The Kurdish beat: 1,000 men and women play the daf

26-09-2016
Rudaw
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Tags: daf Kurdish music
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SANANDAJ, Iran—Some 1,000 men and women gathered in the renowned castle of Khosro Abad in Iran's Kurdish city of Sanandaj, known as Sna in Kurdish, to perform on the daf, a drum. It is one of the largest, if not the largest performance ever on the daf, according to Iranian media. 

The performance took place on the sidelines of the sixth daf festival, hosted by Sanandaj last week. Organizers said they want the city to be known as the capital of daf in Iran. 

The instrument is considered by many an integral part of Kurdish culture, often played at mosques or in Sufi religious ceremonies. 

The Kamkars, a group of Kurdish siblings famous for their unique Kurdish music in Iran and abroad, come from Sanandaj. Bezhan Kamkar, who leads the group as vocalist and daf player, was on the jury at the festival. 

In videos of the event shared on social media, two vocalists sing a Kurdish song as the 1,000 drummers perform. 

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