Open to all students of the Penn community, this ensemble explores a wide range of Arab music genres and provides students with the opportunity to learn through coaching provided by professional performers of Arab music. The Penn Arab Percussion Ensemble participates in performances hosted and organized by the Department of Music and members will have the opportunity to perform at functions and events at Penn.
In the Arab percussion ensemble, students will get hands-on experience learning the Doumbek – a goblet or cylindrical drum also known as derbakkeh, tableh or darbouka and will explore a world of rhythms emanating from the Arab world. The tableh is most commonly used in Arab music. Traditionally, it is made of clay with a fish or goat head. Today, it is made of aluminum with a plastic head and can be tuned.
Iqa’ (singular) or Iqa’at (plural) are rhythmic cycles in Arabic music. Iqa’at are patterns of beats that repeat over different measures. An arrangement can switch back and forth among different iqa’at. Each iqa’ is defined by two basic sounds: dumm and tak. Iqa’at come in different time signatures, small/simple and long/compound. Smaller time signatures (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, etc) are used in folk, tarab and contemporary music. As for the longer time signatures (5/4, 14/4, 10/8, 7/8, etc.), they are generally used in the Muwashahat genre which is a complex vocal form based on classical poems from Andalusia.
This course is ideal for students interested in the Arab region's history, language, and music. This ensemble is divided into two sections - beginners and advanced.
Beginners: Thursdays from 5:15 PM to 6:45 PM; Lerner Center 102
Advanced: Thursdays from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM; Lerner Center 102
Upcoming Events
Schedule TBA. Please check back later.
Hafez Kotain is the owner and Chief Executive Officer at Hafez Percussion Inc. Hafez Percussion collaborates with many artists (national and international) and organizations to bring people together and build cultural bridges one beat at a time. Kotain is an accomplished master percussionist with fluency in both Arab and Latin rhythms. In 2022, Hafez was selected as an immigrant Everyday Genius by Da Vinci Art Alliance and I Belong Philly. This award is a way to celebrate Philadelphians who are innovators and artists. He is a recipient of the prestigious 2013 Pew Fellowship in the Arts, which is awarded each year to 12 Philadelphia artists who are of exemplary talent.
Kotain began studying the doumbek at the age of seven, first performed on stage at the age of nine, and went on to study with master percussionist Hady Jazan, winning the national percussion competitions in Syria for several years. Kotain first began his career as an educator, teaching a variety of percussion styles to dedicated students, musicians, and music teachers. In 2010 and 2011, Kotain taught at the Arab Music Retreat led by the internationally acclaimed Arab music performer, Simon Shaheen. He has toured with Lebanese composer/musician Marcel Khalife and Al Mayadine Ensemble in their latest US and Canada tour for “Fall of the Moon: An Homage to the Poet Mahmoud Darwish.”. Kotain has performed with acclaimed artist Sting, the Philadelphia Orchestra, actor and tenor Mandy Patinkin, Syrian singer George Wassouf and many others. He has also performed and recorded with the GRAMMY® Award-winning choir The Crossing for their 2021 album release of “Words Adorned: Andalusian Poetry and Music.” Throughout the year, Kotain teaches with Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture in various school and community-based programs, including a summer camp for youth. He also teaches 2 semester courses in Arab percussion at the University of Pennsylvania.
Contact: contact@hafezkotain.com
