Iraqi artisanAbdel Rahman is a master tambourine manufacturer. He has been in the business for nearly 30 years.
However, the famed artisan is now concerned about mass-produced. tambourinesThese are replacing the human craft.
“Making tambourines, an ancient craft from Iraq, is a traditional one. Kirkuk. It is not a job that anyone does anymore. Now, the profession is a commercial venture and the parts used (Ed. in making tambourines) are machine-made, It’s no longer hand-made”, lamented Iraqi artisan, Abdel Rahman.
Rahman’s tambourines, or “daf“, are used to refer to SufiGroups can create rhythmic melodies and tunes that are unique.
Tambourine player in a Sufi group Ali Akbar explains that “there are two types of tambourines, leather and wax. The sounds of the two types are different. Leather tambourines sound more sophisticated than wax ones. (…) “As Sufis, we use the “daf” in our events, such as the Prophet’s birthday, and at some of our dedicated Sufi councils. The “daf“has its own “Maqam” (Ed. an Arabic system of melodic mode, just like the old Iraqi.Maqams“, which we use for the “dafAli Akbar concluded, ”
The main market for the tambourines is in Baghdad. Baghdad, Samarra, and Suleimaniyah (Kurdish north).
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