SJAHIN DURING
Afro Anatolian percussion (Turkey / Netherlands)
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).
INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS 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 ARTISTS BASED IN THE NETHERLANDS, AMONG OTHERS
Claron Mcfadden, Asko – Schönberg Ensemble, Ernst Glerum, Nederlands Kamerorkest, Arno van Nieuwenhuize, Frans van der Hoeven, Harmen Franje, Eric Vloeimans, Michael Moore, Sjaron Minailo, Sahand Sahebdivani, Haytam Safia, Theo de Jong, Bert van den Brink, Jeroen van Vliet, Franz von Chossy, Alex Simu, Mola Sylla, Lilian Veira, Alma Quartet, Amsterdam Klezmer Band, Shishani, Stefan Kruger, Sanem Kalfa, 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 AND DANCE PRODUCTIONS
Tea Time Company & Kishor Kalari martial artist from India. 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).
MUNDUS PRODUCTION
Mundus Productions was founded in 2005 by percussionist and producer Sjahin During, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Various international projects and collaborations which resulted in 15 album releases and worldwide tours in more than 50 countries at major jazz and world music festivals.
Sjahin has been founder of recordlabel Mundus Productions and artistic leader of many renowned groups which toured worldwide such as, Arifa & Voices from the East, Namibian Tales, Mundus Quartet, Afro Anatolian Tales, Tarhana, Turqumstances and Bayuba Cante. (See Discography for full project overview and releases).
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.
AWARDS BY MIXED WORLD MUSIC - THE NETHERLANDS
Arifa “Danubian Voyage” Chosen as the best world music album release in The Netherlands of 2022
Namibian Tales “Itaala” Chosen as the best world music album release in The Netherlands of 2017
Shishani & the Namibian Tales “Itaala” Chosen as the best world music album release in The Netherlands of 2016
Arifa “Voices from the East” Chosen as the best world music album release in The Netherlands of 2015
Arifa “Anatolian Alchemy” Chosen as the best world music album release in The Netherlands of 2012
Arifa “Beyond Babylon” Chosen as the best world music album release in The Netherlands of 2010
EDUCATIONAL
Besides private and individual lessons, workshops, masterclasses, for professionals, children and amateurs, Sjahin has been teaching at the Conservatory HKU in Utrecht, Netherlands, since the last 17 years.
Here he developed his own teaching program named “Non-Western Rhythms and techniques” to students for to help expand their rhythmical skills and knowledge and how to integrate these rhythmical concepts in their own music. This course will allow students to expand their techniques and knowledge of various world music rhythms and develop their rhythmical strength and creativity.
In this workshop we work in ensemble form on several non-Western rhythmical concepts, such as Afro-Cuban polyrhythmic, clave patterns, cross rhythms, Balkan & Anatolian odd meters and Indian rhythmical modulations, and on how to integrate them creatively into your own instruments and music.
At the end of this course the student can play, understand and recognize various different odd meters, cross rhythms and rhythmical concepts from different parts of the world, such as the Balkan, Turkey, Middle East and India. Examples include 5/8 – 7/8 – 9/8 – 11/8 measures.
GUEST TEACHER AT
Codarts Rotterdam Amsterdam conservatory Zwolle conservatory International as guest teacher at: Istanbul Yildiz University, Turkey Akbank Jazz festival Istanbul, Turkey Guangzhou Conservatory, China Banff Centre for Arts – Canada Damascus school of Music, Syria Riga Conservatory, Latvia Ollin Kan, Mexico, Teheran Conservatory, Iran.
