Another year has past, seeing Edward in Cairo for three months of research into Arabic classical music. Then to Vancouver for another three months of experimental instrument building in a relentless search for the ideal Ragmakamtar design. This Vancouver version (#5), which is a radical departure in design from the already well known "Faruk version" (#3), turned out 90% successful but not good enough. Therefore in the Autumn, back in Europe, Edward constructed version #6 which has proven fully satisfactory on all accounts (even if it looks a bit odd!).

Just before Xmas 2009 Edward completed the work on the RAGMAKAM CD project. This CD will be available on CD.BABY in early 2010.

"Ragmakam" (2007-9) ...this CD is one of a kind. This recording reveals a successful musical experiment previously never attempted or perhaps conceived of: the compositional marriage between Hindustani Ragas and Ottoman Makams. Furthermore on this recording Edward plays exclusively his self-creation/invention: the Ragmakamtar which combines the sarod, the oud, and the fretless guitar in one instrument. Featured on this recording are world renowned Turkish and Indian classical musicians.

RAGMAKAM ENSEMBLE is a "one of a kind" group. Nothing quite like it exists because Indian classical and Turkish classical musics, although coming from the same origins, have never before been combined in the modern era. After 20 years of travelling and studying in the Orient, Edward formed the group as a vehicle for the performance of his experimental compositions. The current group is based in the Czech Republic and consists of instruments such as: Edward's "ragmakamtar" [an instrument Edward designed and built himself which is a combination of an Indian Sarod, a Turkish Oud, and a Fretless Guitar], "Sitar", "Cello", "Violin", "traditional Peruvian Flutes".

"Ragmakamtar version #6" ...is an slight improvement and refinement over version #5 (which was a dramatic departure from the previous design). This version has a large rounded back made of papier mache (!), and has an enormous amount of soundboard surface area in order to allow both bridges ample space to resonate bass frequencies. Previous version of the ragmakamtar have suffered in the bass register so therefore it finally became appearant that in order to get a deep sound out of an extremely string-stressed soundboard - the only way is to make it very large.

"Ragmakamtar version #5" ...I went through a majorly stressful ordeal managing to get ragmakamtar version #4 onto the flight from London to Vancouver as hand luggage, only to soon realise that I would not feel satisfied with version #4 enough to use it as my permanent playing axe. Version #4 has some serious balance issues due to overly heavy necks. Furthermore, although it's sound is magnificent, still it was not exactly what I was hoping for. I wanted to be able to use all nylon strings on the "oud neck". I came to the conclusion that I therefore simply had to make the lower half of the instrument very similar to an actual oud. I built this version in a rush, and that is a good thing because with this new design, the upper neck did not get enough soundboard space and therefore the "sarod" ended up sounding like a banjo..... kinda nice actually, but again, not what I was after.

"Ragmakamtar version #4" ...otherwise known as the "Baritone Ragmakamtar" is a very well made instrument. Version #3, which is extraordinarily well made (built over a 7 month period in Istanbul at the workshop of Faruk Turunz), had some problems with ergonomics and tone - therefore I set out to correct these problems with a new design which included a somewhat warped (or "pregnant") soundboard shape, longer string scale, and different bracing pattern. I built this instrument alongside Nadishana's Dzuddahord, and in the process of building learned a lot - in fact I was 3/4 the way through building when I realised that the design was not optimal... but what to do? I completed it, and went through a lengthy voicing process to finally come up with a very interesting and rich sounding instrument. But it was not exactly what I was after, and the weight/balance issues made for a difficult instrument to play. The instrument rests now in Vancouver in storage, still without sympathetic strings and varnish... I did luckily have the opportunity for perform one concert with this instrument, and this is on Youtube.

Cairo 2009 ...it has been one of my dreams for the past 15 years to visit Cairo for an extended period of research into Arabic classical music, and Egyptian oud playing styles in particular. I spent 4 months in Morocco in 1994, and since this time I have known that any study of Arabic oud is incomplete without a visit to Cairo. All in all my time there was extremely beneficial however on some levels it was a disappointment. The traditional music scene has suffered unspeakably as a result of post-colonial attitudes towards music and culture. Highlights of my time in Cairo were meeting and jamming with the great oud master Joseph Tawadros, and developing an intimate friendship and professional relationship with one of the most knowledgable and gifted musicians in the Middle-east, neyzen Mohammed Antar...