Acclaimed percussionist Jamey Haddad has studied the music traditions of
many cultures across the globe, and he has performed with some the world’s
finest musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma and Paul Simon.
How did you first become interested in playing the
drums?
I can remember clearly going to a place I
believe they called the “Grove,” where most of the
Christian Lebanese would go on Sundays in the
There were no musicians in the family, although my
summer to picnic. The food thing was ridiculous
father could have easily been a professional because
because so many of the Lebanese community were
he had great ears and a deep sense of time, and he did
involved in the grocery business. The picnics
love to play percussion. Maracas and whistling was
always had a healthy dose of music where the
his thing, and he was rather good...
musicians would play darbuka and American