(headline photo: Two Luis Taberna images from the video Variaciones 4/4 Darbuka, Dohola, Frame Drums & Riq)
Luis Taberna is a percussionist specializing in oriental percussion, known for his impressive versatility and teaching skills. He is a member of the Raks Madrid Orchestra and various other musical groups, and he instructs at different schools and events, conveying his knowledge of percussion styles, Arabic rhythms, and more exceptionally.
His journey in percussion began in his youth with drums, later expanding his interest to encompass Arabic and Middle Eastern percussion. This led him to spend three years in Tunisia, studying three key instruments of North African/Middle Eastern percussion: the darbuka, the daf/bendir, and the riq.
Additionally, he has undertaken several stays in Turkey and the Balkans, exploring the rhythmic richness of their music. He has participated in numerous musical encounters in the Balkans and former Yugoslavia, learning another fundamental percussion instrument in this region, the tapan, also known as davul. Simultaneously, he has attended percussion workshops with renowned masters.
Currently based in Madrid, Taberna regularly performs and collaborates with a multitude of Folklore, World Music, and fusion projects. These include collaborations with Linda Al-Ahmad / Hames Bitar, Darawish, Babak Kamgar, Nesma Al-Andalus, Etnotika, Ido Segal Trio, and Moresca.
Cardamom Trio is a new project consisting Throughout the tyears, Taberna has collaborated with two MiddleEastern musicians living in Spain: Iranian composer and musician Kaveh Sarvarian, a composer and Syrian oud player Hames Bitar. The three artists formed a new act in 2024 called Cardamom Trio.
Furthermore, he is actively involved in teaching, offering classes at various centers such as the Jacqy Díaz Dance and Fusion School in Madrid, and the Tai School affiliated with King Juan Carlos University. Here, he teaches subjects related to rhythm, dance, percussion, and world music within the Contemporary Music Composition Degree program.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.