riqq

    The riqq (also called daff) is a small tambourine (approx. 8.5 inches in diameter & 2.5 inches deep) traditionally covered with goat or fish skin and equipped with five double rows of brass cymbals (approx. 2 inches in diameter). In the late 1980s, a mylar-headed, aluminum (or wooden) bodied instrument was introduced and was adopted by a number of professional riqq players. The riqq is especially valued for the variety of sounds it can produce and appreciated for the subtle yet virtuosic manner in which it is performed. In the first half of the 20th century it was common for the riqq to be the sole percussion instrument in art-music ensembles. In the second half of the 20th century, with the addition of the tablah and other percussion instruments to these ensembles, riqq players adopted a technique that emphasizes the cymbal over the membrane sounds.