Mother-of-Pearl

Photo By Todd V. Wolfson

An iridescent substance created by mollusk shells, mother-of-pearl adorns some of the thoroughbred instruments in Rajamani's noisemaker stable.

Cajon: Originating in Peru, a wooden box drum used in flamenco

Dumbek: Famed Mediterranean goblet drum

Nylon-string guitar: Torch of flamenco, brandished by Paco De Lucía, Carlos Montoya, and Pepe Habichuela.

Oud: Arguably the über-lute, precursor to the Western classical guitar, and prominent in the Old World triumvirate of Arabic, Turkish, and Persian music.

Rubab: Short-necked Afghani lute oft employed by Sufi poets

Sarod: Chrome-fingerboarded, fretless North Indian lute, played by superstar Ali Akbar Khan

Tabla: Indian two-headed drum rig, Zakir Hussain being the most salient exponent

Tappu: South Indian frame drum, cousin of the Irish bodhran, Siberian shaman drum, and Rolling Stones tambourine