Percussion from the Middle East

Daf: A large flat drum

Three-hole flute & percussion

represent the male and female principles.

From the 15th century onward, Death was often portrayed as holding these instruments and dancing a ”danse macabre”, both in live performances and in pictures.

This combination of instruments spread at an early stage over the whole of Medieval Europe and is also represented in the Sephardic tradition. te widely spread in the Balkans and in the Middle East.

Kaval: an edge-blown flute widely spread in the Balcans and in the Middle East.

Flutes

Soprano recorder: a relatively recent instrument with very ancient roots - for instance these Chinese end-blown flutes with 7 holes. They are made out of a bird's wing-bone and dated to just over over 9 000 years old ! It is believed that the recorder in its present form became popular in Europa in the 14th century.

Nay: an edge-blown flute with Persian roots and found widely in the Middle East. It is generally made out of a reed and is the major instrument within Sufi form of Islam, where it is used to achieve an ecstatic trance.