Mouna Eddrou sings "Malaika" by Miriam Makeba.       Mouna Eddrou sings "Malaika" by Miriam Makeba. Malaika is a Swahili song written in the 1940s . Authorship of the song is…

  "Sharka" by Chaka Chouka now available on Bandcamp.   As well as being available to download here on Simon's site, "Sharka" by Chaka Chouka is now also available for streaming and…

  New Chaka Chouka album "Sharka" Simon is very proud to announce the release of the Chaka Chouka album "Sharka"  a collaborative lockdown project with Bernard O'neill, Haji Mike and Mouna…

Funky Bongos with "Now YOU Shred"         "Now YOU Shred" is a youtube site from the the fantastic guitarist and producer Renzo from Oakland California. He not only produces top…

Couscous     As it's Friday and traditionally the day Moroccans (and most of North Africa) meet up after Friday prayers for a family couscous, here is a quick post about this great and now…

  The  darbouka drum   What is the darbouka? The darbouka (also called Egyptian tabla, derbeke or doumbek among others) is the classic Middle Eastern and North African goblet-shaped hand…

  Moroccan percussion instruments part 2: Qraqeb         What are they? Qraqeb (or krakeb/ karkabet) are the metal castanets played primarily in the gnaoua music of Morocco…

  Free percussion and drum loops and samples There are now some free percussion  and drum loops and samples available for download here. All my percussion and drum loops are designed to be…

    The bendir is part of the frame drum family and is the quintessential Moroccan/ North African percussion instrument. Most Moroccans for example will be able to pick up a bendir and…

        Teacher – Performer - Choreographer – Sacred Dance Therapist   Dancing from the age of three, Katie began her Middle Eastern dance training in 1994. Specialising…