Our Background

Darash was formed in 2014 in Granada, Spain, the fruit of a meeting of five musicians with a wide  range of musical influences.

Pablo González Cobo is the main composer: he plays the Irish bouzouki, baglama, laouto,  acoustic bass and lavta.
Jorge Parada Castellano plays guitar, mandolin, mandola and banjo. There’s Juan Cabello Donayre on the violin, rabel, zanfona, Iranian santur and Cretan lyre; Juan Antonio Rodríguez on the clarinet, kaval, flute, bagpipes,  transverse flute, low, whistle, recorder and spoons, and Juana Larreta on the darbuka, bendir and cajón flamenco.

Thanks to the different musical influences each of them brings (rock, Celtic, Flamenco, Sephardic, Arab, Turkish and Andalusian, etc.),  the ensemble embarks on a fascinating journey, linking these worlds through fusion and experimentation.

The word ‘Darash’, of Hebrew origin, means “the search” – a concept that reinforces the idea of bringing together contemporary and ancient music, based on the study and interpretation of music from around the Mediterranean.

Darash is made up of polyintrumentalist musicians with very diverse styles, who offer the audience the opportunity to immerse themselves in a voyage around the Mediterranean region of bygone days and invites us to rediscover our cultural roots.

Curriculum of the Group

Darash released their first album in Granada in the year 2021 and is available in every platform. They won second price in October 2021 at the XERA Festival and they performed in a variety of concert halls and theatres like Espacio Ronda (Madrid), Jornadas de Cultura Islámica (Almonaster La Real), Internacional Sefardic Festival (Córdoba),  International Aegean Music Festival (Syros, Greece),  Alamar World music Festival 2019 (Almería) and Fundación Tres Culturas, Sevilla.

The Musicians

Pablo González Cobo

(Irish bouzouki, baglama, laouto, acoustic bass and lavta)

Pablo started playing guitar at 14 years old and is self taught. He also studied electric bass while continuing his guitar studies. He joined two heavy metal bands: “Convulsion” (playing electric guitar), and Anachronic (playing bass). In the year 2008 he founded “Derval” (an irish folk band) where he played acoustic and spanish guitar.

Presently he is specializing in Irish bouzuki, baglama and laouto. He
plays in duet with the greek multi-­instrumental musician Chris Kanellos and he founded “Darash” where he is the main composer.

 He played at the Festival de Música Antigua in Granada, the Internacional Sefardic Festival (Córdoba), the International Aegean Music Festival (Syros, Greece) and the Alamar World music Festival 2019 (Almería).

Juan Cabello Donayre

(violin, rabel, zanfona, iranian santur, nyckelharpa and lyra)

Juan started playing guitar at the age of 5 years old . Then he started playing violin in the conservatory at 12 years old. In the year 1998 he founded a folk band called “Glendalough” were he played until the year 2010. He recorded three albums: “La Ultima Leyenda”, “Tres Mares” and “Gaelic Wazn”. He joined the folk rock band called “SUE” and he collaborated with different bands, sharing stage with musicians such as “Jethro Trull”, “Supertramp”, etc.

 Now he is mostly dedicated to “Darash”, playing violin, rabel, zanfona, Iranian santur and lira. He played at the Internacional Sephardic Festival (Córdoba), International Aegean Music Festival (Syros, Greece) and the Alamar World music Festival 2019 (Almería).

Juan Antonio Rodríguez

(clarinet, kaval, flute, travesera, bagpipes, whistle and spoons)

Juan Antonio has 25 years of experience playing in different groups with various styles such as rock, celtic, arab, sufi. He has collaborated with many different musicians and bands such as Carlos Nuñez, “Noroeste”, “Al-­Tarab Ensemble”, “Lombarda”, “Shake”, among others.

He is a member of “Rodriguez Celtic Band” and he also joined “Darash” where he combines different music styles with various wind instruments such as clarinet, kaval, flute, travesera, bagpipes, whistle and spoons.

He played at the Internacional Sefardic Festival (Córdoba),  International Aegean Music Festival (Syros, Greece) and the Alamar World music Festival 2019 (Almería).

Jorge Parada Castellano

(guitars, mandolin, mandola and banjo)

Jorge started playing guitar at 16 years old. He joined a rock band called “Even” for ten years. In the year 2002 he entered a heavy metal band called “Morior Ergo Sum” for two years. Jorge started investigating different music backrounds and founded Incitatus with more acoustic sounds, playing medieval melodies.

Since the year 2006 Jorge joined different rock bands, orquestras and duets. He founded a duet called “Red Carpet” with Rocío Barranco and he is a member of “Darash” were he plays guitars, mandolin, mandola and banjo.

He also composes for Spanish Television and played in Festivals such as Internacional Sefardic Festival (Córdoba),  International Aegean Music Festival (Syros, Greece) and the Alamar World music Festival 2019 (Almería).

 

Juana Larreta

(darbuka, framedrums, cajón flamenco)

Juana Larreta is a flamenco dancer and percussionist. She worked as a professional dancer for ten years, then she moved to Granada where she started studying oriental percussion specializing in  darbuka. She studied in Granada with singer and percussionist Omar Benlamlih, then she specialised in Misirli Ahmet technique in Turkey were she also collaborated with him in many occasions. She   joined bands such as “Shiva Tantra”, “Mujeres Mediterraneas”, “Anlage Fusion”, “Nuba Garnati”, “Zaar Company”, among others.

Now she plays in Musialma Project, Esencia Hispanoárabe, Anlage Fusión, Ensemble Femenino Walladah, Mujeres con Fuerza Company.

She is a member of Darash since the year 2017

She played at the Festival de Música Andalusí in Rabat, Marruecos, Festival de Música Antigua in Granada, The Internacional Sefardic Festival (Córdoba),  Festival Internacional de Música del Egeo (Syros, Greeece) and the Festival Alamar 2019 de Músicas del Mundo (Almería).