Faisal Zedan

(doumbek, tar, riqq, derbakki, darabukka, doumbec, darabuka, tambourine, frame drum)

A master percussionist in the Syrian classical tradition, Syrian-born Faisal Zedan plays riqq (tambourine), derbakki (goblet drum), and tar (frame drum) with equal mastery. Born in 1972 in oum D'Baib, Syria, Faisal Zedan grew up impassioned with the derbakki. At the age of 15, after intensive study with a local drummer, Faisal began studies of the wide repertoire of Arabic music. Upon arriving in California in 1992, he met UCLA's noted professor of ethnomusicology, Dr. Ali Jihad Racy, and was invited to join the acclaimed UCLA Near East Music Ensemble. Faisal co-founded the Near East music group, Kan Zaman, in 1993. Faisal is on the faculty of the the Middle East Music Camp and the Kosmos Camp in Northern California.

Featured Video

This amateur video was posted by a fan attending Ancient Future's 11/23/2007 concert at the De Young Museum in San Francisco.