Faisal Zedan
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About
San Francisco-based percussionist Faisal Zedan, born in 1972 in oum D'Baib, Syria, grew up impassioned with the derbakki. At the age of 15, after intensive study with a local drummer, Faisal embarked on a journey of learning through exposure to a wide repertoire of Arabic classical and contemporary music, and since then has become a master of the derbakki as well as the riqq and tar (frame drum). Upon arriving in California in 1992, he met UCLA's noted professor of ethnomusicology, Dr. Ali Jihad Racy, and was then invited to join the acclaimed UCLA Near East Music Ensemble. In 1993, Faisal co-founded the Near East music group, Kan Zaman. Along with Donovan Lerman, Faisal is also a founding member of the Los Angeles-based Youm It Talaata percussion group. Since 1996 Faisal has taught at the Middle East Music Camp in Mendocino,California, and he also conducts workshops annually at the Kosmos Camp. Currently Faisal is a member of Eliyahu & Qadim, Stellamara, Kan Zaman and ASWAT, and in 2009 founded and directs a new group, Ajyal.
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