Jamal Mohamed's World Ensemble, the current vision of doumbek virtuoso Jamal Mohamed, explores and expands on the folk music traditions of many cultures across globe.

Featuring fierce drumming and fearless improvisation by Jamal and his all-star cast, Jamal Mohamed's World Ensemble is bringing their imaginative interpretations to the stage nationally and internationally.

About Jamal:  

A native of Lebanon, Jamal grew up in the Chicago area, where he was exposed to rich blues and jazz traditions as well as the Middle Eastern music he heard at home. Known for his virtuosity on the doumbek, Jamal has incorporated many innovative jazz and Latin styles with this ancient instrument. He designs and builds a number of the instruments he plays and has worked extensively in dance, theater, film and music therapy. In 2010 Toca Percussion introduced the “Jamal Doumbek,” a signature drum he designed with Toca.

Jamal Mohamed has been a featured artist in many international music and dance events.  He has performed with Sting, Mark O’Connor, Giovanni Hidalgo, Steward Copeland, and many other well known artists. In addition, his music has been featured in the television documentaries Ramses the Great, National Geographic’s Lions of Darkness (with D’Drum), and the film biography of bluesman Robert Johnson, Can’t You Hear the Wind Howl?, starring Danny Glover and Keb’ Mo’.

He has presented percussion workshops at venues worldwide, including Berklee College of Music in Boston; the National Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico City; the Tokyo School of Music in Tokyo, Japan; the American University in Cairo, Egypt; the Center for World Music in Bali, Indonesia; and the University of Hong Kong, to name a few. 

Jamal also performs with the  Brahma, D'Drum and the jazz ensemble Jampact. He serves on the faculty at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts, where he teaches percussion and directs the Meadows World Music Ensemble.