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Raquy Danziger is a musician specializing in the darbuka goblet drum that is played throughout the Middle East. Originally from the USA, Raquy performs and teaches around the globe, spreading love and excitement for darbuka drumming. She also plays the mystical 12-string king kemenche tarhu.

In addition to music, Raquy is an illumination artist and vegan activist.

Early Life

Born into a family of classical musicians in upper Michigan, USA, Raquy was trained from an early age on the piano and viola. On a trip to India in 1997, she discovered hand drumming, and shortly afterward, took up the darbuka.

New York: Raquy and the Cavemen

Raquy moved to New York City in 1998, where she and her husband, drummer Liron Peled formed the group Raquy and the Cavemen, an ensemble that fused Middle Eastern music with hard rock. Raquy and the Cavemen toured internationally from 2003-2012 and recorded eight albums.

Collaboration in Egypt

Raquy’s career skyrocketed when she was invited by the Egyptian King of Tabla, Said El Artist, to perform as a soloist with Said and his drumming orchestra. Since then she has performed with his ensemble in many of the great concert halls across Egypt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34hkeITv-zE

Istanbul and Split Hand Darbuka

In 1998 Raquy made her first "pilgrimage” to Istanbul to study the modern split-hand style of drumming. There, she began intense training with darbuka virtuoso Bunyamin Olguncan. When Raquy relocated to Istanbul in 2015, she and Bunyamin established their Darbuka Ofis in downtown Istanbul. Their studio became a hub where people from all over the world come to train in darbuka drumming.

Touring

Raquy regularly performs as a guest artist at festivals and events around the globe: Germany, Poland, Japan, Ukraine, Russia, Egypt, Italy, Canada, USA, Israel, Mexico, Spain, India, Greece, Bosnia, Uzbekistan, Switzerland, and Turkey. She has performed in Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, Cairo Opera House, Alexandria Opera House, Alexandria Library, Jerusalem Theater, Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall in Istanbul, and in the “Friendship of Nations” Palace Concert Hall, Tashkent, the largest concert hall in Central Asia.

King Kemenche Tarhu

Raquy studied kemenche with kemenche masters Arslan Hazreti and  Imamyar Hasanov. She participated in an International Kemenche Festival along with players from Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Raquy’s kemenche repertoire includes Western classical cello and violin music and traditional Azeri music accompanied by piano as well as her own original compositions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4Phb67yJyU

Current Projects Ladies of Dum: Women’s drumming quartet with Raquy and 3 of her female disciples    https://www.ladiesofdum.com/

Darbuka Magic with Raquy and her teacher Bünyamin Olguncan

Aria Western classical music on the King Kemenche Tarhu accompanied by piano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4Phb67yJyU

Baku Nostalji music from Azerbaijan with Raquy on the king kemenche tarhu accompanied by piano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBG2fwr4kAo

Darbuka School

All of Raquy's instructional materials are available through her Online Darbuka School,

which has a student enrollment of over two thousand.

 Five instructional books on Darbuka drumming  :

Dumbek Fever https://darbukaschool.com/p/former-methods-dumbek-fever-i-and-ii

Dumbek Fever II https://darbukaschool.com/p/former-methods-dumbek-fever-i-and-ii

Dumbek Fever III  https://www.amazon.com/Dumbek-Fever-III-Instructional-Drumming/dp/B00B2MAR26

Darbuka Method  https://darbukaschool.com/p/darbukamethod

Melodic Compositions    https://darbukaschool.com/p/melodic-compositions

Darbuka Compositions  https://darbukaschool.com/p/latest-compositions

Veganism

A strict vegan, Raquy is a spokesperson for veganism. Her camps and workshops are vegan and many of her students have followed her example to become vegan. in 2022 She wrote a vegan cookbook called The Decadent Vegan

Artwork

Raquy learned the art of illumination painting at the Klasik Sanat Art Academy in Istanbul. She is a regular exhibitor at the Nachlat Binyamin artist fair in Tel Aviv.

Find out more at: https://raquy.com/

Discography

2001 Masmudi

2004 Dust, by Raquy and the Cavemen

2005 Jordan, by Raquy and the Cavemen

2007 Naked - 12 Middle-Eastern Drum Solos, by Raquy and the Cavemen

2008 Mischief, by Raquy and the Cavemen

2009 Bewitched, by Raquy and the Cavemen

2010 Release the Green Lover, by Raquy and the Cavemen

2011 The Wish - single, by Raquy and the Cavemen

2011 Young Guy - single, by Raquy and the Cavemen

2013 Bal Dudak

2015 Monkey Mind

2016 Neverland

2017 Darbuka Magic  

2019 Passport to Shimmy

2020 Mirror Mirror -

For more info : https://raquy.com/music

Compilations:

2009 Raquy and the Cavemen Do Egypt, Raquy & the Caveman.

2010 Greatest Belly-dance Hits, Vol I: Cabaret Style Bellydance, Raquy & the Caveman.

2010 Greatest Belly-dance Hits, Volume Ii: Tribal / Ats / Tribal Fusion Style Bellydance, Raquy & the Caveman.