Anne Harkin, percussionist - Artist's Profile and resumé
ANNE HARKIN has developed a strong reputation in Australia as a Middle Eastern-style percussion performer and teacher. She appears in the recent SBS-screened documentaries "Red Light In Full Flight" and "Beating The Drum", and has made her own darabouka teaching video. Anne co-founded the HABIBIS and TA’ESH FA’ESH.
Anne currently performs in a number of combinations, bands and duos, as shown elsewhere on this web site. These bands play at a variety of venues - local municipal festivals, folk and world music festivals, Middle Eastern weddings and celebrations, techno raves, children's school shows, restaurants and private functions.
For enquiries and bookings ring: (03) 9381 1186 or email: harkin@netspace.net.au
1999: Recorded instructional CD Darabouka Class
1999: Recorded Balkan music CD Isfahan with Malcolm Fielding and Luke Plumb
1998: Recorded instructional video How To Play Arabic Drum.
1997: Re recorded Volumes 1 and 2 of Zaghareet – Arabic rhythms teaching audio cassettes.
1996: Wrote and recorded music for documentary film Red Light In Full Flight
1996: Clap Your Hands, Play Your Zills Middle Eastern music by TA’ESH FA’ESH
1994: Zaghareet Volumes 1 and 2 - Arabic rhythms teaching cassettes.
1979–83: Various singles and an EP (Club Of Rome) with THE KEVINS on Mushroom Records White Label
1999-2001 member of African drumming ensemble BEATWISE
1998 Co-founded the AZURA TRIO and ISFAHAN
1997-98: performed with SHORT CIRCUIT at a variety of venues including festivals,(eg Port Fairy Folk Festival, Brunswick Festival), techno dance parties, belly dance nights, clubs and Muslim wedding receptions.
1995-96: performed with my Middle Eastern band TA’ESH FA’ESH at all of the above venues including the National Folk Festival Canberra, and at primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Also appeared with this band in two SBS documentaries – "Red Light In Full Flight" (screened in ’96)–about Arabic dance and music in Australia, and "Beating The Drum" – about multiculturalism in Australia. (Screened in 1998)
1997: Co-founded SHORT CIRCUIT. a Middle Eastern/West African 5 piece all women dance and percussion group, specialising in Arabic & West African traditional music with contemporary dance.
1996-97: Initiated and co-organised the monthly World Music Percussion Jam at The Stage Bar Fitzroy.
1996: Initiated and co-organised the inaugural Melbourne Middle Eastern Dance & Music Festival
1995-96: Initiated and co-organised the monthly ‘Club Al Sharqi’ Middle Eastern Dance Party
1995: Co-founded the Arabic percussion duo TA’ESH FA’ESH with Anita Larkin, later expanding it to a 5 piece band.
1994: Co founded Greek/Mediterranean group THE HABIBIS.
1984: Co-founded and played guitar with funk big band PLAY AND PLAY and bossa nova trio LATIN LOVERS
1979-83: Co-founded, played guitar and sang with new-wave/pop group THE KEVINS
1977-78: Co-founded, played guitar and sang with new-wave/pop all women group FLYING TACKLE
1998-1999: Teaching Arabic drumming at VA Lamberti Music, Fitzroy.
1995-’99: Taught several on-going group classes of Arabic drumming, as well as one off workshops eg The Boite Percussion Festival Melbourne; the Melbourne and Sydney Middle East Dance and Music Festivals; Rockhampton, Grafton Artsfest, Melbourne CAE, in Alice Springs NT, Bellingen NSW, two visits to Tasmania giving drumming workshops in Launceston, Hobart and Cygnet, and in country Victoria.
1999 Studies in West African drumming in Ghana (Kusun study centre) and The Gambia (Chossane group), studies in Arabic drumming with Ibrahim Minyawi, studies in African drumming with Mohamed Bangoura
1998 - Studies in Balkan percussion with Fuat Sazimanowski
1996-98: Studies in West African drumming with Epizo Bangoura, Ray Pereira, Kojo Owusu, Lamine Bangoura and Chris Lesser.
1994-95: Studies in Arabic drumming with Ghassan Barakat
1993: Studies in Arabic drumming with Fouad Harraka.
1991: Bachelor of Education TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) LaTrobe University
1972: Diploma In Education, Monash University
1971: Bachelor of Arts, Monash University
Extensive travel within Europe and Australasia, including long term residence in France, Spain and Japan.
Fashion and Textiles: costume design and embroidery. I have designed and made several collections of women’s and children’s clothing. I also design and make stage wear for my own and other bands.
Dance: I have studied in Australia and overseas, dance styles from the Carribean, Central and West Africa and the Middle East.
Photography and Video: I pursue an interest (as much as time will allow), of documenting my travel and musical activities.