Kurdish Melodies on Zorna

Zadik Zecharia's zorna playing is a powerful relentless blast of beauty. The drone like qualities that engulf both the listener and player are unyielding in their intensity from start to finish. The instrument, well known in the middle east, particularly in Kurdistan, Iraq and Turkey, is similar in sound and intensity to the Scottish bagpipes. Zadik takes few pauses for breath, but wildly plays a continuous flow of melody weaving around the Dola drum that provides a pulsating rhythm. Zadik Zecharia was born in the Sharnash Village in Kurdistan and moved to Israel in 1950. Zadik has dedicated his whole life to playing the zorna - a traditional, trumpet like instrument, (but longer and narrower) that has been identified with the Kurdish people. "There are two kinds of melodies: Chopie and Shechni. The Chopie are the fast melodies, tunes for dancing with the high notes of the Zorna. The Dola drum always accompanies the Zorna on Chopie tunes. The Shechni are slower melodies in the background, sad tunes that are usually played while the celebrators are sitting around the table. It reminds them of their Motherland, Kurdistan, and serves as an intro to the partying and dancing." (Tzadik Zecharia, Jerusalem 2005)