byzantium music & dance of the near east
live music for bellydance & folkdance
YouTube of Daniel at Glastonbury Tor (England tour) 2008Enliven your event with the soulful scintillating sounds of the Near East & Balkans. Acoustic, jazzy and folksy, the perfect complement to an exotic cultural evening or afternoon.
By request, we add a spicy masala mix of Classical East Indian sarod & dotar from Maestro Montino Bourbon, and some deep dreamtime dijeree-doo from Prana to serve up a truly scrumptious World Music Feast.
Read about the instruments
Daniel has played and toured throughout the Western USA, Canada, and England (UK). His numerous performance credits include Cambridge University, movie sound tracks, theatre, and countless dance festivals.
Daniel Eshoo w/ Brothers of the Baladi
Rock & Roll saz
Daniel on Oud and frame drum w/ Brothers of the Baladi
Rod Martinez, percussionist and mad scientist extrodinaire lives in Ojai, CA. He plays davul, tabla beledi, and harmonium.
Montino Bourbon studied Indian Classical music with Master Ali Akbar Khan. He has performed and taught throughout the world for 30 years and brings unparallelled depth, emotion, and experience to everything he plays.
Prana lives in the dreamtime dimesion but occasionally vacations on our plane of existence to bring us intergalactically intriguing sound.
The Byzantium Dancers perform traditional Greek, Turkish, and Armenian folk dances as well as historically-inspired, folkloric & tribal style bellydance. They sometimes dance with danger using real swords and lit candles.
byzantium on myspace
byzantium on facebook
byzantium live with the byzantium dancers
performance credits
bookings & contact
e-mail Daniel or Natasya
tele: 805-640-5858 or 805-640-5781
the instruments
Turkish Saz
Anatolian long-necked lute used since the 1200s. At the The height of its popularity (in the 1400s) the saz was played as far west as Venice through trade between the Ottomans and Venezians. 7 strings, movable frets.
Oud
Turkish & Arabic lute very similar to the European Renaissance era Lute. 11 strings, no frets.
Hurdy Gurdy
a cranked, stringed instrument that became popular during the Renaissance era throughout both Eastern and Western Europe. Daniel plays a Ukrainian instrument similar to hurdy gurdies historically used in Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the Baltic regions.
Cimbus
"modern" (c.1800s) banjo-like instrument played by the Turkish and Macedonian Romanes (Gypsies) and also used in Greek Rebetika music and some Kurdish music.
Darbukka, Frame Drum, Davul & Tupan
Greek Baglama, a tiny bouzouki used for Rebetika and traditional Greek music. photos coming soon
Photos of Sarod and dotar coming soon
performance credits
Cambridge University U.K. (w/ Brothers of the Baladi)
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Portland Art Museum (w/ Brothers of the Baladi)
Ojai Day
Ojai Pirate Faire & Ojai Renaissance Faire
Ventura Art Walk
Ventura College
Ventura Bellydance Festival
Balkanalia! (Portland, OR Balkan dance festival)
Vesselo Festival (Eugene Oregon folk dance festival)
Various Multi-cultural events at Ventura and Oxnard schools
International Dance Festival (Oak Park, Santa Barbara CA)
Santa Barbara Greek Festival
University of California, Santa Barbara
(UCSB)
Middle Eastern Music Ensemble
Santa Barbara Renaissance Fair
Equinox Tribal Bellydance Festival (Ojai)
about daniel
Daniel Eshoo is a native of Ojai, California where he grew up following the rich musical traditions of his father, Dan Eshoo Sr. (a popular kanun and oud player now living and performing in Berkeley, CA).
Daniel has performed at many Belly Dance festivals and taught saz (Turkish lute) at the world renowned University of California Santa Barbara Middle Eastern Music and Dance Ensemble. From 2004 - 2007 he lived in Portland, OR where he performed and recorded with Brothers of the Baladi. In addition to his skill as a musician, Daniel also is an artisan drum crafter. Please visit our shopping pages to see a selection of his hand-made drums.
L-R: Brad Buley, Daniel Eshoo, Dan Eshoo Sr.
playing
at Ventura Bellydance Festival 2004