YALLA DRUM ENSEMBLE
Minnesota's Arabic Percussion Ensemble
2025 Summer Ensemble
Bottom row (left to right): Robert Lehmann, Laila Sabouni, Amalea Jubara, Audrey Keirstead, Huthaifa Ahmed, Lina Jebara. Top Row (left to right):Amin Kassem, Nader Helmy, Salwa Nubani, Tarek Aboueid, Ayano Rexer-Joshi, Aryaman Rexer-Joshi, Sana Wazwaz, Dominique Najjar, Nadia Haar, Liz Bolsoni. Not pictured: Basmah Ali, Emily Najjar, Meredith Aby, Cathy Peterson
New Arab American Theater Works' Yalla Drum Ensemble is Minnesota's only traditional Arabic percussion ensemble, which trains local community members to learn the art of SWANA percussion and perform in concerts across the state. Since our founding in 2020, we have trained over 60 community members of all experience levels and backgrounds, including an advanced concert group, which has performed at over 30 venues in Minnesota.
Founded by Arab American master drummer Khaldoun Samman, our mission is to educate the broader Minnesota community about the rich culture of the SWANA region through music. By presenting the joyous art of SWANA percussion, Yalla Drum defies the dehumanization of the SWANA lands, and offers the community a space to celebrate our rich heritage.​
Yalla Drum is reviving the centuries-old tradition of Arabic drumming, which historically, served as a backbones of SWANA community gatherings including weddings, protests, familial gatherings, and cultural events. We strive to pass our rich traditions onto future generations, offering them the opportunity to experience the music in and from our communities. We believe that creating spaces to share our multiple traditions strengthens solidarity with each other.
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Yalla Drum has performed at a variety of events and venues including schools, community festivals, cultural events, conferences, Universities, and at venues including The Guthrie Theater, Minnesota Orchestra Hall, the American Composers Conference, and more!
Yalla Drum Promo Video
Video by Lars Kommienezuspadt
Our Yalla Drum Services
Performances:
We perform in concert at community events, including conferences, festivals, arts events, school events, weddings, and more. Whether your event is a festive community barbecue, or a formal music gathering, we would love to accommodate your request! Drum performances may include singers and melodic instruments if requested. ​
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School Enrichment:
We offer educational enrichment sessions for schools at all grade levels! Our enrichment sessions include education on SWANA percussion, an interactive workshop, and a performance for students to jam along to.
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Community Drum Lessons:
We offer free drum training to community members of any and ALL experience levels! Applications for new drum members open three times a year, in the spring, summer, and fall/winter.
NOTE: Applications for Fall/Winter 2025 are currently closed. Spring 2026 applications open in January. ​
Yalla Drum Ensemble Through the Years
 2020 Ensemble |  2021 Ensemble |  2022 Ensemble |
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 2023 Ensemble |  2024 Ensemble |  2025 Ensemble |
Gallery
 Yalla Drum Practice, 2023 | New Arab American Theater Works Office |  Yalla Drum at the MENA Theater Makers Alliance Cultural Night, 2025 | Open Book Performance Hall |  Yalla Drum Practice, 2025 | New Arab American Theater Works Office |
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 Yalla Drum Summer Concert, 2021 | Silverwood Park |  Yalla Drum at Gaza Relief Fundraiser, 2025 | Bela Hall |  Yalla Drum Summer Concert, 2023 | Silverwood Park |
 Yalla Drum at a Community Protest, 2024 |  Yalla Drum at The Guthrie Theater, 2025 |  Yalla Drum Summer '22 Concert | Silverwood Park |
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 Yalla Drum at Minnesota Orchestra Hall, 2024 |  Yalla Drum at the Burnsville International Festival, 2025 |  Yalla Drum Practice, 2020 | Roseville Central Park |
The Yalla Drum Team
Robert Lehman
Yalla Drum Principal Director
Robert Lehmann is a mixed-Filipino musician specializing primarily in keyboard-based instruments, with significant experience in Arabic drumming, as well. Robert’s keyboard work draws on his many years studying western classical music on the piano, re-examining those sounds under new lights of improvised music and electronic synthesis. He gathers disparate influences across minimalist and classical piano, house and electronica, hip-hop, choral, ambient, jazz, and film scoring, particularly drawing on Romantic and Impressionist era influences, as well as pulling from Arabic music and Afrobeats from his years spent in those ensembles.
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Robert Lehmann plays keys and beats with several Twin Cities groups including Afrobeats/hip-hop artist Fanaka Nation; Asian-American pop trio, The Umamies; Afrorock artist, Obi Original; Arabic drumming group, Yalla Drum; Arabic music chamber group, The Arab Band; and improvised music in solo format as well as a duo with Toby Ramaswamy on the drums that is not quite jazz, not quite neoclassical, not quite minimalist, not quite drum and bass. In Spring of 2024, Robert and Toby embarked on a successful 11 date international tour to Brooklyn, NY and back to perform and record with esteemed multi-instrumentalist and grammy-nominated artist, Shahzad Ismaily. Their debut offering with Paul Taylor of Crowded House is in the works.
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Tarek Aboueid
Yalla Drum Assistant Director
Tarek Aboueid is a Palestinian artist, musician, and poet dedicated to keeping Arab and Palestinian culture alive. Whether he’s drumming on the Derbeke; protesting with the Davul; singing classic songs by Umm Kulthum, Abdel Halim, and Fairuz; dancing Dabke; or jamming on the Mijwiz, he has a passion for bringing people together through art and music. Tarek has embraced the Twin Cities' cultural and arts scene through storytelling, writing, music, film, and theater, contributing to local projects like After the Last Red Sky, the Mizna Twin Cities Arab Film Festival, and the New Arab American Theater Works Playwright showcase. He is a board member of New Arab American Theater Works, where he is a three-year member of the Yalla Drum Ensemble. He is also a part of MIZNA’s film screening committee. His other passions include archiving old cassette tapes, practicing tatreez, Arabic graphic design, and language learning—always finding new ways to celebrate Arab heritage and amplify Arab voices in the arts.
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Email: yalladrum@newarabamericantheaterworks.org
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Yalla Drum Founder
Khaldoun Samman is widely known as a local master of Arab percussion who has been teaching Arabic drumming in the Twin Cities for the past several years. Growing up in Zarqa Jordan, his favorite memories of childhood usually involved listening to the beautiful sounds of Arabic music. When Khaldoun’s family moved to New Jersey, a lot of this came with them. Khaldoun has been studying Arab percussion intensively over the past 13 years traveling across the United States and to Jordan to study with the masters of Arabic drumming. He has performed widely in the Twin Cities, including venues like the Science Museum in St. Paul, the Festival of Nations (multiple performances), the Fringe Festival in Minneapolis, as well as in Mizna sponsored events, and in several local Twin Cities Arab weddings.
 DerbekeThe derbeke is goblet shaped and made of ceramic. It is unique to the soils of the Levant and Egypt. Traditionally, the skin would come from the fish of the Nile, and contemporary versions use synthetic material to enhance their utility in more humid regions. It provides tones that are unique to Middle Eastern percussion. Because of its unique high tones, this drum is usually played by the lead drummer. Photo taken by Kevin Hartnell |  RiqThe riq and daff also use the same fish skin, but the shells are round and wide and provide more refined and softer tones that are sought after by melodic musicians. |  DaffThe daff is the Arabic frame drum, used the carry the base rhythm of ensemble pieces. It has a hollow, deeper sound and is played behind the derbeke--which ornaments the piece. |
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 TablThe big tabl, otherwise known as dohola, is the bass drum and is essential to creating the deep tones of the ensemble to provide the lower tones that are essential to the drum ensemble. |  DavulThis is the largest of Arabic drums. It is often played with one stick and one bass paddle and is the preferred drum in weddings, especially during the entrance of the bride and groom. These percussion instruments are often played on the streets, in festivals, and in religious ceremonies. They are also used regularly in weddings, played in the homes where they are often used as decorative ornaments and immediately recognized by those who hold an Arab identity. |