Deyereh: Azerbaijan musical instrument

Deyereh also known as doyra, dojra, dojre, doira or dajreja is a middle-sized frame drum with metallic tinkles that accompanies both classical and popular music in Persia, Balkans and many countries in the central Asia like Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. This instrument is similar to the Persian daira and the Turkish def. most daira have a type of chemical elements that are attached to them that gives the drum some qualities of a tambourine. These simple drums are manufactured by attaching skin cover onto wooden ring glue and clothe ties. This musical instrument is not only being used by the south Asia, central Asia and the Middle East, it is also a major instrument in some parts of the Russian Polar Regions.

 

           The history of deyereh has been traced back to many centuries. A bronze carved cup from Lorestan, at the national museum of Iran in Tehran exhibits a double ney, chang and deyereh in a holy place of worship or court processional as correspondingly recorded in Egypt, Elam and the Persian province of Babylonia where music is arranged for performance by the large orchestral ensembles

            Deyereh is among the fore most famous drums in Persia and central Asia and in the Persian ancient language the deyereh is called darey. The Azerbaijanis call it ghaval or sometimes daf and is played on festive occasions.

            The jingles are made with thin metal plates or rings and are attached to hooks in three or four rectangular holes in the circular wooden frame and the drumhead is particularly made of the goat skin. 45-50 cm wide and 5-7cm deep is the size of a normal deyereh drum. To be able to bend the frame around a hot metal cylinder, the wood will have to be cooked or softened in water. The skin is fixed to the frame by attaching it with another wooden frame or simply by the use of nails. Some other degree of difference is having the ring style jingles arranged around the edge of the inside of the drum the whole way around.

            To be able to make sound out of this instrument, you have to hit this musical instrument with either hand, the left hand which holds the deyereh will also have to strike the edge while the right hand strikes the center. The right hand fingers are secured and shut tight about their neighbors and are suddenly released to give out the desires loud and sharp sounds. Most often, this instrument is used for keeping rhythm and dances and is better appreciated by people when being used in wedding and ritual ceremonies.