ZURNA

The zurna, known in Iran as sorna and in other parts of the world by similar names, is an early type of shawm, or double-reed conical-bore pipe. Very early in fact, as it as known to the ancient Egyptians, who probably invented it. This is me playing the Iranian sorna:

Military musicians of the Ottoman Mehter

Iranian sorna

Military musicians in ancient Egypt

I first learned about zurnas, double reeds and the art of circular breathing from a Turkish Kurd named Ersin, sadly killed in the war between Turkey and the Kurdish nationalist PKK. He and his brother lived in Dalston in the 1980s and taught traditional Kurdish music and dance at the community centre there. Very exciting it was and they were passionately devoted to it.