Mısırlı Ahmet

Mısırlı Ahmet

Mısırlı Ahmet (Born Ahmet Yıldırım, 1967 in Ankara, Turkey) is a Turkish virtioso darbuka player. His music spans various genres and carries influences from Indian, Arabic, Latin American and jazz music.

Ahmet Yıldırım started his music life playing a Turkish-style darbuka. He states that he was a fairly ordinary player before his travel to Egypt, to play with and learn from some of the best darbuka players; most of all "to find the meaning of his existence" and "to discover the rhtym". Yıldırım lived in the desert-bound valley of Cairo, during which he developed his unique technique, now known as the split-finger technique, which allows for very quick playing.

Yıldırım came to be known as "Mısırlı Ahmet" (Ahmet of Egypt) after his journey. He is called "Ahmed-i Turki" (Turkish Ahmet) in Egypt.

Mısırlı Ahmet's next journey was to Spain, where he performed with several flamenco musicians.