Susu Pampanin
As a child Susu Pampanin was surrounded by the rhythm of Middle Easter Music. Her mother, Amina, a professional dancer and teacher inspired her to explore Arabic thythms and the percussion traditions of the world. By the age of 13 she was drumming with Arabic orchestras; branching out she added comples rhythms of Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and African percussion.
Based on a foundation of traditional Arabic music, Susu created and produced the album "Susu and the Cairo Cats, Dancing Drums," It was released in 1990 on cassette and re-released on CD in 2000. She released her solo album "Susu Pampanin, Hands of Time, Belly Dance Drum Music."
Susu performs regularly in the Arabic clubs of San Francisco Bay Area and has toured extensively throughout the United States playing with Middle Eastern musicians. She has performed with the world famous drummer Hossam Ramzy.
She has played and recorded over a dozen albums with bands including "Light Rain," "Blue Nile," "Jazayer" and "Stella Mara" and she has traveled worldwide and recorded with "Wild Mango" and Keith Terry's percussion ensembl , Crosspulse"
Susu drummed in Cairo, Egypt for the famous dancers, Lucy, Hindya, and Nadia Hamdi. She performed in Luxor, Egypt with the Banat Mazen Ghawazee. She has played percussion for Amina's group, "Aswan Dancers" and the groups: "Hahbi'Ru," "Fat Chance Belly Dance," Suhaila Salilmpour Dance Company," TerriAnne's Troupe "Joweh" and Nanna Canderlaria's Troupe "Tabu."
Susu's enduring talent and passion for Arabic percussion enables her to fuse Arabic traditional, Arabic contemporary and Belly Dance rhythmic styles with Latin beat and World pop elements to create her fresh and innovative sound.
(above information about Susu Pampanin, copied from Susu Pampanin: Hands of Time, Belly Dance Drum Music)
