Residing in Portland Oregon, producer and musician David Reihs is a multi-instrumentalist with a diverse 35 year background in music, theater, and broadcasting. From 2001 to 2006 he directed several music ensembles and classes dedicated to learning and performing Middle Eastern music and dance in Portland. In order to provide the community with more exposure to these arts, dhavir productions was created in 2003 to deliver top notch concerts and workshops with internationally known performers including Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Aziza, Ansuya, Karim Nagi, Souhail Kaspar, Hadia, John Bilezikjian, Rachid Halihal and many more. After producing numerous events in Portland, David decided to deepen his own study by moving to Istanbul, Turkey in 2006. It was during this time that the puzzle pieces of his work would fall into place.

In Istanbul, David studied with ud(oud) master Necati Çelik, darbuka(tablah, derbakki, doumbek) with composer Yinon Muallem, and Turkish percussion with superstar brothers Mehmet and Hamdi Akatay, while performing with several diffrerent groups around Istanbul. He soon started creating video lessons for friends at home in Portland. This project illuminated the intricacies of the darbuka and David was inspired to create a thorough instructional DVD for players around the world. Understanding that it was imperative to create this material with a native artist in order to present a full picture of the tradition, David reached out to Syrian musician Faisal Zedan, a popular percussionist living in San Francisco, California. Over the course of a year the two wrote a complete tutorial for Derbakki drum by email, then shot and produced this work in Istanbul as dhavir productions first video release: Derbakki Fundamentals with Faisal Zedan, complete with a 50 page e-book of information and notation. The next DVD, Raw Roman, was also shot and produced in Istanbul with Turkish Roman dancer Reyhan Tuzsuz and her student Delpha. The collaboration of student, musician, and native artist have made this the definitive DVD on Turkish Roman dance to date.

Since his return to Portland in 2010, two more dhavir productions titles have been released: Belly Dance Drum Solos for Dancers and Musicians and Arabic Rhythm Section. Both of these also feature the masterful playing of Faisal Zedan and a collaboration with professional belly dance artist, Mariyah of New York. All of these titles have been warmly embraced by the international Middle Eastern music and dance community.

We are excited to bring this enriching information online for easier access to those wishing to learn these arts. Look for additional titles to be added in 2020!