This week’s guest is Amir Sofi. Amir comes to us from the historic Mediterranean seaport of Haifa, one of the largest cities in the Middle East Now an accomplished, respected musician who has traveled the world as a master of his craft, playing the Ancient Arabic Tabla, Amir has devoted his life to this versatile and powerful percussion instrument, affording him a rich and exciting career. Career highlights include; performing with Sting and Cheb Mami at the 2001 Super Bowl to an audience of 200 million, stage and studio collaborations with (Mansour, Andy, Shani, Stevie Wonder, Michael Bolton ...) the finest Middle-Eastern and Western artists. Featured soundtrack recordings on (Spy games, the Hulk, Scorpion King, The Keeper, 10 commandments ...) as well as accompanying the world’s best belly dance; (Jillina, Aziza, Sadie, Tamra Henna...). These are just some of the accomplishments that Amir has so far enjoyed. Driven by passion and the desire to share his life through music, Amir invites you to experience the explosive fusion created on his first acclaimed album "Millennium". A distinctive mix of the thrilling dance rhythms and intoxicating melodies of traditional Middle-Eastern music with today's modem frenetic pulse heard in western music. Soon, you will be able to experience his much anticipated new album "Ana Esme Amir". Amir Sofi was only 13 years of age when he was first introduced to the tabla, a goblet shaped drum with a deep rich history and vast purpose. Amir's enthusiasm was not met by his parents who strongly favored his academic studies. Determined to learn, he secretly studied and even bought his first tabla with funds intended for a school trip. While others attended the trip, he spent the entire day hidden and alone until the school bus returned so he could go home at the same time as his classmates without creating suspicion. The tabla was the perfect instrument to focus his youthful energies, demanding both the dynamic abilities and learned respect that he sought and now possesses. By 15, Amir had not only assembled his own band, he was enjoying performing at local events and parties in his hometown. At 18 his abilities, no longer overshadowed by his youth, took him to Cairo, Egypt, to study at the prestigious "Conservatory of Music" while performing nightly with the finest musicians and dancers in the land. Upon graduation Amir returned to his native shore but was far from slowing down. Now 19 years old he became the youngest member of the number one band at the time "Dream", lead by the talented Zoohar Prancise. Amir's gift of skill and dedication were recognized as timeless by his fellow band members that were nearly twice his age. Things were moving fast, Dream was touring and Amir found time to collaborate with other well established bands plus regular performances on the most popular television shows broadcast throughout The Middle East. Amir enjoyed his first opportunity to travel with "Dream" on a 2 year tour throughout Yje Middle Eastl, Europe, America and Canada. Since the inception of Amir's dream, 7 years earlier, he had never deviated or decelerated on his path towards reality. When suddenly at the age of 20 he stopped at an unexpected crossroad in his life, turning towards another incredible experience and opportunity to entertain the world, only on a different stage. A visit to The Middle East, created a chance discovery and career offer by "Image Models", one of the pioneer and leading modeling agency. Amir's decision to accept was based upon a desire to challenge his performance abilities while discovering new musical influences and cultures during his travels. Immediate success and an invitation to work in America for "Ford Model Agency" propelled Amir to the height of runway modeling for Elite designers including; Armani, Valentino and Hugo Boss at countless national (Mumi, New York, Los Angeles ...) and international (Paris, Milan, London ...) fashion show venues. Unable to contain his musical appetite and desire he returned his focus and passion to his first love, the tabla, now on American soil the stage is set for success and Amir's musical rebirth continuing his quest in America to perform, accompany and record with the worlds finest international musicians and dancers took Amir to such cities as Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. All of Amir's new influences and experiences gave inspiration to hone his unique fusion in sound and in 1999 he returned to Cairo, Egypt to record his l* album "Millennium". Choosing the best studio "Ammar Sound", the elite orchestral sounds of ''El Masea", renowned engineering brilliance of "Ehab Nabil" along with many other of Egypt's finest musicians and composers to give authenticity to his lifelong dream. Upon returning to America to release "Millennium" Amir had the strong desire to give back to the world. The platform he chose was through the beautiful collaborations with many talented belly dancers by educating and inspiring new talent through his touring workshops, focusing on the connection between dancer and drummer, building respect and greater understanding for one another's art form. Amir eventually settled down in the entertainment capital of Los Angeles, California. Audiences can regularly see Amir perform at the best local Middle-Eastern venues. He also continues to tour with his workshops, record for movie soundtracks and accompany many famous belly dancers for instructional DVD's, and his much anticipated release of Amir's new album "Ana Esme Amir"

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to composer and musician Kaoru Watanabe grounds his performance in traditional Japanese music while inhabiting a startling combination of musical worlds. He is renowned for his ability to collaborate with a diverse array of visionary international artists: Jason Moran, Yo-Yo Ma and Silkroad, Spanish flamenco dancer Eva Yerbabuena, visual artists Simone Leigh and Alyson Shotz, calligrapher Koji Kakinuma, Japanese National Living Treasure Bando Tamasaburo, vocalists Alicia Hall Moran and Imani Uzuri, tap dancers Tamango and Kazunori Kumagai, Galician bagpiper Carlos Nuñez, So Percussion, Semba Kiyohiko, Reigakusha, Brooklyn Raga Massive, Adam Rudolph and Go:Organic Orchestra, the Aizuri and Parker String Quartets and pipa virtuoso Wu Man. In 2018, Watanabe debuted as an orchestral soloist and composer with the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House. He is an advisor, composer and featured musician on the Oscar-nominated score of Wes Anderson’s film Isle of Dogs and was a guest artist on the Silkroad's Grammy Award-winning album Sing Me Home.

Born to Japanese parents who were both members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Watanabe started playing Western Classical music at an early age, then graduated from the Manhattan School of Music as a jazz flute and saxophonist, followed by a decade in Japan performing with and eventually directing the internationally acclaimed Taiko Performing Arts Ensemble Kodo. Watanabe returned to New York City to continue developing his ever-evolving musical voice, specializing on transverse bamboo flutes such as the shinobue, noh kan and ryuteki and various Japanese percussion. Watanabe has performed his compositions at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Boston Symphony Hall, The Kennedy Center, and Kabukiza and in all 47 prefectures in Japan. Watanabe continues to perform regularly across the North, Central and South Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia. As a passionate educator, Watanabe has taught at such prestigious institutions as Princeton and Wesleyan University and the Tanglewood Music Festival.

Happy Birthday to Jeff Stern. Known for performing “with precision and an impressive attention to timbral detail” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), percussionist Jeff Stern has developed a voice to listen for in today’s contemporary music scene. He has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has collaborated with and championed the work of a number of the world’s preeminent composers. Recent premieres include Alejandro Viñao’s Stress and Flow with The Percussion Collective, James Wood’s Secret Dialogues for solo marimba, and John Luther Adams’ Sila at Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors Festival. As a proponent for the music of our time, Stern also actively commissions works by composers of his generation, such as Thomas Kotcheff, Emma O’Halloran, Robert Honstein, and Juri Seo.

Stern is the executive director, co-artistic director, and founding percussionist of 2 piano/2 percussion group icarus Quartet. Winner of the 2019 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, icarus is quickly gaining the attention of composers, presenters, and audiences everywhere. The 2021-22 concert season brings the Quartet to Florida State University, Community Concerts at 2nd, Music in the Valley, Northern Iowa University, the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the Kennedy Center’s REACH, and more, including an international debut at the Vienna Summer Music Festival. Fervently adding to its rich body of repertoire, icarus also premieres works by Ruby Fulton, Douglas Knehans, David Crowell, Amy Beth Kirsten, Scott Lee, and the two winners of its second annual student composer collaboration program, iQ Tests. The Quartet’s anticipated commercial album featuring the music of Michael Laurello, Brad Lubman, and Paul Lansky is slated for release on Furious Artisans records in Spring 2022.

With The Percussion Collective, Stern has toured the United States, performed on a live broadcast for WXQR’s Midday Masterpieces, and given a featured evening performance at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. He rejoins the Collective in the 2021-22 season for Chris Theofanidis’ Drum Circles concerto for four percussionists with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Michael Francis as well as the world premiere of a new work by Emmy Award-winning composer Garth Neustadter for the International Arts and Ideas Festival.

Additional highlights of Stern’s upcoming season include icarus Duo appearances with percussionist Matt Keown presented by Allegro Chamber Music Series in Philadelphia and Piano Spheres in Los Angeles with piano duo HOCKET. Stern also collaborates with the “Pershing’s Own” member Doug O’Connor playing duos for marimba and saxophone, with percussionist Nonoka Mizukami in Philip Glass’ Concerto Fantasy for two timpanists with the Peabody Wind Orchestra, and with members of the National Symphony Orchestra on Washington DC’s Constellation Chamber Concerts series.

Stern performs as an extra percussionist for the Baltimore Symphony and with several new music ensembles including Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Mind on Fire, NewPrism Ensemble, NakedEye Ensemble, and ensemble mise-en, with whom he toured to Hong Kong in 2018. He has appeared at the Yellow Barn Music Festival, the Bang on a Can Summer Festival, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and the Eighth Blackbird Creative Lab, and can be heard on the Albany, Elm City, Bright Shiny Things, figureight, and Cantaloupe record labels.

Stern serves as Lecturer in Percussion at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. He holds a B.M. from UMass Amherst, an M.M. from the Peabody Conservatory, where he was awarded the Harold Randolph Prize in Performance, and an Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music.

Happy Birthday to Akbar Moghaddam. Akbar is an innovator and master craftsman with a relentless passion for percussion. Working for the most celebrated brands in the industry, the man simply known as Akbar, has built a highly respected reputation for designing instruments that put the needs of
the player first. From his earliest days with the famed Valje brand in the late 80s, to his more
mainstream work with Latin Percussion and Gon Bops, the award-winning inventor has been
the architect of numerous design advancements, all while maintaining a healthy respect for the
traditions that percussion purists hold dear. Having worked in concert with legendary artists
such as Giovani Hidalgo, Alex Acuna, Karl Perazzo, Jesus Diaz, Orestes Vilato, Walfredo Reyes Sr.
and a host of other notable luminaries, Akbar’s talents have been immortalized on countess
recordings and played on the most prestigious stages throughout the world.
The blueprint for Akbar’s own brand, Sol Percussion, has been decades in the making. The ever-evolving
company he started in the Bay Area more than 30 years ago has recently been reborn as the
visionary re imagines a new line of premium, California-made boutique creations that will be in
keeping with the maker’s standards and attention to detail. With a new generation seeking
distinctiveness and uncompromising quality, this artisan will be answering the call—armed with
unmatched experience, an obsession for the art form and Sol.

Happy Birthday to Jamey Haddad. Born in Cleveland Ohio, Percussionist/Drummer Jamey Haddad holds a unique position in the world of Jazz and Contemporary Music.

Haddad's musical voice transcends styles and trends, and the universal quality of his playing has attracted many international collaborations. Regarded as one of the foremost world music and jazz percussionists in the U.S., is an associate professor at Boston's Berklee School of Music, New England Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory and the Cleveland institute of Music.

Haddad was voted one of the top 4 world percussionists in the world by the most largely read Percussion Periodical ‘Modern drummer” (July 2007). Recent tours include, The Fez Festival of World Sacred Music U.S. and the Paul winter consort tour in Japan. Mr. Haddad collaborates regularly with Paul Simon, Simon and Garfunkel, Osvaldo Golijov, (continued)

Gig Alerts

Music City Drum Show exists to unite the drumming community in the Greater Nashville area and beyond. Organized by drummer Landon Hall, the Music City Drum Show is focused on drum displays, sales, networking, and clinics - in a 34,000 sq ft space at the newly built Nashville Fairgrounds Expo 3 Building. All are welcome to come out and shop drums, cymbals, hardware, sticks, and all kinds of drum accessories from drum brands around the world, in Nashville Music City! July 9th and 10th from 10am-5pm. All ages are welcome. General admission $10 (Daily), Kids 5-12 $5 (Daily).

Damon will be speaking at the DIY Musician Conference in Austin, TX (with Chris Robley) from August 26-28 (Damon’s birthday is the 28th). He will also be doing a live podcast interview with a very special guest.

To find out more details and get reduced tickets, CLICK THIS LINK.

The Jazz Foundation of America announced new FREE performances to check out for the month of July in NYC and New Orleans.

The Big Climate Thing is a festival in Queens this September.

Educational Spotlight

PASIC registration is open and the prices are going up soon! They also released the list of exhibitors.

Iconic Recording

The iconic recording this week is “Hekayet Kol Ashek” by Hani Shaker.

Music News

The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has rejected arguments from Spotify and other music streamers and will significantly increase payments to songwriters and publishers for streams between 2018 and 2022. -Article

Instagram tests replacing all video posts with Reels in part of the company’s plans to “simplify video” on the app, as the company prioritizes making a shift into video a central part of the platform. -Article

You can check out more tips and tricks for social media as a musician in Episode 272, with friend of the show, Sarah Gallo.

Every Artist Needs a One Sheet, Jaxsta Has Launched a Game-Changer Using Official Credits & Fan Metrics. Whether you represent talent, or are promoting yourself, you need a great one sheet. Jaxsta’s latest feature takes the pain out of creating and maintaining one sheets by updating your official data automatically. Never miss an opportunity to be booked for gigs, media, brand partnerships, sync, collaborations and more! -Article

Amir Sofi Interview

The song leading into the interview is “Raksa” by Amir, from the album ‘Raksa With Amir: Music for Bellydance’.

The interview starts with Damon talking to Amir about the water crisis in southern California.

Amir is an Arab from Israel, hailing from the city Haifa.

Amir was introduced to percussion from his uncle. Originally his parents were against him learning music, but he wore them down.

Amir’s first darbuka was made of clay with a fishskin head. That fell and broke and he needed to replace it. He saved his allowance to buy a new instrument and also pay for lessons.

He started his own band at age 14 and also got his first paying gig at 14.5 years of age.

Damon and Amir talk about the difference between dumbek and darbuka. Turkey vs. Egypt.

Amir explains how the various percussion instruments are played in different regions like the Riq, Tar, Daff, Bendir, and Katem. He also explains how the Katem is played in different regions.

Amir talks about the pros and cons of using fishskin versus plastic heads. To tune the drums you can use a heating pad or a lamp.

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Amir talks about recording for the new movie, “Black Adam”. The score for the movie was composed by Lorne Balfe.

Amir talks about how he went from playing clubs to playing on film scores. Shout-out to Michael Fisher.

Amir got the call for the Super Bowl with Sting while he was recording for Michael Bolton at Capitol Records.

Amir talks about the rehearsal process for the Super Bowl.

Amir attended the Cairo Conservatory of Music.

He talks about performing several nights a week and eventually convincing his parents to let him pursue music.

Then he ended up pausing music to do modeling.

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Amir first came to the USA to continue modeling, while still playing music. He went to Miami first, then to San Fransisco with friends, then to Los Angeles.

Damon and Amir talk about the use of Zills with belly dancing.

Amir suggests starting with the darbuka or the katem to start to learn middle eastern music. He also teaches lessons and you can email him here: amirsofi3@yahoo.com.

Amir has two albums to help you decipher middle eastern rhythms. Amir’s Guide to Middle Eastern Rhythms Vol. 1 and Amir’s Guide to Middle Eastern Rhythms Vol. 2.

Damon mentions the BBC Africa docuseries and some of the migration routes of Northern and Eastern Africa.