Mısırlı Ahmet

Mısırlı Ahmet — Biography

A technique that turned the darbuka into a fast solo instrument is what Turkish percussionist Mısırlı Ahmet, born Ahmet Yıldırım, is known for. The method, which uses the fingers separately, is regarded as a new chapter for the darbuka and has been the subject of academic study. Today he teaches at his percussion school in Istanbul and performs in concerts and workshops around the world.

From a family with no musicians, Yıldırım took up the darbuka at 17 and taught himself. He played in Ankara until 1987; he then found his technique through individual work in France, went to Egypt to work with leading musicians of the day, and recorded his first album there. Called "Ahmed-i Türki" in Egypt, he became known by the nickname "Mısırlı" after returning. In the Sinai desert he worked on the deholla, a large darbuka, and developed a way of playing it; in Spain he met flamenco and worked with Spanish, Israeli and Turkish musicians on the albums Mel de Cabra (2000) and The Search (2001).

In 2003 he represented Turkey at a Mediterranean percussionists' festival in Tunisia, and the honorary album Natural Moments (2005) brought him the title of master. In 2006 he received the music award of the Eduplus Leadership Summit, and in 2007 he founded his rhythm school. In 2017 he said he had played at the Kremlin Palace as the only Turkish artist.