CRAFTMANSHIP

The Darbuka is known for its stunning designs and excellent build quality. Our craftsmen understand this and strive to build each instrument to the highest specification possible.

SOUND QUALITY

At it's most functional point, the Darbuka is a musical instrument. It needs the capability to produce a wide spectrum of sounds. We understand and ensure this.

DEEP UNDERSTANDING

With 80 years of experience, we've perfected our Darbukas through careful adaptation, showcasing our craftsman's deep understanding of the instrument.

The original Darbuka. These were the first Darbukas we ever created. This is the Darbuka that Egypt was known for, and the Darbukas that you can find in any Egyptian street market. This is where our journey began, and the starting point for countless innovations.

In 1945, we introduced the use of black, white, and coloured plastics into our Darbukas. These would be overlain over the Darbuka and sealed with glue to form geometric designs. This process was widespread throughout Egypt and part of the Egyptian culture.

In 1977, we brought the Mother of Pearl Clay Darbuka to the world, being the first company ever to use Mother of Pearl with the Darbuka. It was an overnight success. The shine and glisten of the Mother of Pearl would enrapture both players and audiences alike with the beauty of the Darbuka.

Following the success of the Mother of Pearl Clay Darbuka, we replicated the incredible geometric designs over a metal Darbuka. The metal Darbuka had the advantage of being easier to work with, more durable, and creating a more upbeat and exciting sound.

In 1985, a far superior quality of the Mother of Pearl was ide ntified in Oman that was suitable for use with our Mother of Pearl Darbukas. After initial testing was complete, this Omani Mother of Pearl was used across all of our Darbukas.

It quickly became apparent how much of an improvement Omani Mother of Pearl was over Egyptian Mother of Pearl. We decided to order samples of the highest quality Mother of Pearl from around the world to launch our Australian Mother of Pearl lines in 1989.

With the international growth in demand for the Darbuka, and the increase in the number of professional players, a newer style of Darbuka was developed named the Sombaty Darbuka. It is a larger sized Darbuka with an increased playing area to allow for a broader spectrum of sounds to be created.

While the sound quality of the original size Darbuka was satisfactory, improvements in global trade conditions meant it was easier to purchase high-quality aluminium in large quantities. Therefore, we increased the size and weight of our main Darbuka lines, vastly improving their quality.

In 2008, we sourced Blue Mother of Pearl for the first time, from abalone instead of pearl oysters. The Blue Mother of Pearl glistened blue, green, and purple. This opened up a vast range of new designs, and our craftsmen got to work on these incredible new designs.

The Mother of Pearl Darbuka attracted fame from around the world. We responded by designing a unique gloss to coat our Darbukas with, giving them even more shine and transforming the Darbuka into a truly premium and world-class product.

In 2010, Abdel-Nasser Lotfy finally finished the first prototype of a wooden Darbuka that he had been working on for almost a year. Collaborations with expert carpenters enabled the Darbuka to truly capture a natural and earthy design while not affecting sound quality.

Another innovation that had been in the pipeline for decades, the Artistic Designs Sombaty, was finally completed in 2019. This was an incredible collaboration between some of our expert Darbuka craftsmen and renowned Egyptian artists. It quickly grew in fame throughout the world.

In 2019, we collaborated with Malik Instruments to launch our first collection specifically designed for the Western Market, the Pearl Hues Collection. It was this collaboration that would ultimately lead to Gawharet El Fan merging with Malik Instruments.

Launched as part of our merger with Malik Instruments, we introduced the Export Grade, a range of products refined to the highest-level. The Export Grade products are manufactured by only our top-level mastercraftsmen. It is a genuinely premium and exclusive collection only sold by select stores.

Limited Edition Collection

2024