Afro AnatolianPercussion
BACKGROUND
Born to a Dutch father and Turkish mother Sjahin During was raised in Istanbul for the first six years of his life before moving to the Netherlands to the small island of Texel in the North Sea. His meticulous attention to his art and profession runs in the family. His grandfather once led the second violin section at Amsterdam’s world-renowned Concertgebouw Orchestra, while his father is a designer, chair-maker and luthier and mother an accomplished ceramic artist.
PERCUSSIONIST
Sjahin draws inspiration in equal measure from the metrical science of South Indian music to the rhythms of the Mediterranean basin, Middle and Near East, India, and the masters of jazz. A career spanning more than twenty-five years has led him to many parts of the world.
Studying with masters from Cuba, Turkey, Middle East, India, and Africa he has incorporated elements of what he learned into his own cross-cultural projects that blend idioms from western jazz, classical and improvisational music with traditional Indian, Turkish, Balkan, Afro- Cuban, and the mesmerizing music of the San-Bushmen from the Kalahari Desert. To suit the needs of each of these ensembles he designed his own hybrid percussion set drawing on instruments from various continents.
ARTISTIC CREATOR
Sjahin’s excellence as a player is equally matched by his talent for bringing together musicians into formations of unique quality and depth, dedicated to exploring contemporary takes on these ancient traditions. In 2007, he set up the foundation, Mundus Productions, for the recording, production, and promotional activities behind his own tailor-made music ensembles. These include Bayuba Cante, Afro Anatolian Tales, Turqumstances, Tarhana and Arifa.
Under the Mundus Productions umbrella Sjahin is also the catalyst, artistic director and driving force behind the formation, musical and career development of new groups, such as Mundus Quartet, Namibian Tales and Cacha Mundinho. He loves encounters and opportunities to create bridges between East and West, between various music genres.
SOME FESTIVALS & VENUES
Performed in more than 50 countries worldwide at international festivals and venues such as the Jazzahead (DE), Concertgebouw (NL), London Jazz Festival Southbank Centre (UK), Kennedy Art Centre (USA), North Sea Jazz festival (NL), Ethnoport Festival (PL), Womex (DK), Jarasum Jazz Festival (KR), Chicago World Music Festival (USA), Bimhuis (NL), Garana Jazz (RO), Havana Jazz (CU), Istanbul Akbank Jazz (TR), Shanghai World Music Festival (CH), de Roma (BE), Barbican’s Transcender Festival (UK), Glatt & Verkehrt Festival (AUS), Ollin Kan Mexico (MX) , BBC London (UK), Jodhpur Riff Festival (IN), Jazz au Chellah Festival (MA), Handelsbeurs (BE), Moods Zurich (CH), Izmir European Jazz festival (TR), Sunfest (CA), Jazz a Vienne Festival (FR).
INTERNATIONALARTISTS SUCH AS
Theodosii Spassov, Naseer Shamma, Edmare Castaneda, Ana Carla Maza, Ghalia Benali, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Les Ballets C. de la B.), Aynur Dogan, Arto Tunçboyaciyan, Osama Abdulrasol, Miguel “Anga” Diaz, Simon Phillips, Pedro Luis Ferrer, Jorge Reyes, Tuur Florizoone, the Gypsy’s from Rajasthan, Lakha Khan, Ghatam Giridhar Udupa, the Waed Bouhassoun, Zhivko Vasilev, Niusha Barimani, Hana Kamkar, Pancho Quinto, Javier Campos, Marta Galaraga, the Bushmen from Namibia. Sunaad Anoor, Brenna MacCrimmon, Aziz Ozouss, Soukaina Farsi.
WORKED WITH ARTISTSBASED IN THE NETHERLANDS
Claron Mcfadden, Franz von Chossy, Alex Simu, Mola Sylla, Lilian Veira, Alma Quartet, Amsterdam Klezmer Band, Shishani, Stefan Kruger, Asko – Schönberg Ensemble, Ernst Glerum, Martin Fondse, Harmen Franje, Eric Vloeimans, Michael Moore, Sjaron Minailo, Sahand Sahebdivani, Theo de Jong, Bert van den Brink, Jeroen van Vliet, Emine Bostanci, Mark Alban Lots, Arnold Dooyeweerd, Tony Roe, Mark Tuinstra, Jos Machtel, Mehmet Polat, Niti Ranjan Biswas, Bram Stadhouders, Felix Hildenbrand, Xavi Torres, Jose Soares, Nawras Altaky.
THEATER & DANCE PRODUCTIONS
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui & Les Ballets C. de la B
Meneer Ibrahim & de bloemen van de Koran (Aike Dirkzwager & Rene Groothof)
Sahand Sahebdivan – storyteller (Mezrab)
Sjaron Minailo (Nightshade by Claron Mcfadden)
Tea Time Company & Kishor Kalari martial artist from India.
EDUCATOR
Sjahin has also been active as a teacher at conservatories in Canada, China, Iran, Latvia, Mexico, Turkey and The Netherlands. Having developed his own teaching program for the Conservatory of Utrecht (HKU) Sjahin has been giving workshops named “Non-Western Rhythms and Techniques” to students for the past 17 years to help expand their rhythmical skills and knowledge and how to integrate these rhythmical concepts in their own music.
He has also been working worldwide with children in refugee camps and slums in Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Greece and India.
