Zarbang Ensemble
The Zarbang Ensemble is an Iranian musical group performing traditional Persian music. Zarbang was founded in 1996 by leading Iranian percussionists Behnam Samani, Morteza Ayan and Siavash Yazdanifar in Germany with the double aim of introducing Iranian percussion instruments to international audiences and combining them with percussive and melodic instruments from other cultures.
Current Members
- Behnam Samani
- Hakim Ludin, the virtuoso Afghan percussionist and resident of Germany who has a mastery over most Latin American, African, Indian and Afghani percussion instruments
- The Iranian born, US resident, Pejman Hadadi, who is one of the foremost musicians on the Tombak, Daf and other percussion instruments
- Versatile Iranian percussionist Reza Samani, resident of Germany, who performs Iranian wood wind instruments, Ney-Anban and Zorna in addition to Tombak and Daf
- Javid Afsari Rad, a highly acclaimed Iranian Santur player and resident of Norway
- Morshed Mehregan Haghighi, one of the most well known Morsheds of Iran on Zarb-e-Zoorkhane.
Zarbang's strength lies in its ability to create a new sound by fusing together instruments of various cultures while staying true to the essence and origin of each instrument. Zarbang's new sound entails the use of vocalization, melody and various effects in the context of percussion. The repertoire of composed pieces and structured improvisations are dynamic, meditative and internal on one hand and ecstatic and trance inducing on the other with the latter drawing upon Sufi and ancient Iranian rhythms where the Daf plays a pivotal role in inducing trance states. Zarbang's concert work sometimes includes dance, performed by Banafsheh Sayyad and her contemporary Iranian dance company, Namah, based in the US.
