Rhythm and Roman Dance Workshop Presentations
Event Date: 2012-04-08

Wanna discover more about Turkish culture?
Check out our workshop presentation…

April 8 Monday 19.00, at Katadrom offiice.

Rhythm Workshop with Raquy Danziger (Dumbek/ Darbuka)
Roman Dance Workshop with Gulay Sutcu

Rhythm Workshop with Raquy Danziger (Dumbek/ Darbuka)

Raquy Danziger is a celebrated performer, teacher and composer known worldwide for her expertise on the dumbek, the Middle-eastern hand drum. Hailing from unlikely Western roots, Raquy has distinguished herself as a unique phenomenon and earned a place of renown in the genre. In demand on several continents, she has collaborated and performed with several of the most famous Middle Eastern drummers in the world.

Raquy has had the honor of performing in Egypt as a soloist with Said El Artist (The Egyptian “King of Tabla”) and his drumming orchestra at the Cairo Opera House, the Alexandria Opera

House, the Cairo Citadel, the historic Ewart Hall in downtown Cairo, and the Great Hall in the Bibliotheque in Alexandria. In 2005 she was the recipient of the Meet the Composer grant, which enabled her to perform her original composition with Said El Artist’s orchestra in Egypt. Raquy has appeared on Good Morning Egypt, Leila Kebira, O TV, the Culture Channel, and Turkish Television, and has been interviewed on Al Gezira.

“Raquy and the Cavemen,” her New York-based duo with Liron Peled, tours worldwide and has appeared as a headliner in many major festivals. In addition to the dumbek, Raquy also plays the twelve- string Kemenche Tarhu, a rare and exotic bowed instrument designed after the Iranian spike fiddle. Both Raquy and Liron have recently begun Mongolian Throat Singing, which they do in harmony, adding yet another dimension to their innovative performances.

Now based in Istanbul, Turkey, Raquy specializes in a style know as the Turkish Split Hand technique. Her study, practice, and perfection of this technique with her teacher Bunyamin Olguncan and other master Turkish drummers has helped her realize a mission: to incorporate what she has learned into her original music and share it with audiences and students world wide through performances, workshops and instructional materials.

Raquy’s infectious enthusiasm for Middle Eastern music has attracted students from around the globe. She has released three Dumbek Instructional Kits each of which includes a book, a DVD and a CD. These have helped to spread “Dumbek Fever” far and wide, opening new horizons for students, a number of who often perform with her as “The Messengers.” Raquy hosts drumming retreats for her students in the Catskill Mountains, NY, the Sinai

Desert in Egypt and Istanbul, Turkey, and taught a course in Arabic Drumming at the American University of Cairo. She has also created her own line of custom-designed dumbeks that are available through her online store at http://www.raquydrumstore.com

“Raquy and the Cavemen’s” CDs include: “Masmudi”
(2001), “Dust”(2004), “Jordan” (2005) “Naked” (2007), ”
Mischief”, (2008), “Bewitched” (2009) and “Release the Green
Lover” (2010).

Roman Dance Workshop with Gulay Sutcu

Dancer Gulay Sütçü, who specialized on Roman dance, took part in various arts-culture and music festivals and worked with worldwide musicians and performers taught Roman Dance at the International Rhythm and Art Camp. She teaches at dance schools and gives private lessons.

India’s former prime minister Indira Gandhi said that the story of the Roma was one of sorrow and suffering. But also one of triumph of the human spirit over misery. These words describe best the history and soul of the about 15 million Roma people that are spread all over the World.

Settling in all countries and cultures the Roma are exposed to all kinds of  aversion and discrimination. They though never lost their joy and spirit to celebrate, dance and sing. Over generatiosn that has always been one of the features they were most famous for: their talent for music and dance.

The Roman dance figures, steps and music originate from northern India. But the music and dance was influenced  and also  influenced the dance and music style in the countries the Romas travelled.  One of the most known examples is flamenco which has its origin in the Roman dance. Also belly dance is in close relationship to the old Roman dances.