Events & Workshops

Mary Ellen performs at Rakkasah West at the Richmond Auditorium
March 17th and 18th

Saturday, March 17, Mary Ellen will play doumbec with Al Azifoon ensemble for audience dancing during open stage and for four dancers from 1:15 to 2:00pm.

Sunday, March 18, Mary Ellen will perform with her own ensemble: Housain Resan, oud and vocals; Younes Makboul, violin and Brian Nutson, riqq.

Open stage begins at 3:15pm and the following dancers will perform until 4:00pm, Salina, Hasani, Adira and Zahara.

Special Note: Mary Ellen will have a booth at Rakkasah from Friday evening through Sunday evening, with all of her books and cds available for puchase. Please pay a visit to her booth and take advantage of special deals that will save you money.

New Beginner Doumbec Class in Oakland
Time: 11:00am to 12:30pm every other Saturday
Location: close to West Oakland BART station and five minutes
off of 880 freeway, with ample parking

Fee: $20.00 per class paid at the first class of the month. Students pay for missed classes and are eligible to attend group generic make up classes when needed.

Class size: 5 - 8 students

Required instructional materials, produced by Mary Ellen and available for purchase at first class. a. Doumbec Delight book: $20.00
b. Middle Eastern Rhythms for Beginners . . contains two CD’s with 5 minutes each of 28 rhythms played on Doumbec and Tambourine by Mary Ellen plus 2 booklets with musical notation for all the rhythms for doumbec, tambourine and finger cymbals: $35.00

Sample pages of the book and sound bites from the CD’s can be found at www.maryellendonald.com

Note: Drums will be available for purchase if you don’t already have one.

Make this your year to keep your promise to yourself to learn something new! Hope to see you in class.

p.s. I have been teaching for over 35 years. I know How to Teach.

Hello Mary Ellen,

WOW!   Your Birthday Bash at Humanist Hall was the most amazing musical feast EVER!  I do not want to forget to thank you ever so much for celebrating your birthday at Humanist Hall!

It was such a fantastic, spectacular, world class, music and dance phenomenon.  The music was so gorgeous.  Your medley, your song about summertime, was the best tribute to summer I've EVER heard.  It was so beautiful and haunting, it gave me goose bumps.  And the belly dancer was out of this world, pure liquid, pure magic.  Your music and song, and her dancing, were all so wonderfully creative and eclectic and captivating -- it was impossibly enjoyable -- hard to describe -- completely fulfilling!

Thank you again!  I have the deepest appreciation for your music!

~ Fellowship of Humanity

Booking

Sittat al Qalb (Women of the Heart)
Mary Ellen Donald: Cymbals, Doumbec, Tambourine and Tar &
Nanna Candelaria: Belly Dance
In an educational and entertaining drum and dance duo! Available for performances in schools K-12 through out the San Francisco Bay Area. Call Young Audiences of California at 415-974-5554 to learn how to book this uplifting presentation for schools in your area!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hot Arabic Band For Hire!

Nazir Latouf, from Syria: oud and voice; Mary Ellen Donald: doumbec; and a first rate tambourinist, either Terry Holgate or Susie Goldenstein. A perfect Arabic band for any occasion: private parties, belly dance recitals, world music concerts, Arab weddings and Arabic cultural events. Nazir's extraordinarily rich repertoire spanning the entire Arab world, Mary Ellen's mastery of Arabic drumming and the charismatic, passionate playing of the two of them together make sparks fly and audiences beg for more.

Call Mary Ellen to hire the band that aims to please and does: 510-654-DRUM (3786) Check out sound bites from Nazir's CD "Arabian Passion", elsewhere on this site and video clips from "the Silk Road Experience" DVD also on this site to see for yourself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mary Ellen Donald is available for out of town workshops and shows.  For more information, call Mary Ellen at (510) 654-DRUM (3786) or send e-mail to: me@maryellendonald.com

Listen to a live performance of Nazir Latouf and Mary Ellen Donald.

To hear a song sample, click on Listen
Ahla Tarik (The Sweetest Path) - Egyptian Melody	Listen	Listen
Oud Taqsim by Nazir Latouf	Listen	Listen
Allah Allah Ya Baba	Listen	Listen