Beth Beaver
Beth Beaver began playing music in 1996. She started by playing Riq, a middle-eastern tambourine, with Sazlar a local middle-eastern band. She decided to learn to play the kanun (spelled “qanun” in Arabic), a zither used predominantly in the near and middle-eastern countries. After taking a couple of lessons she bought one and the adventure began.
Singing was a natural thing to add. Now it was a matter of learning to sing in languages of different countries, with microtones (notes between notes) common to middle-eastern music and rhythms that are unusual to the American ear. A challenging task.
A few of her teachers and influences include: Halil Karaduman (a member of the Turkish National Ensemble), Mimi Spencer (a respected musician in San Francisco, California), and Rahim Alhaj (an Iraqi oud master currently living in Albuquerque, New Mexico) and many others.
Cindy Bachicha
Cindy Bachicha has been drumming all her life. Sometimes, she has even used a drum. In about 1982, she joined the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and was introduced to her first dumbek. She met some women who were belly dancers. They wanted live music instead of canned. So she formed Sazlar with friends. At first they were using recorders and mandolins and were playing songs using Western tunings. Sazlar learned as they went along. They use nay (end blown flute), oud, saz, riq and dumbek. The tuning has changed as well. Now the instruments are using midddle eastern tuning and maqams (keys). In 1993 they made their first CD. This was followed by a second CD 3 years later. While still playing with Sazlar she began playing rock & roll with some local bands. I met my husband Robert in ’96 and both of us played rock. We did backup vocals and percussion for Flashback, Six Gun Overload, 12 Guage and Full Moon. (Her husband played congas, bongo’s and a variety of percussion instruments. The bands broke up or moved on, and Sazlar was always there. Then a chance meeting in 2006 led her to play in a Tahitian drum band with Uncle Tee. Tee, his son Jason (the Samoans), Hawaiian, Brandon and Cindy formed The Poi Pounders. They played for Hawaiian Pride. The instruments were Tuete (a hollowed out log usually made of Iron wood (skin drum), a base drum, and a pahu, all played with sticks. This music is exciting and very fast. She was with them for three years. Unfortunately she had to make a very tough decision. In 2009 Beth asked her to play with Sadaqah. She said yes of course. This was where the tough choice was. Sadaqah plays out so much that Cindy had to let go of Tahitian drumming. Also she still plays with Sazlar. They do the occasional gig, but they don’t play out as much. They are scattered to the Four Winds. This makes it tougher to get together. Sadaqah on the other hand has filled her need to be on stage. It is so much fun playing with them that for while she is free of pain. Her style of drumming while not at all traditional still gets the job done. Also, she finds that doing back up harmonies with Beth is incredible. She is so proud to be playing with Sadaqah.
Erik Teixeira
Erik Teixeira began his music career as a high school student in Albuquerque, New Mexico playing trombone in concert and marching bands, working for three years as a sound recording intern at Mixed Media Productions, and playing rhythm guitar for a garage band called Unlocked Away. After high school, Erik went to Texas Tech University to pursue an electrical engineering degree. At Texas Tech University, Erik continued developing his interests as a musician in more ensembles as a trombone player and as a disc jockey at 88.1 KTXT-FM. After receiving his electrical engineering degree, Erik followed his creative passions and pursued a career as a professional musician. For the next 4 years, Erik played lead guitar for the acoustic folk alternative band The Nisa playing throughout West and Central Texas. The group disbanded shortly after relocating in Austin, Texas. At this point, Erik began playing at different open mics and quickly became a mainstay in Austin’s poetry scene playing improvisational guitar behind many poets. This led to short stints in improv bands CRE-8 and Jiva. In the spring of 2004, Erik began playing shows with a local poet/singer/MC named Chris “Shorti C” Edwards and formed the group Diasporic shortly before embarking on an improvised road trip to the west coast. Over the next 3 months, Diasporic played throughout California, Oregon, and Washington. Along the way, the group won second place in Berkeley’s music poetry slam and performed during the Oakland Slam Finals competition. Upon returning to Austin, Diasporic played a few shows and began expanding into a formidable funk band with Rudy Eccles on bass. At the end of the year, Erik left the band to pursue different musical avenues including small solo shows as Erik the Orchestra. Eventually, Erik began research into ethnomusicology at the University of Texas. Then in the summer of 2005, Erik returned to the west coast, this time visiting music departments rather than playing shows. After touring through California, Oregon, and Washington universities, Erik again settled in his home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is where Erik seriously began his studies in contemporary world music, music cognition, and applied mathematics at the University of New Mexico. Here, he joined the community-based ensembles, the Gamelan Encantada and the Baghdad Ensemble. In addition, Erik is currently playing oud with Sadaqah and has reformed The Nisa too play shows in New Mexico and Texas.
Phrank
Edward Frank Bramlitt was born on the 14th of December in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Raised by a whistling mother and pianist father, he studied music from a very early age. His instrumental studies include the piano, trombone, electric bass, organ and singing while percussion came later in life. He graduated from UNM in 2005 with a degree in mathematics and a minor in music. Early in college his first African drum teacher was Kobiana Nakigan from Senegal, Amara Camara and Male Fènke from Mali. His early influences on dumbek came from Peter Merkx, Mattie Erickson and Jess Graham. He has significantly contributed to numerous music projects, including Casa Di Manza and Odigbo Adama. He has performed at the Hispanic Cultural Center, Popejoy, Kimo Theater, Nob Hill, Mercury Café (Denver), South Broadway Cultural Center and the NM State Fair, to name a few places. He started with Sadaqah in August of 2009, taking his personal hobby of Arabic drumming to a professional level of performance.
Personally, he thinks of himself as a professional teacher of mathematics, a part-time gardener, an any-time game player, always laughing, loquacious and spiritually lifted. Obviously, he thinks too much of himself. He might talk your ear off if you let him, and you’ll probably get a laugh if you’re near him. He is definitely a fan of jokes, even the worst kind. The next time you see him ask why a chicken coop always has two doors.
Favorite quotation of the moment – Each man should frame life so that, at some future hour, fact and his dreaming meet.
Sam Tynker
Sam Tynker was born into a family circus (Clan Tynker), in Santa Fe New Mexico. He began performing professionally with his family at the age of 11. Over the years he’s gotten the opportunity to travel, performing in countries such as Italy, France, Germany, and all across the United States. Middle Eastern drumming has always been a part of his life, first learning from his father Raven Tynker. Over the years he has also studied and been influenced by; Kevin Hartnell, Souhail Kaspar, Raquy Danziger, Bruno Anderson, Kazuki Kozoru, Jess Graham and many others. Sam’s passion for the dumbek brings him great happiness that he hopes will carry through to the listener.