{"id":257653,"date":"2019-09-19T18:05:10","date_gmt":"2019-09-19T21:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/?p=257653"},"modified":"2019-09-19T19:02:57","modified_gmt":"2019-09-19T22:02:57","slug":"the-beat-of-arab-percussion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/en\/the-beat-of-arab-percussion\/","title":{"rendered":"The beat of Arab percussion"},"content":{"rendered":"

S\u00e3o Paulo \u2013 Arab rhythms like maksum, said, masmoudi, muhaijar and zarafat are part of the constant studies of Messer<\/a> di Carlo. The musician has studied Arab instruments and rhythms for seven years and started teaching four years ago. He\u2019ll bring these rhythms to a workshop at the Arab Brazilian Culture Institute (ICAB<\/a>) in Bras\u00edlia next Friday.<\/p>\n

He believes that understanding the beat of Arab rhythms is one of the first steps to learn. Most of his students are belly dancers. Their first goal is to tap into the rhythm of their own dance. \u201cMany of them go to the instrument classes later,\u201d he told ANBA. Pictured above, Messer with some of his students.<\/p>\n

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One of the Arab instruments Messer plays is derbake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Born in Brazil, Messer has no Arab descent, but he got his penchant for history from his father. \u201cI\u2019m close to the culture since I was a child. My father was quite an esoteric man, so to speak. And this encompassed all [that he came to study later],\u201d said the musician.<\/p>\n

Self-taught, some of his heroes include Arab musicians Faisal Zeidan from Syria, Souhail Kaspar from Lebanon, Kayed Selawy from Egypt, as well as Turkish musician Hakan Kaya. \u201cBy seeing some artists such as Faisal, I started learning on my own. Before I even noticed, I was playing and teaching rhythm classes. I think I was 21 when I started playing Arab percussion,\u201d explained the musician, who had started playing the drums when he was 13.<\/p>\n

In both his studies and practice, Messer works with one technique. \u201cI have a special feature if you compare to other musicians. I play the traditional style. There\u2019s no fusion of techniques. As a teacher, I also teach the traditional Arab technique,\u201d he says, mentioning both Egyptian and Turkish ways of playing.<\/p>\n

Percussion with no instruments<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the first time ICAB hosts the workshop, which will offer a certificate and is for people of all levels. The workshop\u2019s intention is taking musical teachings into practice through techniques such as solf\u00e8ge, an Arabic singing technique.<\/p>\n

Students may take percussive instruments such as derbak, duhulla, daff, bendir, bongo, snujs, caj\u00f3n, pandeiro and others. But they are not required to take any material. The workshop at ICAB, as well as some classes by Messes, doesn\u2019t require instruments at first.<\/p>\n

The teacher explains that the first step is the voice. \u201cIt\u2019s important to learn rhythms. We\u2019ll do part of the solf\u00e8ge technique. Then, we\u2019ll sing the rhythms. And we only use the instruments after we have learned to sing. This technique comes from the East. Singing and then playing,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Other ways to learn the rhythms are the body itself. \u201cClapping in the rhythm works on everyone\u2019s music sense. Whether you have an instrument or not. Many people are interested and doesn\u2019t get the part the of the rhythm. This will allow people to experience the Arab music in fact. From two to 16 tempos,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Messes also teaches private classes and performs at the Brazilian capital city. \u201cI play samba and other percussion instruments. I have a project called Jo\u00e3o e Gil, where I play songs by Jo\u00e3o Bosco and Gilberto Gil. I use an Eastern technique. I use the Arab technique on every instrument and musical style, including samba and MPB,\u201d he detailed.<\/p>\n

Check the video below of the musician and some of his students playing Arab instrument derbake.<\/p>\n