Aref Durvesh
Encyclopedia
Aref Durvesh Introduction
Aref Durvesh is a celebrated and prolific tabla artist who has recorded and performed with Badmarsh & Shri, Sting, Susheela RamanSusheela Raman
Susheela Raman is an acclaimed British Tamil musician. Raman has released five albums since 2001. Her debut album Salt Rain was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2001.-Early years:...
, Cheb Mami
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, Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
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, Visionary Underground
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, and is also one of the longest-serving members of Nitin Sawhney
Nitin Sawhney
Nitin Sawhney is an Indian-British musician, producer and composer. His critically acclaimed work combines Asian and other worldwide influences with elements of jazz and electronica and often explores themes such as multiculturalism, politics and spirituality...
s band, having performed on all of his albums as well as all his UK and international tours.
His father was a musician, a disciple of Bismillah Khan
Bismillah Khan
Ustad Bismillah Khan was an Indian shehnai maestro. He was the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna , the highest civilian honour in India and gained worldwide acclaim for playing the shehnai for more than eight decades....
sahib, a world-renowned shehnai
Shehnai
The shehnai, shahnai, shenai or mangal vadya, is an aerophonic instrument, a double reed conical oboe, common in North India, West India and Pakistan, made out of wood, with a metal flare bell at the end...
player. Aref grew up with Indian music all around him and fell in love with tabla.
Aref has taken traditional tabla performance into a new dimension by integrating it into contemporary urban music, jazz, hip hop and fusion, as well as being a virtuoso in the traditional skills.
Aref has appeared twice at the prestigious Mercury Awards for Music, firstly with Nitin and again with Susheela Raman.
He is now extending his talents to producing his own album and performing live under his own name, while continuing to tour with Nitin and Shusheela.
Aref is currently working with Xkollective (Xfile Productions), The Nasha Experience, Mo Magic, Susheela Raman, Nitin Sawhney and The Sonic Devis.