For a musician tipped as “one of the greatest darbouka players in the world, Rony Barrak’s performance last week at the Geneina Theater left something to be desired.
The opening numbers of the concert – a medley from his albums “Karizma and “Aramba – quickly acquainted the audience with Barrak’s forte: the smooth synchronization of foreign sounds to the Middle-Eastern tabla.
Merging the pre-set music of Latin numbers with the live accompaniment of drums, Barrak’s opening promised a new flavor.
In the midst of his solo stint, however, the spell was broken. The performance of medleys now seemed dissonant, without a unifying theme. The more Western boom-boom-chuck type beat also flew past, entertaining yet unoriginal.
Ronny Barrak is an acclaimed Lebanese darbouka (tabla or drum) player, who started playing at the age of four. After moving to London in 1990, Barrak studied orchestral percussion and drum kit at the Guildhall School. He went on to teach Middle Eastern percussion at the Trinity College of Music, also in London.
The evening had its highlights; chief among them was the t-shirt sported by Ressala percussionist, Shams, carrying the illustration of a screw, followed by the word “You. Musically, too, the addition of such guest musicians electrified the evening and raised the bar.
The djémbé, the cajon, the extra set of percussions played by Shams along with Wust El-Balad percussionists Mohamed Gamal El-Din and Ehab Abdel Hameed, all provided a delightful twist to the flavor directed by Barrak.
There is much to be said about the charm of improvised rhythms, converging into and feeding off each other, with the impossibility of them ever being repeated again.
Audience member Angela Susack was impressed by the improv drumming as well as the setting.
Barrak was nevertheless slightly “self-indulgent in his solos, said Susack, and sure enough, at times the accompanying percussionists seemed unsure whether to participate or not.
Audience participation was another highlight – a fortunate bonus at live improv events.
Following an improv number where the audience gave half-hearted backup with claps, Barrak played beats on a pot – from a simple arrangement to a more complex one. The audience skillfully followed his lead, to which Barrak cheered with thumbs-up.
At one part, when Barrack blasted off an oriental beat on the drum, an audience member broke out a zagharuta (ululations) that complemented the festive mood.
Another member, Bethany Simpson was “impressed that the [audience] actually kept up the rhythm.
She also enjoyed Barrak’s “unexpected addition of clay pots to his repertoire. Simpson found it “interesting that he was playing actual pieces of pottery.
While clay pots may be considered more conventional additions in some parts of the world, Barrak has also been credited with the assembly of more unusual instruments such as car parts and junk objects to produce euphonic beats.
Playing on a clay pot, lodged between his knees, Barrak started pounding his knees and clapping, revealing a skill in producing music literally through the tips of his fingers.
“He certainly put a lot of energy into the concert, said audience member Emily Cole.
Peppered with occasional surprises, the evening’s best moments were those when the percussion accompanied another sound or instrument. Musical conversation often brings out a depth of sound that is otherwise lost in search of variety.
Barrak has recorded and performed with many notable international musicians including Jaz Coleman, Vanessa Mae, Bond, Talvin Singh, and Fairouz to name a few. He also joined Sarah Brightman in 2004 for her Harem World Tour. Barrack self-produced his debut album entitled Aramba in 1999, followed by Karizma in 2005.
For more information on Barrak, visit http://www.rony-barrak.com/
