhtiari, Iran, Reza Samani
began studying the Tombak with his brother Behnam Samani at
the age of eight and later became the student of D. Samani.
At twelve he picked up the Zorna and later the Ney-Anban and the Daf. In 1999 he traveled to Germany to collaborate on a project with the Ensemble Samani and from then he began his professional career and residency in Germany, where he pursued the study of music and world percussion. Reza has performed with Zarbang Ensemble and Ensemble Samani in numerous festivals and concerts throughout Europe. He teaches Tombak and Daf in Cologne, where he resides and conducts workshops throughout Germany.
Morshed Mehregan
Zarb-e-Zoorkhane, Vocals
The Tehran born Mehregan Gerami Haghighi known as Morshed Mehregan became interested in Varzeshe Baastaani or the Ancient Iranian Martial Arts at the age of 16. From very early on he was magnetically pulled towards becoming a Morshed or guide. In the Ancient Iranian Martial Arts, the Morshed recites, sings and plays the Zarb-Zoorkhane or drum, rousing up the participants and guiding them through their exercises for inner and outer development. Morshed Mehregan trained for one year with Master Mehdi Koreyi at the Pouryaye Vali Zoorkhane (Training Center for the Martial Arts) in Tehran and with his own persistent practice, he was able to attain advanced levels as a guide in terms of his musicianship. By joining Zarbang, Morshed Mehregan became the first Morshed to combine the Zoorkhane style of vocalization and percussive sound with other percussive music of Iran. He holds a degree in Physical Education, which he teaches alongside his practice and teaching at the Zoorkhane in Tehran, where he resides.
Alireza
Piruznia
Tombak-Daf
Born
in Tehran in 1971. In his childhood he was floating in the
rhythms and beats played by the predominant drummers of his
time, so by the age of 12 he started learning Tombak with
Morteza Ayan. He acquired his first teaching experiences in
his teenage by transferring what he had learned to his classmates
and friends. In 1996, he started playing Daf with Ardeshir
Kamkar, and then continued with Masood Habibi in 1998; meanwhile,
his eagerness on Jalil Shahnaz’s Tar playing, encouraged
him to start playing this melodic instrument with Ali Badakhshan
and Mansoor Sinaki.
His interest in Naser Farhangfar’s style on Tombak,
led him toward professional playing.
From 1994, he started teaching Tombak professionally in some
music centers such as Pars Music Center, Bidel Institution,
Kelas Saz, and to name a few. He is the founder of the exclusive
Tombak and Daf training institute” “Harkat-e-Noe”,
in Tehran which is considered to be one the established centers,
specifically for percussion instruments.
He has published some instructional books focusing on Tombak
and Daf, “The Theory of Rhythm”, “Teacher’s
Training Courses” and compositions for percussion. He
has played in Bahar, Nakisa and Mehravar ensembles and established
his ensemble called Harkat-e-Noe in 2000. The members of Harkat-e-Noe,
consist of some of his student, who have reached a level and
ability of performance after years of intense practice. This
band has performed repeatedly in many music halls in Iran,
such as Andisheh and Roodaki Hall. Alireza has also experienced,
and been involved in the industry of Drum making and has succeeded
to develop percussion instruments with high quality and standards,
which is being produced and manufactured in Tehran. Alireza
has also participated in numerous recordings with different
musicians and his compositions as well. Later he joined Zarbang
in 2005 and the level of mastery in his technique and creativity
has contributed a broad musical dimension to this ensemble.
