| Biography | Hussein Zahawy is a Kurdish Percussionist for folk, art music and jazz.
Hussein Zahawy was born into a Kurdish family. He spent his childhood in the the Iraqi part of Kurdistan and then moved to the UK with his family at the age of 10. After completing school, he went on to study for A Levels in Music, English and English Literature. He went to the University of London and studied for a BA in Ethnomusicology.
At the age of 5, his Grandfather introduced him to the daf (Kurdish frame drum), which was to become a way of discovering other percussion instruments of the world. When he was 13, he was invited to join the first national Radio and Television Orchestra of Kurdish music in Europe.
As well as being a professional percussionist, he also gains work through acting roles with theatre companies in both the UK and USA. From a very early age, he has always shown a keen interest in following a career path in music. It was all around him as he grew up. So it's no surprise to see that he has become a young, talented, professional percussionist. Hussein has a wide range of musical influences: Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Indian, Mediterranean, Jazz, etc.
Hussein is currently based in London, UK. He would describe his music as: "
rhythmic ingredients from some of the Middle Eastern traditions like Persian, Kurdish, Turkish and Mediterranean interpreted in his own personal style." Musically, He has recently completed his first solo album of percussion compositions called One Word, which is due for release at the 2008.
Islam has a vast musical heritage, stretching from Morocco to China, being brought up in a Muslim family, he has always been exposed to the style, which is reflected in the sound and choices of instrument. Hussein's music sends out messages of rhythm and unity. Percussive instruments are found in all music, and so he uses these because no matter what background you are from, it can get you dancing. |