I play in several bands
and we are available to play at any event, concert, festival, party,
weddings etc. For availability and rates please contact me at
chas@arabicdrum.co.uk .
Please click on the following band name for further info:
Performing Bands
SOUK BAB el
LOUK
- Souk Bab el Louk play songs from across the Arabic,
Balkan and Turkish regions, with dancer.
MAZAJ
- Ensemble playing traditional Middle
Eastern instruments and covering a wide selection of Arabic and Turkish
tunes with dancer.
The following bands are NOT performing bands
PANJANDRUMS -
7 piece band fusing Arabic, Spanish, Indian, Balkan, N.
African and Reggae grooves, with dancer.
BABYLON ARABIC
BAND - 4 piece
group led by Iraqi born Oud player and singer Mohammed Nafee covering a
selection of favourite Arabic tunes.
Listen to SOUK BAB el LOUK at their
My Space site :
Click Here
Maren Lueg -
Arabic & Turkish Nay Flute, Turkish Clarinet, Zurna, Mizmar and
Saxophone and Silver Flute. Maren was born and raised in Germany and
is now resident in the UK. Inspired by the sounds she heard from the
Turkish and East European communities. She began studying these styles
as well as Jazz, Blues and Latin on the saxophone and flute. She
performs regularly with British and Middle Eastern musicians around the
UK and has studied such traditional Middle Eastern wind instruments as
the Nay (bamboo flute) and Zurna (double reed pipe) in Istanbul and
Cairo.
Chas
Whitaker-
Darabuka / Douf / Riq / Zills. Chas has been studying Middle
Eastern Percussion for over 15 years and has travelled extensively and
studied in Morocco, Turkey, Israel and Egypt. He plays in several bands
such and accompanies many Oriental dancers, specialising in drum solos.
He teaches locally in South West England and nationally including the
UK's largest drum festivals.
Simon
Leach - Oud / Doholla / Tabl Baladi.
An amazing multi percussionist Simon plays far too many instruments
to mention here but is proficient on many Middle Eastern and North
African instruments as well as several Western ones too. In high demand,
Simon features in many musical projects including Panjandrums and
Eastpole Orchestra.
Carmen Jones -
Middle
Eastern dance. and Riq.
Carmen began her love affair with Arabic dance in the early 1990's.
In that time she has acquired knowledge from many great teachers along
the way from far and wide. She now shares her joy and experience of the
dance with audiences and students nationwide; from the bright lights of
a theatre to the grassy fields of a festival, Carmen takes much pleasure
in celebrating the occasion with you through her dance.
SOUK BAB el LOUK repertoire includes the
following, ( we are happy to consider requests to learn and perform
other songs.)
ARABIC:
Ah Ya
Zen, Al Ataba Gazaz, Alf Layla Wa Layla, Ana Fi Intizarak, Aziza, Baladi
Carmen Original Composition, Enta Omri Part 1, Fog Il Nakhal, Il Bulbul,
Il Noam, Original Percussion solos., Raqs Layla, Saiddi Zurna Original
Composition, Shamousa, Sidi Mansour ( Maghrebi ), Talla, Zeina.
TURKISH:
Chiftitelli Original Composition, Nigriz Syrtos, Rampi Rampi, Uskadar,
Yeslim
BALKAN
Miserlou, Gypsy Colours , Osogovsgo, Sar Planina
Souk Bab el Louk as
The Arabic Balkan Gypsy Band
UPCOMING CONCERTS
18th May 2011 - The Canteen, Stokes Croft, Bristol BS1
3QY. 10pm, FREE entry.
24th June - GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL - Friday the 24rd of June
at 23.00 Ancient Future Stage, Tipi Field. Sunday the 26th of June at
14.50pm to 15.35 at the Tadpole Stage. Sunday the 26th of June at 17.40
at the Band Stand.
1st July 2011- MIDDLE EASTERN
MUSIC, DRUM & DANCE FESTIVAL: Souk Ba-el-Louk with Carmen, Raheesha and
Michelle Pender -Evening concert only: £7 - Camerton, nr. Bath.
For more info. about the Middle Eastern Music and Dance Festival and
directions:
http://arabicmusicband.com/festivals/middle-eastern-music-and-dance-camp
16th July 2011 - Last performance as Arabic Balkan
Gypsy Band - Amnesty Benefit Event, Lewes, Sussex.
10th of August 2011 - TRIBE OF DORIS
MULTICULTURAL SUMMER SCHOOL - Blackdown Hills
- Souk Ba-El-Louk trio (Chas, Maren, Ali).
27th Nov. 2010 - Middle Eastern Music and Dance
Extravaganza - Chapel Arts Center, Lower Borough Walls, Bath.
27th-29th August 2010 - Aeon Festival Shobrooke
Park Estate, Crediton, Devon.
17th July - Bristol - Leftbank
24th July 2010 -
Trowbridge Village Pump Festival - Horizon Stage
30th
May 2010 - Bristol Eco Veggie Fayre - Main Stage. The Ampitheatre,
Bristol. 6p.m. - £8.00.
4th June 2010 - Bath Fringe Festival, Green Park Brasserie, Bath. 9pm. £5.00
9th June 2010 - Middle Eastern Music, Drum and Dance Camp
- Camerton Community Hall in Timsbury, Somerset, near Bath.
13th
April 2010 - St. Aiden's Church, Fir
Tree Lane, St. George, Bristol, BS5 8QQ
"You
have to hand it to the people at St Aidan’s – a doughty crew of
volunteers who manage to keep a programme of live music running and
somehow cover all the bases from choirs to folk and from classical to
world music. There’s a good turnout for this gig, with pretty much all
the seats taken (the music happens in the church itself) and even some
colourful ‘festival clothing’ being sported. The set up makes for a
quite formal concert ambience, as does the explanatory talk before each
tune, but the music is definitely mostly for dancing. Percussionists
Chas Whitaker and Simon Leach set up authentic rhythms, switching
between drums to enrich the sound, and Maren Lueg’s wailing ‘nay’ flute
fills the church’s enormous vaulted ceiling. Things get more visual with
the
arrival of dancer Carmen Jones, resplendent in a golden ‘belly dancer’
outfit. She’s an important ingredient to the whole performance and a
very good dancer and it’s particularly impressive to see the tight
co-ordination of her moves with the rhythms and structures of the music.
The music itself lifts best when the band adds flourishes to the tunes,
Maren’s sax or David Mowat’s trumpet soaring above Edd Bateman’s
bubbling basslines and the flurry of percussion. By the second half
Carmen is inviting the audience to come and dance and the mix of
enthusiastic amateurs and a few who’ve clearly practised their moves
enlivens things enormously. It’s very apparent that the audience is
loving it all and the band keep the party mood going to their final
much-demanded encore. (Tony Benjamin) VENUE MAGAZINE.
6th March 2010 - MAJMA - Bellydance Festival -
Glastonbury
22nd Feb.2010 21:00 - Bath - The Bell Inn
2009
4th Dec. 2009 - Bristol -Thunderbolt.
20th Nov. 2009 - Bradford On Avon - St Margaret’s Hall
Centre.
"3th
April 2010 - St. Aiden's Church, Fir
Tree Lane, St. George, Bristol, BS5 8QQDear Dave, a huge thanks to you,
Simon, Chas, Ed, Maren and of course Carmen ( who captivated everyone
with her dancing ) for such a brilliant performance on Friday. Please
pass on our sincere thanks...As people left they were really happy, and
the collections bucket alone raised almost £300. Everyone agreed there
was a great atmosphere...which of course was largely down to you, the
band...Monies not yet all sorted but looks like we'll be sending over
£1000 to MAP.....thanks again, best wishes, Judith"
25th Sept. 2009 - St. Georges, Cafe - after show
performance at Natacha Atlas concert.
28th
Jun. 2009 - Tadpole Stage, Green Futures Field ,Glastonbury Festival,
Pilton.
28th Jun. 2009 - Small World Stage, Glastonbury Festival Pilton.9th Jul
2009 - Glastonbury Festival, Pilton.
19th Jun. 2009 - South Bank Arts Centre Bristol.
5th
Jun 2009 - Green Park Brassiere Bath Spa ( Bath Fringe Festival )
27th May
2009 - Spiegeltent, Bath Spa ( Bath Fringe Festival )
8th
May
2009- The Thunderbolt - Bristol.
17th April
2009
- Blue Lagoon - Bristol
7th March
2009 - MAJMA - International BellyDance Festival - Glastonbury
"Majaz perform
traditional songs from across the Middle East and Turkey on traditional
instruments and can provide
spectacular dance.
Maren Lueg.
Traditional Middle Eastern wind instruments ( Ney, Turkish Clarinet,
Zurna ) and Saxophone, Silver and wooden flutes and Clarinet.
Maren was born and raised in Germany and is now resident
in the UK. Inspired by the sounds she heard from the Turkish and East
European communities. She began studying these styles as well as Jazz,
Blues and Latin on the saxophone and flute. She performs regularly with
British and Middle Eastern musicians around the UK and has studied such
traditional Middle Eastern wind instruments as the Nay (bamboo flute)
and Zurna (double reed pipe) in Turkey and Israel. Currently completing
her Masters on the Nay at the London School of African and Oriental Studies.
Chas Whitaker-
Darabuka / Douf / Riq / Zills.
Chas is
predominantly self-taught, studying a range of Middle Eastern and North
African percussion. Over the last 15 years he has been performing and
teaching across the UK and abroad. He plays in several bands and
accompanies many Oriental dancers specializing in drum solos. He teaches
locally in South West England and nationally including the UK’s largest
drum festivals.
Russell Harris, Oud, Saz Indian
and Middle Eastern percussion
Russell has been involved in the study
and performance of Middle Eastern music since the mid 1980's - After
a initial period of study in Konya,Turkey specialising in Anatolian folk
traditions with Ustat Ahmet Ozdemir, a renowned player of Oud and Saz (
long necked lute ) he broadened the scope of his study to include Arabic
instrumental styles, specialising in Oud and Percussion. Russell has
performed extensively throughout the UK with groups Bazigah, Taaliqa
and Panacea and with a range of international artists including Adel
Salameh and Naziha Azzouz.
Carmen Jones , Middle Eastern
dance.
Carmen began her love affair with Arabic dance in the early 1990's. In
that time she has acquired knowledge from many great teachers along the
way from far and wide. She now shares her joy and experience of the
dance with audiences and students nationwide; from the bright lights of
a theatre to the grassy fields of a festival, Carmen takes much pleasure
in celebrating the occasion with you through her dance.
ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS / SINGERS / DANCERS
We can provide more musicians for a fuller sound if required including
percussion, Oud, trumpet, bass and vocals - please contact for full
details.
Caitlyn
- Middle Eastern dance. Caitlyn has
performed and taught internationally, accompanied by musicians ranging
from Arabic bands Mazaj and Mazmeer to rapper Fat Joe. She has danced on
American television, been interviewed by the BBC, and performed at
venues such as the Dorchester Hotel, the Park Lane Hilton, Oxford
University and Whitehall Palace. She is an elegant and versatile
performer, equally comfortable dancing solo or in a company, for an
intimate audience or a banquet hall of hundreds.
She has studied with some of the top dancers and instructors of Egypt,
Turkey, Germany, America, and the U.K., and has taken classes in ballet,
modern dance, Argentine tango, salsa, hip-hop, flamenco and Roman
(Gypsy) dance.
MAZAJ repertoire includes the following, ( we are happy
to consider requests to learn and perform other songs.)
ARABIC
Al Ataba
Gazaz, Alf Layla Wa Layla, Anna Fi Intizarak, Aziza, Baladi Carmen (
Original Composition), Beit Ashar, Bint El Chalbiya, Bint El Balad, Bin
Barach al Youm , Che Mali Wali, Dok al Mazaher( Wedding Zaffa Tune ),
Dulab Hijaz , El Helwa Di, Fog El Nakhal, Il Bulbul, Il Nom, Ishtakillak,
Lamabada, Nasam Aleyn Il Hawa, Noura Noura, Raks El Gamal, Samra Samra,
Sammai Bayati, Sammai Nawather, Shamousa, Sharq Jalaman, Talaa, Ya
Shadi Al Han, Ya Mal el-Sham, Ya Laila Hilwa, Ya Ain Moulaytein.
Listen to MAZAJ at their
My Space site :
Click Here
Watch the MAZAJ SHOWREEL to see Mazaj performing and
their workshops :
See Maren, Chas and Carmen perform live at Glastonbury
Festival 2008 - Broadcast simultaneously on BBC 2 :
UPCOMING CONCERTS
Now - through to
September 2011 - MAZAJ DUO have a residency at Newton Mill Holiday
Park - 8.30pm performance starts - contact Newton Road, Bath BA2 9JF,
Tel: 01225 333 909 - for dates when playing - Open to the public.
29th May - Amnesty
International Benefit. Hagen, Germany. Mazaj Duo.
4th - 5th of June
2011. Performance and Workshops at the Roman Re-enactment weekend,
Chester. Mazaj Duo.
11th June 2011 -
CLUB CAIRO at the Chapel Arts Centre - 7.30p.m. - Bath. Full Band. For more info and bookings: - http://www.chapelarts.org/events/?regevent_action=register&event_id=27&na
me_of_event=CLUB+CAIRO
8th -10th of July
2011 - DRUM CAMP- Bungay, Suffolk NR35 1NF - Mazaj Duo and Carmen
Jones
Performance & Percussion and Dance Workshops to Live Music with Carmen
and the Mazaj Duo. For more info:
www.musicworldwide.org
29th of July to 31st
of July 2011. WOMAD - Middle Eastern Dance Workshops to Live Music with
Carmen and the Mazaj Band - Womad Festival, Charlton Park. Full Band
10th of August 2011 - TRIBE OF DORIS MULTICULTURAL SUMMER
SCHOOL - Blackdown Hills- Full Band - see
www.tribeofdoris.co.uk
17th of August 2011
- Namaste Club, Las Dalios Hippy Market, San Carlos, Sant Eulalia -
IBIZA. Mazaj Duo and Yaron Marko.
18th of August 2011
- Kumaharas Restaurant, C Lugo, 2 Cala De Bou, San Jose - IBIZA Mazaj
Duo and Yaron Marko.
19th August
2011 - On The Beach Reastaurant, Cala San Vicente - IBIZA Mazaj
Duo and Yaron Marko and Nur Banu.
13th April - ELECTROSTATIC Dreams From
The East - Colston Hall, Bristol
( FULL BAND )
2010
27th Nov. 2010 - Middle Eastern Music and Dance
Extravaganza - Chapel Arts Center, Lower Borough Walls, Bath, BA1 1R
8p.m. - ( FULL BAND )
30th Oct 2010 - Dreifaltigkeits Kirche,
Hagen, GERMANY.
29th Oct 2010 - Cafe Dialog, Hagen,
GERMANY.
27th-29th August 2010 - Aeon Festival - Shobrooke
Park Estate, Crediton, Devon. ( FULL BAND )
4th June 2010 - Bath
Fringe Festival - Green Park Station, Bath. ( FULL BAND )
5th June 2010 -
Exeter Respect Festival, Main Stage, Big Top, Belmont Park, Exeter (
FULL BAND )
23rd - 27th June 2010 - Glastonbury Festival,
Somerset. Tadpole Stage, Mandala Stage, Small World Stage,
Ancient Futures Stage, West Holts Backstage Stage.(
FULL BAND )
30th April - 1st
May - Bergenfest - Festivalbaren, Hotel Norge Nedre Ole Bulls plass 4,,
Bergen, Hordaland , NORWAY ( FULL BAND )
10/02/2010 20:00
- Bath - Tantrika
20t/02/2010 20:00
- Bristol - 21-23 Somerville Club
2009
24/9/2009. - Planet
Egypt, London.
8/7/2009 19:30 - Cafe La Strada Frome Festival.
( FULL BAND )
9/7/2009 20:00 - Drum Camp Norfolk.
07/03/2009
- MAJMA DANCE FESTIVAL - GLASTONBURY
28/05/2009 - Radford Mill Farm - Radford.
( FULL BAND )
1/03/2009 Exeter University - Arabic Society Cultural Event
( FULL BAND )
2008
13/12/2008 - A NIGHT
IN TUNISIA - JAZZ CAFE - CARDIFF.
"This 7-piece band fuse influences from
India, Spain, North Africa, the M. East, the Balkans, Turkey with a dash
of reggae. A wide range of traditional instruments are played from
Spanish Guitar, Indian Tabla and Harmonium, Bendir, Shaum, Ney, Oud,
Darabuka as well as Flutes, Saxophone and Electric Bass. They present a
collection of covers and original compositions and can provide exotic
Belly Dancers too."
GROUP
MEMBERS
Mike Ford –
Indian Tabla, Arabic Percussion.
Simon Leach -
Guitar, Saxaphone, Arabic Percussion and Pipes.
Andy Westwood
– Spanish Guitar, Indian Tabla, Arabic Percussion.
Chas Whitaker
- Arabic Percussion.
Jenny
Black - Flute, Zills and Quarqaba.
Ali
Cross - Electric Bass.
Maren Lueg - Flute,
Saxophone, Ney, Zurna and Turkish Clarinet
Listen to PANJANDRUMS at their MySpace site :CLICK HERE
Moorish Masala E.P. available for £5.00
PREVIOUS EVENTS
PANJANDRUMS
have played at many events - some notable ones include Shambala
Festival, Jersey Drum and Percussion Festival, Tribe Of Doris
Beltane Afro Fiesta
party, Didj In Devon, Bristol Vegan
Fayre, Butterfly Valley ( in Turkey ) and Drum Camp East.
This UK based band consists of Iraqi, Scottish, German
and English musicians. Led by M. Nafee Mohammed, they present here a
selection of Mohammed's favourite songs which he performed at parties
and celebrations in Baghdad.
THE BABYLON ARABIC BAND CD “SAMRA” IS NOW AVAILABLE IN ALL MAJOR
UK RECORD STORES AND AT
Amazon.co.uk or
Aladdin's Cave
"If you were being perversely optimistic, you might
argue that one positive result of the catastrophic situation in Iraq is
that so many of its fine musicians are now living abroad and sharing
their country's rich culture with the rest of us. The singer and Oud
(lute) player M Nafee Mohammed has found his way to Edinburgh, from
where he tours all over Scotland and leads The Babylon Arabic Band. The
other members of the group are local performers who have studied Middle
Eastern music, and their first recording features a good selection of
Oriental traditional favourites. Mohammed has a fine voice and the other
musicians especially percussionist Chas Whitaker play with a
balanced sense of authentic style. At the same time the performances are
pretty four-square and rarely venture beyond the basic rendition of the
tune : though things do start to move more freely on Il Bulbul; when
Maren Lueg's sax playing bounces around the melody. The relative
simplicity of the performances would make this a good choice for
learning your first bellydance steps to, or transcribing some well known
Arab tunes to play along with ." - Bill Badley -
SONGLINES World Music Magazine Issue 47 Nov. 20th 2007.
Maren Lueg -
Arabic & Turkish Nay Flute, Turkish Clarinet, Zurna, Mizmar and
Saxophone and Silver Flute. Maren was born and raised in Germany and
is now resident in the UK. Inspired by the sounds she heard from the
Turkish and East European communities. She began studying these styles
as well as Jazz, Blues and Latin on the saxophone and flute. She
performs regularly with British and Middle Eastern musicians around the
UK and has studied such traditional Middle Eastern wind instruments as
the Nay (bamboo flute) and Zurna (double reed pipe) in Istanbul and
Cairo.
Chas
Whitaker-
Darabuka / Douf / Riq / Zills. Chas has been studying Middle
Eastern Percussion for over 15 years and has travelled extensively and
studied in Morocco, Turkey, Israel and Egypt. He plays in several bands
such and accompanies many Oriental dancers, specialising in drum solos.
He teaches locally in South West England and nationally including the
UK's largest drum festivals.
Simon
Leach - Oud / Doholla / Tabl Baladi.
An amazing multi percussionist Simon plays far too many instruments
to mention here but is proficient on many Middle Eastern and North
African instruments as well as several Western ones too. In high demand,
Simon features in many musical projects including Panjandrums and
Eastpole Orchestra.
Caitlyn
- Middle Eastern dance. Caitlyn has
performed and taught internationally, accompanied by musicians ranging
from Arabic bands Mazaj and Mazmeer to rapper Fat Joe. She has danced on
American television, been interviewed by the BBC, and performed at
venues such as the Dorchester Hotel, the Park Lane Hilton, Oxford
University and Whitehall Palace. She is an elegant and versatile
performer, equally comfortable dancing solo or in a company, for an
intimate audience or a banquet hall of hundreds.
.JPG)
