Eddie Kochak

about

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Eddie "the Sheik" Kochak parlayed a childhood penchant for drumming eventually into lessons with top New York percussionist Henry Adler. He performed for troops during World War II as a member of the Army, and on his return performed steadily at charity events, supper clubs, and concert stages. He played the Green Grove Manor in Asbury Park, New Jersey for a decade as well as at Philharmonic Hall, Lincoln Center, and Town Hall in New York City. Kochak has been credited for his comedic talent, fine support with the dirbakee (Arabic tom-tom), and resurrecting the debke, native dance of the Middle East. He had long associations with Dean Martin and Danny Thomas (Thomas and Kochak are both of Lebanese extraction). For decades, as a maker and producer of records, not to mention live performances, he ruled the Brooklyn and to a lesser extent the New England "Mecca East" scenes. In the 1980s he played the percussion for Anthony Quinn in the Broadway production of "Zorba." In the twenty-first century the Sheik has conducted musicians and dancers on stage at an Atlantic Avenue festival in Brooklyn. Born in Bagdad, Hakki Obadia was a child prodigy who won most of the badges of master musicianship by the age of ten. He founded and led the first symphony orchestra of Bagdad and conducted the symphony orchestra of the University of California, where he studied under Roger Sessions and Ernest Bloch. Considered a genius in both eastern and western mus

top songs

albums

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Oriental Jazz (50's & 60's Authentic Recordings)

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Aziza Raks! The Passion Of Bellydance

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Ya Salaam (Remastered with Bonus Track)

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Strictly Belly Dancing Volume 6

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Strictly Belly Dancing Volume 2

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Strictly Belly Dancing Volume 3

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Jukebox Mambo, Vol. 3

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Strictly Belly Dancing Volume 5

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Golden Hits

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Aziza Raks

A Night At The Casbah

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Silver Anniversary Album

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