If you like doumkes, darbukkas, derbekkis, dumbeks, tabla, sumbatis, dohollas, or any of these goblet drums, then YouTube is the place for you!

In my quest to see these drums in the hands of experts, I have found many impressive performances. One of my favorite players is the world famous Issam Houshan. I have had the pleasure of establishing a good business relationship with him, as well as friendship. Issam was here in San Diego for a workshop and performance. I attended both. Issam showed us some cool techniques. His skills are unmatched. He is also a genuinely nice person. Issam has been playing the tabla, as he likes to call it, since he was nine years old. He is from Syria originally. Issam toured with Sting on the Desert Rose tour. He currently plays the doumbek with the famous Bellydance Allstars. They’re hitting the road again this September for another world tour. If they are in a town near you, I would definitely recommend you go see them. Issam is amazing at the doumbek, and the dancers are second to none.

Doumbek goes by many names, depending on what part of the world you are from. In some countries it is known as darbukka, derbekki, tabla, dumbek, etc. These are all different names for the same drum, which is cup-shaped. Traditionally, the doumbek is equipped with a fish skin for the head, but because it is greatly affected by humidity in the air, many doumbek players now wear synthetic heads. The Remo Skyndeep head has become the preferred synthetic head among most players. It’s the closest thing you’ll find to real fish skin on a synthetic head. It looks, sounds and feels like the real thing.
So if you are interested in this type of drum, please visit YouTube and put any of the many names for this amazing drum in the search field. There are also great videos of duembeks dueling. A good starting point is my YouTube channel, http://www.YouTube.com/mabbatt.