Desert Echo

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  • Desertechodrums@gmail.com

Feel the Beat, with
Desert Echo Drums

Founder
Teachers

Social Impact through the Promotion of Islamic Arts and Culture

Our vision is

To revive the daff drum and nasheeds in Muslim homes in the west

1. Revival of Tradition

We are dedicated to bringing the traditional sounds of the daff and nasheeds back into Muslim homes. By honoring our expressive heritage, we enrich the spiritual lives of families and create a deeper connection to sacred sound and expression.

2. Nurturing Love for Salawat

Our mission is to instil a profound love for salawat in the hearts of Muslim children. Through engaging programs and activities, we inspire the next generation to appreciate and celebrate the beauty of these sacred praises.

3. Safe Creative Spaces

We are dedicated to bringing the traditional sounds of the daff and nasheeds back into Muslim homes. By honoring our expressive heritage, we enrich the spiritual lives of families and create a deeper connection to sacred sound and expression.

4. Healing Through Sound

We recognize the transformative power of sacred sound as a tool for healing and personal growth. By offering opportunities for women to connect with their emotions and spirituality through daff and nasheed, we promote well-being and resilience.

5. Community and Connection

We are committed to building a strong, interconnected community where individuals can share their stories, experiences, and creativity. Through collaboration and support, we empower one another to thrive and celebrate our shared heritage.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Ustadha Anjum Kasmani is a traditional female drummer, educator and researcher who has been empowering women and children through the transformative power of drumming and Islamic expression since 2007. She is a multi disciplinary creative with a specialism in faith-based and female spaces.

As a pioneering figure in contemporary Islamic drumming, Ustadha Anjum wrote the first Islamic Daff and Nasheed curriculum in the UK and Australia and founded one of the UK’s first “Munshidaat”/ female devotional performing groups.

Her journey with the daff began in 2007 when she studied the daff (frame drum) and inshad (classical islamic poetry) in Jordan. On return to the UK, Ustada Anjum founded Desert Echo Daff School.

Driven by a love for connecting with audiences and learners, Ustadha Anjum developed a comprehensive curriculum in 2008 to teach the daff and nasheeds specifically to English-speaking students. Since then Ustadha Anjum has been running workshops, classes, seminars and drum circles around the world, reviving a sacred art form amongst Muslim communities globally.

In addition to teaching, Ustadha Anjum is a researcher in the field of devotional expression and female spaces.

With two decades of experience, Ustadha Anjum is dedicated to fostering expression among Muslim women and children worldwide. She has trained with esteemed drummers, including Jordanian Munshid Shaykh Nidal and world-renowned frame drummer Glen Valez. A highly sought-after drummer, she often collaborates with international artists and participates in events such as mawlids and concerts, enriching communal gatherings with her music.

Ustadha Anjum is also a spiritual lyricist, creating nasheeds that resonate globally. Her notable songs, including “Ya Noori” and “Bismillah Wa Billah,” connect deeply with audiences, while her Qasida Daff compositions bring joy to spiritual gatherings.

In 2017, Desert Echo Daff School founded the Qasida Collective – a website and mission to spread traditional islamic poetry to the non arabic reader through easy to access online transliterations and translations as well as local singing circles.

20+

Years of contributing to the development and progress of Islam.

Ustadh M. Zaki Ismail

Ustadh M. Zaki Ismail is of Singaporian descent. He graduated from Madrasha Al Junaid Al Islamia before moving to Damascus, Syria for 6 years, to continue his classical Islamic studies. Ustadh Zaki has been playing the daff for 25 years, most primarily playing in gatherings in Syria. After his time in Syria, Ustadh Zaki moved back to Singapore where he continued his role as a munshid and daff player with the band Madih Ul Mustafa. On moving to London, UK Ustadh Zaki managed and performed with Al Qiblah Ensemble – a dynamic spiritual ensemble. Ustadh joined Desert Echo Daff School to teach the male course, where he taught the Shaami curriculum. In 2016, Ustadh Zaki founded the Suffa Foundation, a community centre of religion and education, serving the Malaysian community in London.