Zarbang represents some of the finest percussionists from Iran and Afghanistan and brings its new evening-length concert, Persian Qawwali, to Cleveland. Featuring Sufi poetry and frame drums that create ecstatic trance states, Zarbang performs an authentically Persian combination that harkens back to the pre-monotheistic roots of Sema, while mirroring the nucleus of most Sufi ceremonial music from Morocco to Indonesia.

Zarbang was founded in 1996 with the aim of introducing Persian percussion instruments to international audiences and combining them with percussive and melodic instruments from other cultures. Zarbang’s masterful lineup features Pejman Hadadi, Mehrdad Arabi, Behnam Samani, Javid Afsari, Reza Samani, and Morshed Mehregan.

Zarbang’s strength lies in its ability to create a new sound by fusing together instruments of various cultures while staying true to the essence and origin of each instrument. Percussion instruments used by this ensemble include the Tombak or Zarb, the wooden goblet drum, Iran’s national drum, Naghaareh, Damman (a dual-headed drum used in the South of Iran), Gongs, Taas, bells and the Zarb-e-Zurkhaneh. In addition to percussion, Zarbang uses the hammered Dulcimer (Santur), reed flute (Ney), the bagpipe of Iran’s Southern coast (Ney Anaban), Shawm (Sorna), and the spike fiddle (Kamancheh).

Zarbang’s sound entails the use of vocalization, melody and various effects in the context of percussion. Their repertoire of composed pieces and structured improvisations are dynamic, meditative and internal on one hand and ecstatic and trance inducing on the other with the latter drawing upon Sufi and ancient Iranian rhythms.

Zarbang has performed and recorded at WDR Radio and Bayern Radio in Germany and on Belgian Radio in Brussels, and at numerous music festivals including the 2001 Vorde Music Festival in Norway, 2002 Persian Music Festival in Munich, Orientale Festival in Dusseldorf from 2005 to 2008, and the Rhythm Stick Festival at the Royal Festival Hall in London. -- www.clevelandart.org