Davul Zurna
Davul Zurna (Drum & Oboe)
Davul Zurna
The davul is almost always played with two zurnas, hence the term "davul
zurna". Davul zurna was used by the Musa Daghians in Musa
Dagh
before they were relocated to Anjar. It
was used for outdoor
dancing during festivities such as weddings and for the reception of a person
of note. The Musa Daghian davul zurna is different
from the Armenian davul zurna. The Armenian davul, called dhol,
is smaller and it is almost always played by the hands. And unlike the
Armenian zurna the Musa Daghian zurna is a quarter-tone instrument.
Today the Musa Daghian davul zurna is mainly played in Anjar, Lebanon and
Musa Ler Avan, Armenia.
Davul
The davul, also known as dhol, is a large double-headed cylindrical
drum. It is widely used in Turkey and many other countries in the
Middle East. The davul is made by joining the ends of a large wooden
plank and fitting circular hoops internally at both ends of the
cylinder. The heads of the davul are usually made of shaved sheepskin or
goatskin, one being thicker than the other. The davul player uses two
beaters: a heavy beater called jglun (or tokmak) used on the thicker
head, and a smaller lighter beater used on the other head.
Zurna
It is an oboe widely used in the Middle East, Southeast Europe and parts
of Asia. The Musa Daghian zurna is about 45 cm long. It is a
quarter-tone instrument played with a double reed with a pirouette. The
zurna is an outdoor instrument, bright, powerful and brilliant in tone.
Zurna players use "circular breathing", which enables the player to blow
while breathing continuously. The instrument is physically hard to play
and it depends on the skill of the player and his ability to master the
instrument's technique.
Famous Davul Zurna Players
Today as in the past there are only a few good Musa Daghian davul zurna players
around the world. The best players can be found in Anjar, where the traditional
folk instruments are the only instruments played during weddings and ceremonies to
entertain the people. The following picture was taken in Musa Dagh (1920's).
Giragos Khoshian, davul player.
Agop (Devedj) Tossunian, zurna player.
Garabed Tossunian, zurna player.
Folk Dances of Musa Dagh and Anjar Played on the Davul Zurna
The following are in MIDI file format.
Click Here To Listen To A Short Segment in WAV format