Néda and Nasrine Rahmani
By Nat Grant. Originally published in Drumscene Magazine in 2019
Néda and Nasrine Rahmani photo by Ferne Millen
Drumming siblings Néda and Nasrine Rahmani have been making music in Melbourne and around the world for almost two decades. Born to Persian and Mauritian parents, they grew up in Australia, where Néda still lives and performs. Nasrine has been living in Madrid and playing with Flamenco artists and Latin Jazz musicians for just over 10 years now. They have a special musical connection as sisters, both with their own individual skills and expertise: Néda studied percussion in Brazil while Nasrine went to Cuba so, “we have a bit of a different style”, Nasrine says. Here, they share some insights into their own careers, their musical relationship, and what drives them both to continue to work hard at their craft.
Néda has been playing drums professionally for 18 years. “As a teen,” she says, “I studied mostly dance … At 16, when visiting Woodford Folk Festival, I was drawn to playing hand drums when I saw a direct technical connection between tap dancing rhythms and West African drum patterns.” Néda plays many types of drums: “contemporary, classical, cultural, modern, percussion instruments.” She also leads workshops, “sings and dances and is much more of an all-round performer” boasts Nasrine: and “she does a lot of events leading large groups of drummers and dancers.” Néda describes the kind of musical projects she’s involved in as “groove based, highly costumed, multicultural Samba, roots, rock and reggae original bands within the - Afro– Brazilian, Reggae- Afro-Cuban or original Australian Singer Song writer genres, including Choir or rapper projects.”
Nasrine plays “mostly cajón in a percussion setup with cymbals, snare, and other world music percussion instruments. After trying out flute, guitar and drum kit, I finally discovered the congas and Brazilian percussion in my mid teens and quickly started getting gigs around Melbourne. I soon became serious about studying percussion and pursuing a career as a professional musician. I was drawn to the skin-on-skin connection to playing hand percussion. Up until then I was never really able to express myself on any of the other instruments I had tried. After studying Congas and Timbales in Melbourne and then in Cuba, I eventually moved to Spain and after playing mostly congas for a number of years, I then changed to the cajón as my main instrument.”
On whether she keeps up the other instruments she learnt as a child, Nasrine says “I still use all the knowledge I gained from learning music through other instruments but the percussion family is so diverse and the gigs I do are so demanding that there is always something more urgent for me to practice that I would actually use on a gig.”
Both artists have toured all over the world. Néda says: “I once toured as one of 2 guests of Melbourne Ska Orchestra - to Chile Santiago and the A Mil festival where we played three fabulous stadium shows. That whirlwind tour was great fun. I learnt a lot about travelling with big groups of people on that tour. The Australian Ambassador to Chile had me perform in a duo at her mansion party, I loved it! Chile rocks. The coolest thing about Chile are their underground sub cultures and that it seems to be quite diverse there but also that everyone likes to socialise together and salsa in bars late at night every day of the week.”
At the moment Néda is focusing on projects that “deepen multicultural gestures through a new drumming performance ritual … Currently I’ve been invited by performer Audi Yonnes to lead Brazilian Rhythms in a Lebanese drumming floor show with traditional Lebanese drummers. This collaboration has me wanting to create another deeper collaboration with 4 Brazilian, 4 Lebanese, 4 Ghanaian and 4 Chinese Drummers,” she says. “Additionally, each group bringing a dancer in a large obscure costume from a myth in their culture. A character that is not popularly known in western culture. For example, not the Chinese dragon not the Carnival girls form brazil but rather perhaps an Afro-Brazilian large raffia god head and another obscure large Chinese character. In this floor show all the drummers will work together to present each cultural icon and story through rhythm, movement and perhaps a touch of voice. The main focus is to see different cultural drummers working together. I’m curious to hear what this will sound like too … I’ve tested the theory in discussion and I think it’s going to work in practice as we allow each other the space and respect needed. I’m excited.”
Both Néda and Nasrine have been members of the drumming band Tumbarumba, initiated by Vincent Lamberti and Mark Grunden. “For nearly 2 decades we have been delivering percussive, beat laden concerts all over Australia. This band has played nearly every venue and festival in Melbourne from Big Day out to Hammer hall from Howler to the Night Cat and NYE at Fed Square, you name it, Tumbarumba 5 piece Percussion band has played it with huge smiles on our drumming dials,” says Néda.
In 2011 Néda formed her own group, a band called NÉDA–All Colour Project. “This gave room to the other drumming styles I enjoy that don’t really fit in Tumbarumba. This band boasts my original tracks including modern Afro–Brazilian Rhythms, Ghanaian Patterns, electro dance elements, acoustic drumming all mixed in with fancy choreography from this 18 piece ensemble. We just headlined the Premiers Gala Dinner at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and boy do we like to drum up a colorful and diverse modern party. This band requires large staging and is more than 50% drummers.”
Over the years she has also “toured, guested, played congas, drummed & backed vocals for - Nicky Bomba who really connected me to relaxing through the pressures of being a performer some others that I have worked for include- Joe Camelleri, Ross Wilson, Daddy Cool, The Red Eyes, Jake Savona, Prince Allah (Jamaica) , Horace Andy (UK and Jamaica), Randy Valentine (UK), Havana Meets Kingston, Deline Briscoe, The Sunshine Sisters, Kylie Auldist, Sol Nation, Mc Mantra, Grey Ghost, The Katumba Dancers, The Drummers for Peace, Harvey Sutherland, Leroy Burgess NY, The Congos ( Jamaica) and for various Brazilian and Ghanaian projects … Did I mention yet that I love drumming?! … and I’ve enjoyed being of service to this list of excellent artists.”
Currently, Nasrine is mostly touring with her husband, Diego Guerrero. “I don´t write music or develop my own shows but I work very closely with Diego on all his shows and I am lucky to be able to suggest ideas and play music that I love and is extremely percussion orientated,” she says. “He has a really interesting project and most of his fans are musicians … He sings and plays guitar and I play cajon in his group and we do a lot of shows all over Spain. We just recorded the first single of his second album, which will be out soon. I was the executive producer for this recording and we laid down the audio and video live at Studio Uno in Madrid with a group of 11 musicians. I also play with a female Flamenco guitarist by the name of Antonia Jiménez. She does a lot of Flamenco festivals mostly overseas but also in Spain. I love playing with her because it’s a chance for me to play more straight-ahead traditional Flamenco rhythms. Also there are almost no female musicians in Flamenco which is why this project is really special and gets a lot of attention. Many people have never seen a female Flamenco guitarist or percussionist.”
Both musicians are incredibly driven and hard working. “I am always working on playing better,” says Nasrine. “Usually specifically the next gig I have. I try to listen back to the recording of the last gig I did with that artist and try and fix anything that I think could be better. For me, that’s the fastest way to improve … I devote 100% of my waking hours to performing, rehearsing, promoting, recording, organizing, and practicing or listening to music. At the end of the month I have a roof over my head and food in my stomach, which I think, is a miracle or a privilege at least.” Nasrine’s practice routine usually comprises a warm up” doing combinations of singles and doubles along to music and then focus on licks or ideas that I need to clean up or get up to speed and then move on to playing through the repertoire I have to play next and finish up improvising over music for enjoyment.”
Néda says, “each week in my schedule I take my drums out to perform a minimum of 4 shows… It’s usually around 8 shows though so when I’m home I rest, hand wash costumes, cook and repack gear for the next trip … In terms of practice, I do occasionally rehearse with my bands and I know a lot of artists that work for me would prefer more rehearsal,” she says, but “I practice or perform my material nearly daily on the job. If I have a stressful sound check I chill for a bit with my band before we hit the stage. If the weather is cold I drink herbal tea and tap out a few rhythms beforehand. I do not believe in cold alcoholic beverages before performing you just don’t hit the stage well if you do that, even in hot weather. Cold drinks set the body systems back a few notches.”
Néda writes all the material for the NÉDA - All Colour Project. “My songs are all written beginning with drum rhythms. I write them to tell stories that get the rhythms going or create a song structure so the audience can relate to the breaks and patterns we have created. I can hear melodies in the tuning of even a solo drum kick and it’s enough to get me writing or singing. Sometimes, like in the Tumbarumba band, we write the rhythms all together as a collaborative. Usually I write alone or with one other. Occasionally I will write a song or lyrics that are dedicated to a person for protest or memorial. Mostly my music is about reminding everyone to feel a part of the moments we all share. One popular song I wrote is an apology to the Yarra River as our forefathers moved it to build the city docklands area. This song includes indigenous permission and is the song I put my drums down for and sing it into a Calabash bowl. A calabash is a gourd, an inter-continental water vessel and in some cultures it’s a water drum.”
She’s also a strong proponent of working together with her bandmates: “I believe collaboration can be something that keeps people together, sharing the load and sharing the royalty is a great connector in professional bands,” she says. “I’ve seen many amateur bands/artists battle, stagnate or break up over royalties because they can’t work out collaboration. I think it’s really worth it. It’s worth working out what way you want to work and putting in the elbow grease. In collaboration, I have found lifelong friends and music that has nurtured our careers spanning decades. Sometimes also it’s not all about sharing the load equally too - but acknowledging the part everyone plays in either the writing of music or the performance of it is a great mirror into interpersonal and communication skills. At the end of the day, I can honestly say, even with all the bad habits, I can still look to the positive side of arts industry and say openly that I LOVE PEOPLE. Collaboration is THE BEST. Some solo writers do a great job of collaborating, communicating and forming bands that work really well. They are the sole owners, creators and administrators of their music. These artists put the hard work in to write the music and organize the performance of it, keeping their co artists happy. They are unicorns to me.”
Professionalism is important to Néda too: “I believe in presenting yourself well,” she says. “Be it casual formal or costumed that’s up to what’s appropriate for the genre and event. On and off-stage, dress one up from what your band, employer or audience expects. Pay someone to make you an outfit if you can’t find what will give you an edge above the rest. As long as you feel like what you wear is fresh and a representation of you, you will look great. Value your instrument, posture and your presentation. Do not wear what you will wear onstage at sound check or in the audience. Bring it in a suit bag pressed ready for the show. The stage is a sacred space where performance comes alive, use clothing to be part of that ritual. When it’s actually time to play let go of all your worries and focus on the music and the people you are connecting to it and enjoy yourself.”
Both artists are inspired by other local performers. For Nasrine, “my favourite percussionist is Israel Suarez “Piraña” who is the number one Flamenco percussionist around. He also plays congas and is a great all round musician. There are many percussionists with out of this world technique but not all of them use it with good taste. I love the way he subdivides the time in such a flawless way that creates a huge bed of security for anyone he is on stage with. Flamenco is a tradition that doesn´t really accommodate choppy playing by the percussionist but he has a way of subtly revolutionizing the beat without disrespecting the genre. In an improvised setting no matter how complicated his solos get, it´s always easy to play with him and follow the time because he develops and executes his ideas perfectly. In terms of conga players I love Pedrito Martinez, Adonis Panter and all the percussionists from Osain del Monte.”
Néda says, “all of my favourite drummers are Australian other than Anderson Paak … my favorite Drummers are usually singers too…” and she lists lots of locals amonst these favourites, including Julian Goyma, Danny Farrugia, Will Hull Brown, Nicky Bomba, Steve Allingham, Mark Grunden, Graeme Podgeson, Ivan Khatchoyan, and Elvis Elgis. She says she’s drawn to these particular drummers because “they are constantly playing, creating touring and working it. They sound great because they put the work in … I respect drummers and percussionists that are great technicians but also that are great performers. “
“My sister Nasrine also inspires me. She has entered the Flamenco genre and is killing it in the very competitive Madrid live music scene. It’s not a style that I understand deeply because I’m not immersed in it, but I enjoy consuming the live content she puts out with Singer composer Diego Guerrero. I can see her playing evolves every time I see her performing - she is taking on the world.”
Néda was a big influence on her sister as a young artist: “We started playing together in a percussion group from Melbourne called Tumbarumba,” says Nasrine. “We played for years and years almost all of our gigs together which was really nice. I was also really young, only about 15, when we started so It was nice to have my big sister looking out for me and this was the time when I could just experience the joy of music and sharing with friends and family. Gigs were fun and just came rolling in without having to work too hard to get them. Once I started playing in other groups and mostly after moving overseas, I found myself if a whole different dynamic. Competitivity amongst musicians, ego, jealousy, machismo, all kinds of stuff that can really take the joy away from music if you don´t know how to surround yourself with the right people.”
Nasrine has found a few differences as she’s performed more away from home: “The projects I am involved in demand a much higher responsibility from me than when I was in Australia. Before I moved to Spain, I was always playing alongside a drum kit player and other percussionists so I was playing along in a sense. Now I find myself in a situation where I need a lot more concentration and confidence than before because the time is my responsibility and I am not just providing the colours. It´s been a challenge taking on this role in genres of music that are much more rhythmically complex and percussion orientated. I aim to listen carefully to the artists that I am accompanying so I can react to their subtle changes in dynamics and timing so they feel comfortable and well supported on stage.”
“It is so great being Nasrine’s sister,” says Néda. “Over the years we have performed a lot together especially when we were younger. Some of my fondest Tumbarumba Band memories are of sneaking Nasrine into venues to play when I was 20 and Nasrine would have been 14. She was always such a strong percussionist and we were learning about Melbourne's music scene its dynamics, momentum, ups and downs together. I think we were lucky to have each other and such great young men around us that are all still in our lives as fellow musicians and friends today. As I mature more as an artist I see myself more as a performer percussionist/drummer and entertainer and I see Nasrine more as a traditional latin and flamenco percussionist and as an excellent musician. It's great being sisters with such different skills it really works when we do get to be on the same stage together. When we do work together is usually in the Brazilian percussion Samba genre. Nasrine’s husband Diego Guerrero is an incredible musician singer and composer and my boyfriend Marrs Coiro is also a producer and DJ. Through our Persian father who lives in Iran and his relatives I’ve heard that our Grandmother was possibly a frame drum Daf player too. I hope to clarify that story one day.”
Nasrine echoes this desire: “there are no other professional musicians in my family,” she says, “but since I got on Instagram, I am starting to see how many girls and women play percussion in Iran. There are heaps of female percussionists in Iran, which I think is really awesome. Apparently my grandma played a little bit of Daf which is an Iranian frame drum.”
The siblings have big musical dreams to add to their already flourishing careers. For Nasrine, “to still be playing and touring professionally well into my golden years is my number one goal … After taking 3 study trips to Cuba, one of my goals was to play there but this year I´ll be playing there for the first time with Diego Guerrero at the Havana World Music Festival so I´m really looking forward to that,” she says. “There are some other great festivals I´d like to play at and visit around the world in countries I´ve never been to … I´d also like to play bass but in another lifetime maybe because the percussion family is so huge that I still feel like I´m barely getting started.”
Néda musical bucket list includes “learning to be able to drive a banging lice hip hop set from an excellent sounding Drumkit !! I cannot wait to put the work into that .. I wonder who it will be for? My short term 2019 goals are to deal with the adrenal fatigue that I suffer from our hectic schedule so that I can continue to perform and improve and possibly make space for some more regular lessons to improve my technique and influences. Medium term goals are to release 46 compositions I’ve got banked up recorded to share my work with those who haven’t seen or heard me live … Long term goals are to open my mind to new collaborations and countries that push me outside of my natural creative habits.”
And their advice to their younger selves?
Nasrine: “Record every gig and listen to it before you do your next gig.”
Néda: “Start writing music straight away and document everything in a searchable log. Let go of all your worries because it all works out anyway and get good at admin.”
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www.Nédalife.com
