Can you tell us about some of the instruments you
All of the instruments were developed as a
have created, and how you use them in your
functional and sonic solution to some personal
music?
musical needs.
I am really a jazz drummer who jumped the fence.
Since 1998 you have been performing and
Early on in my career I would be performing original
touring with Paul Simon, as a part of his 12-
music from my crowd of players, and too often the
piece band. How did you begin working with
idea occurred to me that whatever I was doing as a
him, and how did you find the process of
drummer was not really as constructive to the music,
collaborating with an artist of his background?
and that I needed other kinds of skills and
instruments. So I started thinking more like an
I began working with Paul after his Broadway
orchestrator than a drummer. Being Arabic and
musical experience with a musical called “The
experiencing another cultural field as a kid really help
Cape Man”. A father of one of my daughter’s
me start to find my way with a world of possibilities...
playmates happened to be Jim Corona who was a
member of Paul’s technical staff. In passing I had