Featuring Talented Professional Teachers and Performers
Raquy Danzinger
Raquy Danziger is a celebrated performer, teacher and composer known for her expertise on the darbuka, the Middle-Eastern goblet drum. Raquy has performed and taught around the globe from the great concert halls of Egypt to remote towns in Siberia, spreading love and excitement for darbuka drumming. Her unique and systematic approach has helped elevate this ancient drum to be a shining solo instrument fit for a concert hall.
Raquy specializes in the split hand technique, which is a fast and elaborate drumming style. She also plays the mystical twelve- string King Kemenche Tarhu, a rare and exotic bowed instrument,
Raquy has performed in Egypt as a soloist with The Egyptian “King of Tabla” – Said El Artist, and his drumming orchestra in the great concert halls of Egypt. She has appeared at Lincoln Center, at CRR concert hall in Istanbul, and in many festivals. In 2005, she was the recipient of the Meet the Composer grant. Raquy has appeared on Good Morning Egypt, Leila Kebira, O TV, the Culture Channel, Turkish Television, Arabs Got Talent, and has been interviewed on Al Gezira.
Raquy’s infectious enthusiasm for Middle Eastern music has gotten her invitations to teach all over the globe. Besides teaching at her Istanbul school, The Darbuka Ofis , she offers drumming immersions, university master classes and workshops.
Raquy has invented a unique notation system for the darbuka that many people are using today. She has produced five instructional methods, and now all of her teachings are available through her Online Darbuka School.
Raquy has composed over 50 melodic compositions as well as countless drumming pieces which can be heard in her concerts and in her 15 albums.
Caru Thompson
Shekere, Bell, Dunun, Vocals, Story teller, Poet
A ‘holder of the tradition’ she has been sharing African, American, Caribbean music for decades. Her vibrant Shekere rhythms have earned her the title “Queen of the top-hand”. This veratile percussionist brings with her her a stron, studied background in the spiritual music of the African diaspora. misc. She is a member of and performs with Women of the Calabash, in addition to being a founding member of Ase (Ah-shay), Caru has collaborated with other national and internationally known groups: Ubaka Hill’s Shapeshifters and Victoria Christgau’s Peace is Possible Choir, amongst others. In addition to radio and television performances and recordings here and abroad, Caru and Ase performed for President Nelson Mandela at Riverside Church. Caru is committed to using music as a healing tool and as a means of empowerment To that end she has shared her talents with various communities through teaching and facilitating ceremonies.
Valerie Naranjo’s performance career is one many percussionists would dream of having. She plays percussion for NBC’s Saturday Night Live band and performs on Broadway’s The Lion King. She has recorded and performed with some of the biggest musical acts in history, including the Philip Glass Ensemble, David Byrne, the Paul Winter Consort, Tori Amos, Airto Moreira, and the international percussion ensemble MegaDrums, which includes Milton Cardona, Zakir Hussain, and Glen Velez.
More than her impressive performance credits, Naranjo’s career has broken boundaries of genre and gender to help redefine the way we as percussionists engage with our communities. Valerie has created a space for percussionists that is more inclusive to everyone, especially women. “She broke a gender barrier by being the first woman to perform on gyil and to become a first-place prize winner in Ghana’s Kobine Festival of Traditional Music,” says Dr. Patrick Roulet. She has incorporated musical instruments and styles from around the world into pop, classical, rock, and folk traditions, which have influenced our entire field. “Her contributions to music and percussion are boundary breaking, crossing, and uniting,” says Dr. Roger Braun. “From the popular music of the Saturday Night Live band, to the New York musical theater scene, to the gyil music of Ghana, to her impact as a world music educator, her influence is profound.”
Leaf Miller
Bio coming
Women of the Calabash
Women Of The Calabash was formed in 1978 by its founder and artistic director, the late Madeleine Yayodele Nelson. Yayo, as she was affectionately called, was respected as a vocalist, vocal arranger, percussionist and master of the craft of playing and making shekeres. Her scope and expertise brought her to the attention of Paul Simon with whom she performed on his album, “Rhythm Of The Saints” and received a platinum record.
The phenomenal performance ensemble combines traditional instruments, vocals and traditional music forms with contemporary influences. Through their performance and informal dialogue, Women Of The Calabash introduce audiences of all ages to the history and playing techniques of a wide variety of instruments. By performing a variety of music from Africa, the Caribbean and Black America, this ensemble crosses boundaries of style and instrumentation to give unity and context to the African American experience.
Fre Atlast
Fre Atlast lives and works in the Hudson Valley as a musician, producer, community activist, and Street Priestess.
