Ebrahim Ahmadi is a multi-instrumentalist Kurdish musician from Iran, playing traditional percussion instruments (daf, dayereh, dahol and bendir) as well as the setar. Born in the Kermanshah province during the Iran-Iraq War, Ebrahim grew up surrounded by the sound of Sufi music echoing through the Kurdish mountains. Drawn to the daf — a large circular frame drum covered with animal skin and embellished inside with a chains of metal rings giving it its distinctive timbre — he began playing it at Sufi events. His formal training started at the age of 13 under the guidance of the renowned master of the instrument Jawad Azizi.

Simultaneously, he discovered the setar, a three-stringed lute, learning from master Hosseyn Rostami. He also practiced the dayereh, a large frame drum, and the dahol, a two-sided cylindrical drum played with one hand and a thin stick. The musical instruction he received was entirely oral, without written methods or scores. After three years of learning, Ebrahim set out to create his own system of musical notation and pedagogical method.

When he moved to Tehran at 18 for his academic studies, he discovered that scores and methods by other established musicians already existed. He passionately immersed himself in the works of masters Bijan Kamkar and Massoud Habibi. While honing his skills with master Farshid Gharibnejad, he taught daf and played with several bands, including the ensembles 40Daf, Tarang, and Mehrvarzan. This marked the beginning of his international performances in countries like India, Azerbaijan, Iraqi Kurdistan, the United Arab Emirates, and France, where he gave his first concert in Paris in 2005.

In Tehran, Ebrahim studied psychology and wrote two theses to earn his PhD — one on the history of music therapy in the Middle East, and the other on the effects of traditional Iranian music on anxiety and depression. He worked as a psychologist in Tehran for several years, notably working with children at the Ministry of Education, while also teaching music therapy at the university and furthering his musical endeavors.

Forced to flee Iran, he arrived in France in 2016. He has performed in Paris and Bordeaux, principally with bands Jamira and Miksi. Passionate about sharing his knowledge, Ebrahim currently teaches daf at the Cultural Center and School of Music of Bègles, as well as during the Vacances Percutantes festival of Blanquefort.