Mısırlı Ahmet’s workshops open to the world in Güre

BALIKESİR

The workshops focus on the darbuka, but other rhythm instruments will also be taught and the workshops will include instructions on rhythm, the darbuka, yoga, flamenco and dance. AA photo

The hills of Balıkesir will be alive with the sound of Turkey’s “darbuka” drum this summer, as participants from around the world descend on the Kaz Mountains for the Mısırlı Ahmet Rhythm and Dance Camp.

The Mısırlı Ahmet Rhythm House, home of its founder, Mısırlı Ahmet, the world-renowned master of the darbuka, is celebrating the fifth of its annual rhythm camp retreats this year in the village of Güre in Edremit. From July 27 to Aug. 12, participants from Japan, Colombia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Lebanon will attend workshops under the direction of Mısırlı Ahmet, as well as leading musicians, dancers and artists from around the world.

For 17 days, participants will create a corpus of work under the guidance of Mısırlı Ahmet, preparatory to a live performance at the end of the event.

The workshops focus on the darbuka, but other rhythm instruments will also be taught in other lessons.

The workshops will include instruction on rhythm, the darbuka/deholla, the ney, drama, Anatolian dance, Azeri and Latin dance, flamenco and Oriental dance, as well as yoga. The accommodation will be in classic “camping” style, meaning participants are expected to bring tents.

Training in classical rhythm is divided into two main phases; the first is the memorization of rhythms according to doum-tek templates and the second is technique practice, which many frequently deride as dull and boring. These kinds of methods based on memorization and which allegedly kill
creativity are not applied at the Rhythm House.

Both the advanced level group and the beginners’ group play the same compositions; the difference between the advanced level and the beginner is the difference in terms of the distance they have covered in the compositions and their way of interpretation. Progress is made in the composition by adding one or two rhythm sentences in each training session. The rhythm sentences played will subsequently continue to increase to an ever-greater degree. During this process, technique is developed, resulting in tunes ever-more pleasing to the ear.

The workshops adopt composition activities in order to improve rhythm perception and the development of technique, while also attaching a lot of importance to rhythm improvisations. From the very beginning, rhythmists play in an impromptu fashion in order to develop their free souls.

Participants are not expected to reach a certain level before improvising because as the performance level progresses, the technique also improves.

Speaking about the events, Güre Mayor Kamil Saka said he was very happy to host such an arts and culture event in his town. “Culture and arts events are open for everyone,” he added.