BIOGRAPHY

Jalal Kimia is a Persian Percussionist born and raised in Iran.  He started learning Iranian famous frame drum (Daf) at age 16 under the guidance of Meysam Afshin and Behzad Mahjoobi.  After some time he felt compelled to learn the other main Persian percussion instrument (Tombak) and started training under Master Dariush Eshaghi.  Later, he continued his training with Master Pejman Hadadi.

Based in Washington DC, Jalal Kimia has been teaching Daf in collaboration with various institutes including Ava Music School, Studio Muse, and Pars Place Music Institute for several years. Following his dream of creating a Daf ensemble here in the Washington D.C. area, he started Rumi Daf Ensemble with his best followers/students in 2018.  The Rumi Daf Ensemble Inception, led by Jalal, is his passion and his aspiration.

He has performed as a Daf player with various Iranian traditional and folk music groups, including Simorq, Koobang, Bamdad, Pejvak and Delshodegan, in many concerts and festivals in Iran, China, Thailand, and the United States.

He participated in the Festival of Traditional Maghami Music in North Khorasan (2002), The Art and Cultural Festival of Iran-Thailand in Ayutthaya with Bamdad Ensemble as a percussionist (2012), and as a Daf player in a performing theater and music project about Ferdowsi directed by Reza Saberi (2000).

His latest performances were with Pejvak Iranian traditional music band led by Master Behfar Bahadoran at Richard J. Ernst Cultural Center (2017), and “from an Ancient Legacy” concert led by Master Mehdi Bagheri at Ritz-Carlton at Tysons Corner VA (2018).

Jalal has organized the weekly Daf/Drum circle at Iranian American Community Center (IACC) focusing on representing and introducing Persian percussion instruments to Iranians and non-Iranians alike.

As an Iranian Percussion Instructor, he also currently holds a music workshop for “Roshan Institute for Persian Studies” at the University of Maryland since 2014.