It is said that music is a universal language. This is undoubtedly true. Meaning; though the Indian tabla player and the jazz artist from New Orleans or the clarion (zourna) player from Lüleburgaz and the Egyptian darbouka artist may not understand a word of each other’s languages, they could still talk until mornings through the language of music. But one condition must be fulfilled for this; to bring the music together on the same rhythm... Two musicians who are not able to meet on the same rhythm will be struck mute, they will be left to sit and stare at each other without any understanding.

Unfortunately the rhythmic activities in our country that encompasses an enormous richness in terms of folklore does not reflect this wealth. Aren’t there any good rhythm artists? Of course there are. But those blending our country’s rhythms, from the Thracian region to the East, from the Black Sea to the Aegean, into the universal language of rhythm are very few indeed...

The Galata Rhythm House has set out to cover the distance from the local to the universal. It was necessary to have the right guide in order to be able to reach the target in this long and difficult journey. A guide nurtured from the music rivers in the lands of Anatolia and Thrace, the lands upon which we live but who, not deeming this to be sufficient, has overcome oceans in pursuit of his love, a guide who has committed his life to solving the secrets of rhythm… Master Mısırlı Ahmet, who has been able to embrace the rhythms of the world in his darbouka...