A drummer’s journey from busking in Baghdad to helping refugee kids find their rhythm

Key PointsEvan Yako began drumming on the streets of Baghdad in his youth, using a plastic bucket and tree branches for a kit.After fleeing Iraq with his family, Yako arrived in Australia in 1995 as a humanitarian entrant.He gives lessons and recording space for local kids – many from similar backgrounds – at his Western Sydney studio.

Neither wars nor harsh sanctions in his former home of Iraq could get in the way of Evan Yako’s dream of becoming a drummer.

Now, he is using his musical talents to provide therapy to refugee kids in Western Sydney who have escaped similarly harrowing environments.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved music and have been playing drums at some level,” Yako told AAP.

DIY drumkits and branching out

The 46-year-old started banging on pots and pans and then advanced to busking with a plastic bucket on the streets of Baghdad despite his father disapproving of his career choice.

“I had no choice but to make my own drum set of buckets and tree branches that I collected from around the neighbourhood,” he said.

Yako and his family fled the country under the reign of dictator Saddam Hussein, ending up in Greece after trekking for days across the border from Bulgaria.

He arrived in Australia as a humanitarian entrant in 1995 before setting up Real Rhythm Studio in Western Sydney, where he offers music lessons and a recording space for local kids and budding musicians.

His musical fusion blends jazz, Latin, folk and Assyrian rhythms, in a nod to his heritage, all of which he got to show off on stage at the Opera House earlier this year.

Assyrians are an indigenous Christian minority spread out over Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey.

Healing through drumming

For the last decade, his Healing Through Evan Yako’s Drumming program has been a big hit with students in Sydney’s Fairfield area.

The urban region is one of Australia’s most diverse, including sizeable refugee populations from Iraq and Vietnam.

“I left Iraq with a lot of trauma from the (Gulf) war, my only escape and form of happiness was drumming,” Yako said.

“I decided to start writing a therapeutic drumming program helping other young people who grew up in similar circumstances.”

His course engages about 150 students across six schools.

Cabramatta High School counsellor Elisabeth Pickering said the workshops had a tangible effect on students’ confidence and their academic performance.

“For these young people, connecting through drumming is a great way to establish a sense of connection and community, which makes them feel less isolated,” she said.

“Students are more settled, they concentrate more and focus better because they feel their skills and talents are recognised.”

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