Robby Ameen


Robby Ameen is an American drummer, composer, bandleader, and educator who resides in New York City. Although he is of Lebanese origin, Ameen is best known for the unique and powerful Afro-Cuban style he has created. He is regarded as one of the world's most prominent drummers in the area of Latin Jazz.
In 1985 he became a member of Ruben Blades’ Seis del Solar band. Other long-term band memberships include Dave Valentin, Conrad Herwig’s “Latin Side of… All Stars", Kip Hanrahan, and Jack Bruce and the Cuicoland Express. In 2011 Ameen won a Latin Grammy for best Salsa record with Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar, “Todos Vuelven Live, Vol. 1 and 2.” As a sideman he has recorded on other Grammy winning records including Ruben Blades and Seis del Solar’s “Escenas” and Brian Lynch’s “Simpatico”. In 2012, Ameen was the subject of an episode of the Emmy Award-winning Detroit Public Television series “Arab American Stories”.

Early life and education

Ameen was born in 1960 in New Haven, Connecticut.
Studied drum set with Ed Blackwell and classical percussion with Fred Hinger.
BA Literature, Yale University, 1982

Career

As a sideman, Ameen has recorded extensively with such artists as Ruben Blades, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri, Paul Simon, Jack Bruce, Kip Hanrahan, Conrad Herwig, Carly Simon, Mongo Santamaria, Hilton Ruiz, Kirsty MacColl, and many others. As a session musician Ameen has recorded numerous jingles, film scores, and TV music, including the popular HBO series Sex and the City.
As an educator, Ameen is the co-author with bassist Lincoln Goines of the best-selling instructional book “Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban drums for Bass and Drums”, and the follow-up DVD, “Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban drums for Bass and Drums”.
He is an international clinician and percussion/drum festival participant, including the Modern Drummer Festival and PASIC. He is currently on the faculty at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Discography

As a leader