tag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:/blogs/735b7c10-bbaa-4d3a-8818-9979b10edc43?p=43Community2024-04-18T10:00:00-04:00Brooklyn Maqamfalsetag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73635772024-03-21T11:00:00-04:002024-03-26T12:50:14-04:00Sami Sings Umm Kulthum<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/54bbcb8c2dc3eb0f12e0e607f6b69624ed88823e/original/sami-interview-shot.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" height="336" /><p>Sami Sings Umm Kulthum<br>Tuesday March 26th, 2024 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 <br>$20 Admission</p><p>Stick around for the Arabic music jam after the set!</p><p>Multi-talented Sami Abu Shumays returns to Sisters to perform the music of Umm Kulthum. For this special performance, Sami puts down his violin to sing several classic, full-length compositions that were written for and made famous by the one and only Umm Kulthum. </p><p>Featuring:<br>Sami Abu Shumays, vocals<br>Insia Malik, violin<br>Sarah Mueller, violin<br>Gideon Forbes, nay<br>Gabriel Lavin, oud<br>Johnny Farraj, riqq<br>Alber Baseel, tabla</p><p>About Sami Abu Shumays: One of the leading Arab violinists in the U.S., Sami Abu Shumays is internationally known as a master of the maqam system. He is co-author of the acclaimed book Inside Arabic Music (Oxford University Press 2019), and his passion for teaching and oral tradition is also expressed through his YouTube series "Maqam Lessons," the website www.maqamlessons.com, and his contributions to www.maqamworld.com. Co-founder and director of the NYC-based Arabic music and dance ensemble Zikrayat (www.zikrayatmusic.com), Sami has also recently released his first solo album Circles, available on all streaming platforms (https://samiabushumays.hearnow.com/)</p><p>A second-generation Palestinian-American, Sami originally studied Western music before traveling to the Arab World to reconnect with his roots. He studied with Alfred Gamil in Cairo; Mohamed Qasas, Abdel-Basit Bakkar, and Abdel-Minaim Senkary in Aleppo; and Simon Shaheen and Yusuf Kassab in New York.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73635782024-03-14T10:00:00-04:002024-03-14T10:00:03-04:00Maqam Mastery Made Simple - March 20th<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/8a734f31d752fadc2e5295f2c2d406cf36cd7545/original/sami.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" height="338" width="600" /><p>Join this special class to learn the system of Arabic melodies and scales – known as maqam – from Sami Abu Shumays, a world-renowned master practitioner.</p><p><strong>Maqam Mastery Made Simple, with Sami Abu Shumays </strong><br>7pm-8:30pm, Wednesday March 20th 2024 <br>Brooklyn School of Music - 126 St Felix St, Brooklyn, NY 11217</p><p>Tickts available now! https://www.viewcy.com/e/maqam_mastery_made_si_4</p><p>Sami’s approach is hands-on and practical: through call-and-response imitation, students will learn the core melodic vocabulary of the maqam, the key to improvising and composing in Arabic music. Students will also listen to and analyze Arabic songs in the same maqam, to continue to build their experience.</p><p>The class is open to students of any level, from complete beginner to advanced practitioner: because Sami presents the music in its raw form, everyone gets something out of melodic repetition. Singers, dancers, and players of any instrument are welcome.</p><p>About Sami Abu Shumays: One of the leading Arab violinists in the U.S., Sami Abu Shumays is internationally known as a master of the maqam system. He is co-author of the acclaimed book Inside Arabic Music (Oxford University Press 2019), and his passion for teaching and oral tradition is also expressed through his YouTube series "Maqam Lessons," the website <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.maqamlessons.com/"><u>www.maqamlessons.com</u></a>, and his contributions to <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.maqamworld.com/"><u>www.maqamworld.com</u></a>. Co-founder and director of the NYC-based Arabic music and dance ensemble Zikrayat (<a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.zikrayatmusic.com/"><u>www.zikrayatmusic.com</u></a>), Sami has also recently released his first solo album Circles, available on all streaming platforms (<a class="no-pjax" href="https://samiabushumays.hearnow.com/"><u>https://samiabushumays.hearnow.com/</u></a>)</p><p>A second-generation Palestinian-American, Sami originally studied Western music before traveling to the Arab World to reconnect with his roots. He studied with Alfred Gamil in Cairo; Mohamed Qasas, Abdel-Basit Bakkar, and Abdel-Minaim Senkary in Aleppo; and Simon Shaheen and Yusuf Kassab in New York.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73551182024-03-04T20:00:00-05:002024-03-04T20:00:01-05:00Eren Erdoğan Trio at Barbes March 13th<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/6c1b67e2aac8ce7c28a1593d7b78f4a347a65960/original/erenerdogan.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" height="878" /><p>Turkish woodwinds master Eren Erdoğan performs at Barbes with his trio, with a night of Turkish Anatolian music, and Middle Eastern flamenco fusion. </p><p>Eren Erdoğan Trio at Barbes <br>7pm Wednesday March 13th, 2024 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p><p>Eren Erdoğan was born in Turkey in a family of musicians. He started playing Kaval at the age of 11. He completed his master's degree in Instrument Education and Master's degree at Istanbul Haliç University Traditional Turkish Music Conservatory. In 2009, he released his first solo album, Kaval Name, together with pianist and composer Ali Akacca. In this album, classical music songs were played with Kaval for the first time in Turkey and published by Universal Music. In 2011, he won The Hollywood Music in Media Awards with his Turkish musician friends in Los Angeles and performed live music. In 2016, she performed with Deborah Carter and Linley Marthe at the Azerbaijan Baku Jazz Festival. She gave many performances at the Istanbul Akbank Jazz Festival. Between 2006 and 2014, he performed as an instrumentalist in folk dance festivals in Turkey and all over Europe. He has been accompanying Kaval, Ney, Kawala, Zurna, Duduk and other ethnic wind instruments in the albums, movie soundtracks and studio recordings of many artists since 2008. In 2019, he made woodwind sound samples for Splice Music Company as a sound creator. He has an academic thesis and articles written about Kaval.</p><p>Featuring: <br>Eren Erdoğan - Winds<br>James Labrosse - Guitar<br>Nezih Antakli - Percussion</p><p> </p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73490122024-02-28T09:00:00-05:002024-02-28T09:00:02-05:00Benefit Concert for Syria with Ameer Armaly<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/5875349e79246cd8172f8da9c6afdb5dcfd074ed/original/ameer-armaly-shot.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p>Benefit Concert for Syria with Ameer Armaly<br>Saturday March 2, 2024<br>7:30pm (7pm doors)<br>Jalopy Theatre - 315 Columbia Street Brooklyn, NY 11231<br>$25 adv / $30 DOS - <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.viewcy.com/e/benefit_concert_for_s" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">Tickets on sale now!</a></p><p>Ameer Armaly will present a program of songs from the golden age of Arabic music in collaboration with vocalists Marwa Morgan and Mohamed Salah. The program will showcase popular and forgotten songs in a variety of styles from Egypt and the Levant.</p><p>This concert will benefit Magenta Mind, a newly launched nonprofit that is based in Connecticut. With a mission to provide specialist-led training in mental health where it is most needed, Magenta Mind’s current program benefits the people of Syria wherever they may be. “We are exceptionally grateful for the friendship of Ameer, and for the precious gift of music he and his friends are sharing with us all in this concert.” (Tala Jarjour, Executive Director of Magenta Mind)</p><p>Born in South Carolina, Ameer Armaly was exposed to Arabic music from an early age through his uncle who played the oud. He then went on to study under Simon and Najib Shaheen. Ameer leads an Arabic music ensemble which performs regularly around the New York area, cultivating local talent and reviving the great Arabic songs of the twentieth century. Holding a PhD in computer science, Ameer currently works for Google, on making Android devices more accessible to the blind.</p><p> </p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73474682024-02-22T14:00:00-05:002024-02-22T14:00:03-05:00Dolunay at Sisters<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/1a1e403106bdaf7eb6e08458de1ea8030e8585e2/original/dolunay-promo.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p>Dolunay<br>Tuesday February 27th, 2024 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 <br>$20 Admission</p><p>Stick around for the Arabic music jam after the set!</p><p>Since 2012, Dolunay has lured audiences with their approach to Turkish and Rumeli musical traditions. Dolunay infuses classic and contemporary traditions with an urban grit that can only be found in New York City’s confluence of musical and cultural forces. With an array of original compositions offered alongside renditions of Turkish and Rumeli standards, the music of Dolunay (Turkish for “full moon”) offers listeners an escape from the press of city life.</p><p>Featuring: <br>Jenny Luna - voice, percussion<br>Adam Good - ud<br>John Murchison - kanun</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73474692024-02-15T14:45:00-05:002024-02-15T15:00:02-05:00Maqam Mastery Made Simple - February 21st<div class="event-info event-notes"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/8a734f31d752fadc2e5295f2c2d406cf36cd7545/original/sami.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p>Join this special class to learn the system of Arabic melodies and scales – known as maqam – from Sami Abu Shumays, a world-renowned master practitioner.</p>
<p><strong>Maqam Mastery Made Simple, with Sami Abu Shumays </strong><br>7pm-8:30pm, Wednesday February 21st 2024 <br>Brooklyn School of Music - 126 St Felix St, Brooklyn, NY 11217</p>
<p>Sami’s approach is hands-on and practical: through call-and-response imitation, students will learn the core melodic vocabulary of the maqam, the key to improvising and composing in Arabic music. Students will also listen to and analyze Arabic songs in the same maqam, to continue to build their experience.</p>
<p>The class is open to students of any level, from complete beginner to advanced practitioner: because Sami presents the music in its raw form, everyone gets something out of melodic repetition. Singers, dancers, and players of any instrument are welcome.</p>
<p>About Sami Abu Shumays: One of the leading Arab violinists in the U.S., Sami Abu Shumays is internationally known as a master of the maqam system. He is co-author of the acclaimed book Inside Arabic Music (Oxford University Press 2019), and his passion for teaching and oral tradition is also expressed through his YouTube series "Maqam Lessons," the website <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.maqamlessons.com">www.maqamlessons.com</a>, and his contributions to <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.maqamworld.com">www.maqamworld.com</a>. Co-founder and director of the NYC-based Arabic music and dance ensemble Zikrayat (<a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.zikrayatmusic.com">www.zikrayatmusic.com</a>), Sami has also recently released his first solo album Circles, available on all streaming platforms (<a class="no-pjax" href="https://samiabushumays.hearnow.com/">https://samiabushumays.hearnow.com/</a>)</p>
<p>A second-generation Palestinian-American, Sami originally studied Western music before traveling to the Arab World to reconnect with his roots. He studied with Alfred Gamil in Cairo; Mohamed Qasas, Abdel-Basit Bakkar, and Abdel-Minaim Senkary in Aleppo; and Simon Shaheen and Yusuf Kassab in New York.</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73376242024-01-28T10:00:00-05:002024-01-28T10:00:04-05:00George Abud at Barbes<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/0ea05bef40e99c83365c70f642527a8f5230f294/original/george-abud-267-print.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Join Broadway actor and celebrated Oud player George Abud for an intimate evening of Arabic song. George, along with percussionist Philip Mayer, will play songs of Om Kolthoum, Nagat Al-Saghira, Mohammed El-Mougy and more.</p>
<p>George Abud at Barbes <br>7pm Wednesday February 14th, 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p>
<p>George Abud is an Arab-American actor and multi-instrumentalist who was brought up in a family of Lebanese musicians and has studied Classical Arabic music for nearly 30 years. He is currently starring on Broadway in the new musical Lempicka at the Longacre Theatre; and has also originated other roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and received a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on the NBC Today show with the Broadway production of The Band’s Visit. He has helped bridge the world of the oud with that of the contemporary musical theatre, and was the first artist to play solo oud live for the composer Stephen Sondheim. Coming from four generations of Lebanese oud players, it is his great pleasure to share this beautiful instrument with others. georgeabud.com</p>
<p>Featuring: <br>George Abud - vocals, oud <br>Philip Mayer - percussion</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73376992024-01-21T16:26:14-05:002024-01-22T15:10:59-05:00Samir LanGus and Nashaz at Funoon<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/2e086f39b670517107d28e65e090b02a9d13be5d/original/funoon-1-27-ig3.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p>Samir LanGus immerses the audience in a cultural convergence where the rich traditions of Morocco meet the vibrant heartbeat of New York City. Plus, the night opens with a set of Arabic rhythms, jazz improvisation, and melodies inspired by traditional Middle Eastern music by Nashaz. </p><p>Samir LanGus and Nashaz at Funoon<br>Saturday January 27, 2024<br>8:00 PM<br>Funoon -- Brooklyn, 100 Sutton St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, USA</p><p>Tickets available now! https://www.funoon.us/events/samir-langus-1</p><p>About Samir LanGus:<br>Born and raised in Agadir, Morocco, Samir LanGus brings a Grammy-nominated touch to the stage. Specializing in the Moroccan traditional and spiritual trance, Gnawa, LanGus takes you on a sonic journey often referred to as "The Moroccan Blues." He skillfully utilizes this traditional repertoire, infusing it with his contemporary spin, incorporating jazz instrumentation, and presenting a fusion of centuries-old North African tradition with the pulsating attitude of present-day New York City</p><p>Featuring:<br>Samir LanGus—Lead vocal and Guimbri<br>Arta Jekabson—Backup Vocals<br>Nizar Dahmani—Drums<br>Edo Gur—Trumpet<br>Chris McCarthy—Piano<br>Omar Bouady—Karkaba, Castanets</p><p>About Nashaz:<br>Renowned for their unique sound, Nashaz delivers a captivating performance of all-original music, showcasing the melodic synergy of oud, percussion, trumpet, saxophone, and bass. They skillfully navigate the intersection of Arabic rhythms, jazz improvisation, and melodies inspired by traditional Middle Eastern music, setting the perfect tone for an evening of musical exploration and delight.</p><p>Featuring:<br>Brian Prunka, oud & compositions<br>Kenny Warren, trumpet<br>Matt Darriau, woodwinds<br>John Murchison, bass<br>Philip Mayer, percussion<br>Alber Baseel, percussion</p><p> </p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73274452024-01-11T11:00:00-05:002024-01-11T11:00:03-05:00Maqam Mastery Made Simple - January 17th<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/8a734f31d752fadc2e5295f2c2d406cf36cd7545/original/sami.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p>Due to the popular demand, we are presenting special maqam classes at Brooklyn Music School every month! The first class will be on January 17th, and includes an option to buy a 3-class bundle at a discount for admission to the first three classes of the year. All the details below. </p><p>Maqam Mastery Made Simple, with Sami Abu Shumays<br>7pm-8:30pm, Wednesday January 17th 2024<br>Brooklyn School of Music - 126 St Felix St, Brooklyn, NY 11217</p><p>Class fees:<br>- $30 for entry to this class on 1/17<br>- $75 for 3-class bundle - classes on 1/17, 2/21, and 3/20</p><p>Sami’s approach is hands-on and practical: through call-and-response imitation, students will learn the core melodic vocabulary of the maqam, the key to improvising and composing in Arabic music. Students will also listen to and analyze Arabic songs in the same maqam, to continue to build their experience.</p><p>The class is open to students of any level, from complete beginner to advanced practitioner: because Sami presents the music in its raw form, everyone gets something out of melodic repetition. Singers, dancers, and players of any instrument are welcome.</p><p>About Sami Abu Shumays:<br>One of the leading Arab violinists in the U.S., Sami Abu Shumays is internationally known as a master of the maqam system. He is co-author of the acclaimed book Inside Arabic Music (Oxford University Press 2019), and his passion for teaching and oral tradition is also expressed through his YouTube series "Maqam Lessons," the website www.maqamlessons.com, and his contributions to www.maqamworld.com. Co-founder and director of the NYC-based Arabic music and dance ensemble Zikrayat (www.zikrayatmusic.com), Sami has also recently released his first solo album Circles, available on all streaming platforms (https://samiabushumays.hearnow.com/)</p><p>A second-generation Palestinian-American, Sami originally studied Western music before traveling to the Arab World to reconnect with his roots. He studied with Alfred Gamil in Cairo; Mohamed Qasas, Abdel-Basit Bakkar, and Abdel-Minaim Senkary in Aleppo; and Simon Shaheen and Yusuf Kassab in New York.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73272582024-01-02T15:07:04-05:002024-01-02T15:07:04-05:00George Crotty Trio Featuring Gideon Forbes <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/938ac6503a4d93c5989984eb30daa4bf1e43136b/original/gcrotty-portrait.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p>George Crotty Trio Featuring Gideon Forbes <br>7pm Wednesday January 10th 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p><p>George Crotty has forged his own unique vocabulary on the cello. His compositions for cello, bass, and percussion draw on modal jazz, Arabic maqam, and Indian raga. This performance will also feature a suite by Palestinian cellist Naseem Alatrash entitled “Bright Colors on a Dark Canvas” that brings the Arabic style of cello into conversation with western classical and jazz genres.</p><p>Featuring: George Crotty - cello John Murchison - bass Jeremy Smith - percussion + Gideon Forbes - winds</p><p>“A stream of genre-blurring invention.” —All About Jazz</p><p>George Crotty is the insider’s outsider.</p><p>He brings fresh ears to folkloric traditions while staying hip to their stylistic nuance and cultural significance. Crotty’s cello playing is kinetic and magnetic. With passion and posture, he evokes sounds from the verdant hills of Ireland to the arid atmosphere of the Levant, always with the rhythmic playfulness of someone who has listened to everything from James Brown to Shakti to Mulatu Astake.</p><p>The George Crotty Trio makes music that is cinematic, pluralistic, and conversational. Known for an expressive fluidity and modal orientation, they draw on modal jazz, Indian raga, and Arabic maqam, all while pushing the boundaries of the cello as a jazz instrument. Featuring bassist John Murchison and percussionist Jeremsy Smith, the three players intertwine on their own terms in an exploration of groove and colour, lending Crotty's tunes an exciting three-dimensional quality.</p><p>Crotty has performed at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Koerner Hall, Savannah Music Festival, Globalfest, Newport Folk Festival and the Vancouver Jazz Festival. He was invited to play at the prestigious New Directions Cello Festival and has toured internationally playing Bogotá, São Paulo, Berlin, and Paris. Crotty toured North America with 10-time Tony-winning Broadway musical, “The Band’s Visit,” and played on the video game soundtrack for “Assassin’s Creek Mirage.” A member of the Brooklyn Raga Massive and the National Arab Orchestra, he has also worked with Simon Shaheen, Paquito D’Rivera, Anat Cohen, and Darol Anger. When not playing cello, Crotty loves cooking, learning new languages and spending time in his favourite temple, the ocean.</p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.georgecrotty.com/trio"><u>https://www.georgecrotty.com/trio</u></a></p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73171612023-12-14T10:00:00-05:002023-12-14T10:00:04-05:00Year End Hang<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/51dbbbd3f2d0651ada3ecfa4ed1b3b3e8edc6a91/original/yearendhang.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>We are finishing out the year with one more hang at Sisters! The opening set will feature stalwarts of the NYC scene, Johnny Farraj, Sami Abu Shumays, Zafer Tawil, and John Murchison, followed by the usual Arabic music jam. All proceeds from this event will go towards Brooklyn Maqam's end-of-year fundraising drive to help us continue our work into 2024.</p>
<p>Year End Hang <br>December 19th 2023 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 <br>$20 Admission</p>
<p>Stick around for the Arabic music jam after the opening set!</p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Johnny Farraj - riq <br>Sami Abu Shumays - violin <br>Zafer Tawil - oud <br>John Murchison - qanun</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73171602023-12-11T09:00:00-05:002023-12-11T09:00:02-05:00Gabe Lavin & Friends at Barbes<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/8f1a7dfd06f092a112516b071b7ea1b40124ef07/original/gabe-lavin.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><div class="event-info event-notes">
<p>Psyched to present the Barbes-debut of American oudist Gabe Lavin, performing music from Turkey, Egypt, and the Arabian Peninsula with his band.</p>
<p>Gabe Lavin & Friends <br>7pm Wednesday December 13th, 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p>
<p>Gabe Lavin is an American oudist, guitarist, and composer. He has studied oud in Egypt at Beit al Oud and in Oman with the Oud Association. He is currently a member of the New York Arabic Orchestra.</p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Gabe Lavin - oud <br>John Murchison - Bass <br>Nezih Antakli - Percussion <br>Philip Mayer - Percussion <br>Guest artist: Insia Malik - Violin</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/73063982023-12-06T09:00:00-05:002023-12-06T09:00:02-05:00The Arab Blues with Rami Gabriel & Karim Nagi with Special Guests!<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/033e68397d81bf6c7f242282a9d79c3cec402b66/original/the-arab-blues-promo-colour-2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Rami Gabriel (Lebanon/Chicago) and Karim Nagi (Egypt/Chicago) create a dynamic and unique amalgam of traditional Arabic music and Chicago Blues. The Oud, Buzuq, Tublah and Riqq are used along with Guitar and Drum Set to create a sound that could have only been imagined in America. Karim & Rami express their tradition and identity through compositions and improvisational excursions that draw from their two traditions.</p>
<p>The Arab Blues with Rami Gabriel & Karim Nagi with Special Guests! <br>Sunday December 10th, 2023 <br>8pm (7:30 doors)<br> Jalopy Theatre - 315 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, NY 112311 <br>$25 ($20 Advance) <br><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.viewcy.com/e/brooklyn_maqam_presen_21">https://www.viewcy.com/e/brooklyn_maqam_presen_21</a></p>
<p>The Arab Blues traces an innovative trajectory between the call of tradition and the response of the diaspora. The synthesis Rami and Karim create is an auditory expression of not only the power and persistence of il Turath but equally the validity of transformations under the unique cultural conditions we inhabit.</p>
<p>The basis of our work is the canon of classical Middle Eastern compositions and improvisational techniques. This rich heritage consists of melodic and rhythmic exposition and instrumental interaction at countless levels of depth. We interpret these forms in the context of the sounds of the contemporary North American metropole. In this project, the equally lush traditions of Blues and Jazz in Chicago provide the context of how we approach and assimilate the Turath. This marriage of forms is fruitful because of the emotional range of the Blues and the improvisational flexibility and ingenuity of Jazz.</p>
<p>The Arab Blues was developed by Lebanese-Egyptian oud, buzuq, and guitar player Rami Gabriel through a research fellowship at the Center for Black Music Research, two Illinois artist grants, and a decade of experience as a jazz and blues musician in Chicago. Native Egyptian, Chicago based percussionist Karim Nagi is a two-time beneficiary of the Doris Duke Build Bridges grant for Muslim artists, a TEDx speaker, and accomplished teacher who plays traditional and non-traditional Middle Eastern percussion instruments including Riqq, Tublah, and uniquely assembled drumset.</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72979862023-11-23T10:00:00-05:002023-11-23T10:00:03-05:00Maqam Mastery Made Simple - Dec. 6th<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/8a734f31d752fadc2e5295f2c2d406cf36cd7545/original/sami.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p>Join this special class to learn the system of Arabic melodies and scales – known as maqam – from Sami Abu Shumays, a world-renowned master practitioner.</p><p><strong>Maqam Mastery Made Simple, with Sami Abu Shumays</strong><br>7pm-8:30pm, December 6th 2023<br>Brooklyn School of Music - 126 St Felix St, Brooklyn, NY 11217</p><p>Tickets on Sale Now: https://www.viewcy.com/e/maqam_mastery_made_si_1</p><p>Sami’s approach is hands-on and practical: through call-and-response imitation, students will learn the core melodic vocabulary of the maqam, the key to improvising and composing in Arabic music. Students will also listen to and analyze Arabic songs in the same maqam, to continue to build their experience.</p><p>The class is open to students of any level, from complete beginner to advanced practitioner: because Sami presents the music in its raw form, everyone gets something out of melodic repetition. Singers, dancers, and players of any instrument are welcome.</p><p>About Sami Abu Shumays:<br>One of the leading Arab violinists in the U.S., Sami Abu Shumays is internationally known as a master of the maqam system. He is co-author of the acclaimed book Inside Arabic Music (Oxford University Press 2019), and his passion for teaching and oral tradition is also expressed through his YouTube series "Maqam Lessons," the website www.maqamlessons.com, and his contributions to www.maqamworld.com. Co-founder and director of the NYC-based Arabic music and dance ensemble Zikrayat (www.zikrayatmusic.com), Sami has also recently released his first solo album Circles, available on all streaming platforms (https://samiabushumays.hearnow.com/)</p><p>A second-generation Palestinian-American, Sami originally studied Western music before traveling to the Arab World to reconnect with his roots. He studied with Alfred Gamil in Cairo; Mohamed Qasas, Abdel-Basit Bakkar, and Abdel-Minaim Senkary in Aleppo; and Simon Shaheen and Yusuf Kassab in New York.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72963142023-11-17T10:00:00-05:002023-11-17T10:00:02-05:00Hadi Eldebek & Friends <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/da2d657a6dea678d063da7aa943ff9548377cb1a/original/hadi-photo-2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p><p>Join Hadi Eldebek, one of the leading Arab musicians in New York City, and his talented friends as they take you on a journey through the rich tapestry of Hadi's original compositions, which are rooted in his Arabic cultural heritage.</p><p>Hadi Eldebek & Friends <br>November 21st 2023 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 <br>$20 Admission</p><p>Hadi Eldebek is a musician, composer, and cultural entrepreneur based in New York City. He has collaborated with prominent figures and institutions in the Arts, Culture, and Education sectors, including Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad Ensemble, Harvard Graduate School of Education, The Kennedy Center, TED, Disney World Imagineering, and others. Hadi is the artistic director of The Brooklyn Nomads, a cross cultural band rooted in Arabic music traditions. He also co-founded several cultural startups, including grantPA, a tool for artists to find grants and other opportunities, and Circle World Arts, a platform to learn about the world arts. His TED talk, discussing the importance of funding the arts and artists, has gone viral with over 1.25 million views.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72946512023-11-09T16:15:00-05:002023-11-09T16:20:03-05:00Esraa Warda: T'meryil Invasion - November 13th and 14th!<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/66955b5cb5360b4d9b1444c31bf1ccd2bacec3d4/original/img-8787.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Esraa Warda: T'meryil Invasion <br>9:30pm November 13th and 14th, 2023 <br>Joe's Pub - 425 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10003 <br>Tickets on Sale Now! -- <a class="no-pjax" href="https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2023/c/cheikha-rabia--esraa-warda/">https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2023/c/cheikha-rabia--esraa-warda/</a></p>
<p>Esraa Warda's "T'meryil Invasion" is a collection of danced stories foregrounding the ancestral feminist politics and non-conformist realness of Algerian Rai music and dance. Warda will take you on a journey through her personal tales, weaving humor, and vulnerability while contextualizing the historical censorship of Algerian dance/rs. We will then experience the T’meryil Invasion by the “meryoulats” – the mischievous and cabaret-loving Algerian women. Their presence reignites the flame of resilience, bodily autonomy, and liberation, leaving us with faith in the power of movement(s).</p>
<p>Esraa Warda - dancer <br>Nizar Dahmani - drums <br>Sami Bouchareb - keyboard</p>
<p>Photo credit: Alaric Campbell</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72946482023-11-02T11:00:00-04:002023-11-02T11:00:02-04:00Huda Asfour at Barbes<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/eb20c4978a4092c9e35ac4d46603ea4574f43e92/original/bydinashoukri-november202-profile-beitelnay-editclean-001.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>We are happy to welcome Palestinian Huda Asfour for this month's date at Barbes.</p>
<p>Huda Asfour <br>7pm Wednesday November 8th, 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p>
<p>Huda, a musician and biomedical engineer, transcends boundaries in her work. Her musical journey began at the age of 13th, in conservatories in Tunisia and Palestine, culminating in collaborations worldwide. Her albums, "Mars... Back and Forth" and "Kouni," defy genre and explore identity. She also fosters improvisation in Arabic music aesthetics and conducts workshops globally. Huda combines music and engineering with 10+ years of research experience and is a prolific academic writer. Explore her work at hudaasfour.com .</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72961682023-10-30T17:52:09-04:002023-10-30T18:12:55-04:00Palestine Benefit Concert<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;color:rgb(34, 34, 34);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:small;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/96946dfa9d9392d5f0c42e30a2863ba40a521f6e/original/palestine-benefit-concert-flyer.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;color:rgb(34, 34, 34);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:small;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Announcement! We have pivoted to make this Wednesday's concert a benefit event for relief for Palestine. All the details below:</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;color:rgb(34, 34, 34);font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:small;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;">
<br><span style="color:#ffffff;">Palestine Benefit Concert this Wednesday! Come join us for a night of music and community at The Sultan Room this Wednesday, with performances by Zahra AlZubaidi w/ Orchestra Farha, Nano Raies, and Nour Harkati. </span><br><br><span style="color:#ffffff;">Palestine Benefit Concert</span><br><span style="color:#ffffff;">Wednesday November 1st 2023</span><br><span style="color:#ffffff;">7:30pm(7pm doors)</span><br><span style="color:#ffffff;">The Sultan Room 234 Starr St, Brooklyn, NY 11237</span><br><br><span style="color:#ffffff;">All proceeds will be donated to Anera for relief efforts in Gaza. Tickets on sale now, and available at the door. + options for additional donations during the event. </span><br><span style="color:#ffffff;"> </span>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72946172023-10-27T15:59:20-04:002023-10-27T15:59:20-04:00Orchestra Farha, featuring Zahra Alzubaidi<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/64186a989fceb8bac4b0d7812e694d863f164cf0/original/2454ff82-bfba-4e23-85c7-589a1a068231.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Brooklyn Maqam Presents: Orchestra Farha, featuring Zahra Alzubaidi <br>8pm (7pm doors) <br>Wednesday November 1st, 2023 <br>The Sultan Room - 234 Starr St, Brooklyn, NY 11237 <br>$25 Admission</p>
<p>Tickets on Sale Now! --> <a class="no-pjax" href="https://link.dice.fm/Qd8624e27add">https://link.dice.fm/Qd8624e27add</a></p>
<p>Orchestra Farha is an acoustic-electric ensemble that focuses on 1970's Arabic music from Egypt and around the Arab world. This performance will highlight deep cuts from iconic Egyptian composers Hany Mehanna and Baligh Hamdi, as well as hits from Iraq, featuring vocalist Zahra Alzubadi. Join us for a night of electric, groovy music rarely heard live.</p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Zahra AlZubaidi- voice <br>Sami Abu Shumays & Sarah Mueller, violin <br>Gideon Forbes, nay and saxophone <br>Josh Farrar, electric guitar <br>Mohammad Araki, keyboard <br>Marwan Allam, bass <br>Johnny Farraj & Nezih Antakli, percussion</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72816792023-10-02T13:50:41-04:002023-10-16T10:53:07-04:00Karim Nagi at Barbes<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/fd7571975e88f0db0b12ef8494ce825b7cc9e9fe/original/karimnagi.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>For our next event, we welcome Karim Nagi all the way from Chicago for this special performance at Barbes. Karim is a prolific performer, composer and educator - come and enjoy this set of original compositions and classics!</p>
<p>Karim Nagi at Barbes <br>7pm Wednesday October 11th, 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p>
<p>Karim Nagi is an Egyptian percussionist, composer and teaching artist based in Chicago. He has authored several instructional videos for Arab percussion rhythms and instruments. His 2022 album “Huzam” features his original compositions. He is the producer of 19 annual sessions of the Arab Dance Seminar, and is currently on the Board of Directors of Chamber Music America. He combines his musical performance with public speaking on diversity and cultural advocacy, which can be seen in his latest TEDx Talk “The Tambourine, My Partner in Diplomacy and Disruption”. <a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.karimnagi.com">https://www.karimnagi.com</a></p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Karim Nagi - percussion, buzuk <br>Sami Abu Shumays - Violin <br>Brian Prunka - oud <br>John Murchison - Bass <br>Gideon Forbes - Nay</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72799022023-09-28T12:07:37-04:002023-09-28T12:23:52-04:00Firas Andari Cancelation / Mona Miari at Lincoln Center<p>Brooklyn Maqam regretfully announces that because of visa complications, Firas Andari will not be making it to the US to perform. We are really disappointed, but remain committed to presenting beautiful music in place of his scheduled performances.<br><br>Palestinian vocalist Mona Miari will be stepping in to perform at the <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.lincolncenter.org/series/lincoln-center-presents/mona-miari-and-tarab-ensemble" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">Lincoln Center Atrium this Saturday at 7:30pm</a>. Mona is a wonderful vocalist and we are excited to present her at this gorgeous venue. We can't wait to see everyone there for this FREE show! <br><br>Habibi Festival will be announcing their new lineup shortly, keep an eye on their website, and we hope to see everyone at Joe's Pub for the amazing week of music they have in store.<br><br>Thanks, as always, for your support.</p><p> </p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/6e5ff2eaeb186c4281b05638babf019fa5ed4356/original/d0e39d22-ee89-47ee-8a30-13b3539f7999.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p> </p><div class="event-info event-notes">
<p>Mona Miari and Tarab Ensemble <br>7:30pm, Saturday, September 30, 2023 <br>David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center 61 W 62nd St, New York, NY 10023 <br>FREE</p>
<p>There are two ways to access this free event: </p>
<p>1. General Admission, first-come first-served. Just show up! </p>
<p>2. Fast Track, opening the Monday before the event at noon. For more information, visit <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.lincolncenter.org/series/lincoln-center-presents/mona-miari-and-tarab-ensemble">http://www.lincolncenter.org/series/lincoln-center-presents/mona-miari-and-tarab-ensemble</a></p>
<p>Mona Miari and Tarab Ensemble<br>Mona Miari - vocals <br>Sami Abu Shumays - violin <br>Zafer Tawil - oud <br>John Murchison - qanun <br>Gilbert Mansour - percussion <br>Johnny Farraj – riq</p>
<p>Growing up influenced by various cultures, Mona Miari is dedicated to showcasing the richness of Arabic culture and music. She embarked on a professional music career, taking part of various cultural festivals and concerts where she combines Palestinian/Levantine folklore into her performances and repertoire, expressing her diverse upbringing by exploring and reapplying the Arabic languages to different music genres, embracing global influences. She has graced stages worldwide across the U.S., the Arab World, and Europe, captivating audiences with her mesmerising, elegant talent at various prestigious venues and festivals such as Umbria Jazz Festival, Palermo Classical Jazz Festival, BAM, Steri Hall (IT), Drom, and many others. With boundless talent and unwavering dedication to cultural enrichment, Mona Miari continues to inspire, leaving an indelible mark on the music world through her unique artistry and commitment to exploration.</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72775612023-09-23T02:43:43-04:002023-09-23T02:43:44-04:00THREE Concerts With Firas Andari From Beirut<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/6c902889d903f1d999caeccd651d36d0a4466824/original/firas-andari-2b.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p dir="ltr"><span>Brooklyn</span> <span>Maqam</span> is proud to announce that <strong>Lebanese vocalist and oudist Firas Andari will perform in NYC this fall</strong>. Firas is a wonderful musician, and we couldn't be happier that he is the first artist <span>Brooklyn</span> <span>Maqam</span> has brought from overseas to perform. </p><p dir="ltr">Alongside presenting partners Lincoln Center and Habibi Festival, we can't wait for New York audiences to welcome him for these debut US performances. Mark your calendars and purchase your tickets in advance- these special shows will sell out!</p><p dir="ltr">For more information about times, locations, and how to buy tickets, please visit <a class="no-pjax" href="https://facebook.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cd52a12f9338244985e6b3008&id=63739708e0&e=90ece1d172" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://facebook.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dcd52a12f9338244985e6b3008%26id%3D63739708e0%26e%3D90ece1d172&source=gmail&ust=1695536906003000&usg=AOvVaw2LXm8dURA1xeYjHFcyi-Vr"><u>Lincoln Center website</u></a> and the <a class="no-pjax" href="https://facebook.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cd52a12f9338244985e6b3008&id=97ddac8fb8&e=90ece1d172" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://facebook.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dcd52a12f9338244985e6b3008%26id%3D97ddac8fb8%26e%3D90ece1d172&source=gmail&ust=1695536906003000&usg=AOvVaw3gFXdPkIdmISN6Xt_phDao"><u>Habibi Fest / Joe's Pub website</u></a></p><ul>
<li dir="ltr">Saturday Sept 30th - David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center</li>
<li dir="ltr">Sunday October 1st - Habibi Festival at Joe's Pub</li>
<li dir="ltr">Tuesday October 3rd - Habibi Festival at Joe's Pub</li>
</ul><p dir="ltr">More about Firas: Lebanese vocalist, oud player, educator, and maestro of the Arabic <span>maqam</span> musical tradition, Firas Andari began his musical studies at the age of 6. Andari acquired his classical repertoire from his teachers by ear, a critically grounding asset for an oral musical methodology that dates back over 800 years. His teachers' musical lineage trace directly to great masters in Egypt and the Levant, giving Andari access to a music culture that is all but lost - <span>maqam</span> performance with a richness in intonation and style unadulterated by western standard notation and the colonial influences of the 20th century. In his U.S. debut, Andari performs <span>maqam</span> music from regions historically of the Ottoman and Persian empires; namely the Middle East, Egypt, Turkey, and North Africa—presenting the different forms characteristic to <span>maqam</span>'s many offshoots, including muwashahat, tawashih, qudud, adwar, mawawil, and qasa‘id.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72494252023-08-25T11:35:00-04:002023-08-25T11:40:01-04:00Taktouka Band at Barbes<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p>Can't wait for this night of music from Taktouka band! Bringing Arab folk music together with electronics and western jazz instruments for a unique a modern sound born in NYC. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/98b41d8484eb2a9c3efc30c2c36fea0afc04d6e2/original/taktouka-poster-bassara-album.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Taktouka Band <br>7pm Wednesday September 13th, 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p>
<p>Taktouka Band brings Arab folk music together with electronics and western jazz instruments, creating a mix of old and new sounds and themes. The different legacies of trip-hop, hip hop, and Arabic music enrich and transform each other, bridging cultures, genres, ideas, and communities.</p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Alia Haju: vocals <br>Bashar Farran: bass <br>Daro Behroozi: woodwinds <br>Rema Hasumi: synth <br>Jesse Chevan: drums</p>
<p>Taktouka Band's message: Other people's music gives us new ways to understand the world, and to understand ourselves. We learn about how people deal with struggles, with displacement; about how we find meaning; about finding purpose and freedom. This music album illuminates the Arab cascade of catastrophes via old songs and tales: people seeking refuge in other countries, the recent revolutions. What does a refugee need from a country to lead a fulfilling life? How do we grapple with living in two worlds?</p>
<p>The work redefines old Arab folk songs to both extend their cultural reach and to establish new and different interpretations. It is critical for us to carry this cultural music with us from the Arab world to New York, and to reinterpret it in ways that reflect our lives and the lives of those around us. We transformed Arabic folk with new ways of singing and performing; by challenging some misogynistic lyrics; and by bringing them to new audiences: to make them speak for women’s rights and to the lived experience of an oppressed people.</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72579632023-08-16T14:20:00-04:002023-08-16T14:20:00-04:00Firas Andari Performing in NYC<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/6c902889d903f1d999caeccd651d36d0a4466824/original/firas-andari-2b.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p dir="ltr">Brooklyn Maqam is proud to announce that Lebanese vocalist and oudist Firas Andari will perform in NYC this fall. Firas is a wonderful musician, and we couldn't be happier that he is the first artist Brooklyn Maqam has brought from overseas to perform. </p><p dir="ltr">Alongside presenting partners Lincoln Center and Habibi Festival, we can't wait for New York audiences to welcome him for these debut US performances. Mark your calendars and purchase your tickets in advance- these special shows will sell out!</p><p dir="ltr">For more information about times, locations, and how to buy tickets, please visit our events page <font face="Arial, sans-serif"><span>at </span></font><a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.brooklynmaqam.com/events" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.brooklynmaqam.com/events&source=gmail&ust=1692294397263000&usg=AOvVaw1YcQLmc-d7oO4BUIkXZ-Vz"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><span>www.brooklynmaqam.com/events</span></font></a></p><ul>
<li dir="ltr">Saturday Sept 30th - David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center</li>
<li dir="ltr">Sunday October 1st - Habibi Festival at Joe's Pub</li>
<li dir="ltr">Tuesday October 3rd - Habibi Festival at Joe's Pub</li>
</ul><p dir="ltr">More about Firas: Lebanese vocalist, oud player, educator, and maestro of the Arabic maqam musical tradition, Firas Andari began his musical studies at the age of 6. Andari acquired his classical repertoire from his teachers by ear, a critically grounding asset for an oral musical methodology that dates back over 800 years. His teachers' musical lineage trace directly to great masters in Egypt and the Levant, giving Andari access to a music culture that is all but lost - maqam performance with a richness in intonation and style unadulterated by western standard notation and the colonial influences of the 20th century. In his U.S. debut, Andari performs maqam music from regions historically of the Ottoman and Persian empires; namely the Middle East, Egypt, Turkey, and North Africa—presenting the different forms characteristic to maqam's many offshoots, including muwashahat, tawashih, qudud, adwar, mawawil, and qasa‘id.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72494242023-08-10T10:00:00-04:002023-08-10T10:00:03-04:00Habibi Gün + Arabic Music Jam<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/019b9ffb2514c51260c9562a86796a0d1d436a96/original/49e413ef-caaa-4f90-9558-3c3897e2d37b.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>For our next event at Sisters, come and hang for an electric and eclectic night of music by revered Arab composers such as Riyad al Sunbati and Mohammed Fawzi alongside Western influences like Ennio Morricone, Link Wray, and that late, great Lebanese-American, Dick Dale. </p>
<p>Habibi Gün<br>Tuesday August 22nd 2023 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 <br>$20 Admission</p>
<p>Then stick around for the Arabic music jam!</p>
<p>Habibi Gün showcases the works of revered Arab composers such as Riyad al Sunbati and Mohammed Fawzi alongside Western influences like Ennio Morricone, Link Wray, and that late, great Lebanese-American, Dick Dale. The resulting listening experience is sprawling, evocative, and unique—stark and contemplative one moment, abandoned and trance-inducing the next.</p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Josh Farrar - guitar <br>Gideon Forbes - ney, tenor sax <br>Gabe Lavin - oud, 12-string guitar <br>Insia Malik - violin <br>Phil Mayer - percussion <br>Jeremy Smith - percussion<br>Brian Prunka - organ <br>Sprocket Royer - bass</p>
<p>The musical collective, Habibi Gün, began as a whimsical and wide-ranging pandemic recording project in which guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/arranger/producer Josh Farrar collaborated on an eclectic and elaborate set of cover songs with local Arab and American musicians including: percussionists Gilbert Mansour and Philip Mayer; reedists Gideon Forbes and Daro Behroozi; kanunists John Murchison and Firas Zreik; and trumpeter Kenny Warren.</p>
<p>The current lineup features Mayer (New York Arabic Orchestra, Natalie Merchant), Farrar (Spanish Johnny’s Opera, The Foster Family, Bil Afrah Project) and Forbes (NYAO, Nortonk, Brooklyn Nomads) alongside composer, guitarist, and oudist—though playing organ here—Brian Prunka (Nashaz, Simon Shaheen, NYAO), bassist James “Sprocket” Royer (Souren Baronian, Taqsim, NYAO), violinist Insia Malik (NYAO, National Arabic Orchestra, Bassam Saba, Simon Shaheen), oudist/guitarist Gabe Lavin (NYAO, Near East Ensemble, Naseer Shamma’s Oud Orchestra) and on drum kit, Chris Stromquist (Slavic Soul Party, Frank London, the inspiring Greek Judas). Prunka and Lavin contribute original compositions. Percussionist Rich Stein is Chief Branding Officer. The stylistic range of the compositions —from 60s bellydance to Sun Ra to Black Sabbath and back— keeps both listeners and musicians on their toes. For Farrar, a rock musician who has been immersed in Arabic music for the last decade, and his collaborators, Habibi Gün offers an opportunity to put Western and Middle Eastern genres in conversation with each other, resulting in an idiosyncratic variant of that dirty “f” word - fusion - that is curious, delightful, strange to behold.</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72536542023-08-07T16:29:46-04:002023-08-08T13:25:02-04:00Ali Omar El-Farouk at Barbes<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/4f1c0f1112a5435ccdf62fb4263d770a336bf7a3/original/1.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p>We are excited to be presenting Ali's debut at Barbes next week! Ali is a great Egyptian/Canadian oudist and guitarist, coming all the way down from Montreal to perform a solo set of oud repertoire. Don't miss it!</p><p>Ali Omar El-Farouk <br>7pm Wednesday August 9th, 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p><p>In his first ever performance at Barbes, Ali Omar El-Farouk presents a selection of some of his favourite pieces that bring out the spirit and sound of the oud. In an intimate solo performance, Ali will perform a repertoire that includes pieces from the Classical Arabic repertoire as well as compositions by Sayed Darwish, Mohamed Abd El Wahab, Ömer Faruk Tekbilek, and Anouar Brahem. Ali will also present some of his own compositions.</p><p>Ali Omar El-Farouk is an Egyptian/Canadian guitarist and oud player from Cairo and Montreal. He is an active performer, teacher and composer with a professional career spanning more than two decades with performances in Egypt, Canada, U.S.A., Turkey, and Spain.</p><p>His versatile musicianship is a result of his exposure to western and eastern cultures. He spent years studying jazz music, classical Arabic music, western classical music, and flamenco music. He has worked in jazz groups, rock/blues/pop bands, and Middle Eastern and flamenco ensembles. His performances include many festivals in Montreal and Cairo.</p><p>His first album ‘Ela Mataa?’ was recorded in Montreal and released in 2019. He holds a Licentiate degree in Jazz Performance from McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, one of Canada’s top music institutes, and a Bachelor’s degree with Distinction in Jazz Studies from Concordia University in Montreal.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72278892023-07-13T19:00:00-04:002023-07-13T19:00:04-04:00Philip Mayer and Friends<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/64b004d6348f4cbca93c86714fa1e7c4fd31dd6d/original/phil-n-friends.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p>Philip Mayer and Friends<br>Tuesday July 25th 2023 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 <br>$20 Admission</p><p>Stick around for the Arabic Music Jam after the set!</p><p>Tonights concert will feature an exciting lineup of musicians showcasing the rich and beautiful tradition of 20th century Turkish maqam. With a repertoire full of compositions written by some of the centuries greatest composers, we can expect a night full of expressive melodies and evocative songs about love, life and death.</p><p>Featuring:<br>Aslihan Erkisi - voice<br>Adam Good - oud<br>Philip Mayer - percussion<br>John Murchison - kanun<br>Mavrothi Kontanis - violin</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72193472023-07-06T09:00:00-04:002023-07-08T14:31:49-04:00Souren Baronian's Taksim at Barbes<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/cff5d27fe8187bdfded692051bb1aa6104a6df04/original/baronian-3.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>We are thrilled to once again host Souren Baronian. Souren was at the forefront of mixing Jazz with Middle Eastern music, and has been doing so in NYC for <i>decades</i>. Now in his 90s, he doesn't hold it against the younger people in his band if they can't keep up with him. </p>
<p>Souren Baronian's Taksim <br>7pm Wednesday July 12th, 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p>
<p>Souren Baronian grew up in Spanish Harlem riding two powerful currents of his creativity: his ethnic Armenian heritage, and jazz. His own music is an authentic organic hybrid of those two idioms. The sound of his band is truly unique, applying a jazz vocabulary and the bebop sensibility of Charlie Parker and Lester Young to Middle Eastern rhythms on traditional instruments such as the oud, kaval, dubek, G-clarinet and dumbek. "Taksim" is a Middle Eastern term meaning improvisation, and inspired improvisation is the home territory of Souren Baronian and his band. The Band has toured all over the world and played many of the top venues including the Montreal Jazz Festival, The Blue Note and Outpost.</p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Souren Baronian - G-clarinet, soprano saxophone, kaval, duduk <br>Adam Good - ud <br>Mal Stein - drums, percussion <br>Paul Brown - double bass</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72193462023-06-28T10:00:00-04:002023-06-28T10:00:05-04:00Zahra & Friends at the Sultan Room Rooftop<div class="event-info event-notes"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/f8d4dfca2d573c97ed65af1d9fb872180486be9b/original/zahra-by-neil-makhija.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p>Join us for an *outdoor* summer celebration of love, culture and traditions in Iraqi and Arabic music through Chaabi songs performed by singer Zahra Alzubaidi.</p>
<p>Zahra & Friends <br>Wednesday July 5th, 2023 <br>The Sultan Room - Rooftop - 234 Starr Street, Brooklyn, New York 11237 <br>Doors at 7pm $20 advance, $25 walkup</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72193452023-06-15T02:00:00-04:002023-06-15T02:00:04-04:00Maurice Chedid + Arabic Music Jam! <div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/9e3c5fe09ae7ac3d4614f62be63bd471c35b843d/original/maurice-chedid-photo.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Come join us for our next event at Sisters, featuring wonderful vocalist/oudist Maurice Chedid. Maurice has been part of the greater NYC Arabic music scene for years, and we thrilled to host him for one of our events for the first time!</p>
<p>Maurice Chedid <br>8pm Tuesday June 27th 2023 8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 <br>$20 Admission</p>
<p>Stick around for the Arabic Music Jam after the set!</p>
<p>Maurice Chedid studied at the Lebanese Conservatory of Middle Eastern Music. As a member of the Lebanese Folkloric Group, he toured internationally for four years and has since played the ud and sung in a variety of nightclubs in Lebanon and throughout the world. He recorded an album of bellydance music titled Ya Samara.</p>
<p>Featuring: Maurice Chedid - oud, vocals <br>Zafer Tawil - violin <br>John Murchison - bass <br>Johnny Farraj - riq</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72160532023-06-05T13:00:00-04:002023-06-05T18:44:14-04:00Tan Haw at Barbes, June 14th<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/092e43b7714b43e266333f038386ba4d6b2b6acf/original/bodhi-2021-small.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Looking forward to this performance by Mani Nilchiani's project, <strong>Tan Haw, </strong>blending Iranian folk and classical music with contemporary electronic and music! </p>
<p>Tan Haw <br>7pm Wednesday June 14th, 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p>
<p>An ensemble of 1+, Tan Haw is a project by Iranian musician and songwriter, Mani Nilchiani and collaborators. Tan Haw blends Iranian folk and classical music with influences from a variety of contemporary genres such as ambient, electronica & psychedelic rock.</p>
<p>Tan Haw’s sound is deeply rooted in the microtonal repertoire of Iranian music (Radif), and borrows from its rich traditional lineage of Improvisation techniques, modal structures, melodic and rhythmic patterns. In orchestration, the Persian Setâr and vocals often take center stage, supported by fretless guitars, synthesizers, samples and live instruments.</p>
<p>Featuring: Mani Nilchiani on the Setâr, Vocals, Fretless guitar, electronics</p>
<p>About Mani: Mani Nilchiani is an Iranian musician and designer based in NYC. In his music, he retraces, explores and retells a story of displacement. His music explores the notion of home as an evolving in-transit space of memory. Born and raised in Tehran, Mani began his studies at a young age with classical violin under maestro Valodia Tarkhanian. Later, he worked in Tehran’s underground music scene as a self-taught guitarist and singer. In 2010 he moved to NYC and in 2013, he graduated from Parsons school of Design with an MFA in Design & Technology. He formed Tan Haw in late 2017 and began releasing music and playing live shows. In 2018 he joined Radif Retreat institute for Iranian classical music where he has been studying the Setâr and working as a teaching assistant with maestro Fared Shafinury. By day, Mani works at the global innovation firm IDEO where he leads interdisciplinary teams of designers to create innovative digital products and services.</p>
<p>Photo by Saman Shami</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72160522023-05-26T12:10:30-04:002023-05-26T12:10:31-04:00Megumi Saruhashi Porch Concert on June 3rd! <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/3ca7847f7528dbd40382717775aff32e1a973210/original/image-6483441.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p>We are excited to be collaborating again with Operation Gig!, a community-led organization that hosts outdoor concerts around Ditmas park Brooklyn. Each weekend features shows on different beautiful porches around the neighborhood. </p><p>Megumi Saruhashi Porch Concert - Operation Gig!<br>4pm-6pm, Saturday June 3rd 2023<br>"Japanese house" at 121 Buckingham Rd Brooklyn, NY 11226<br>Free! </p><p>Megumi & Friends performs Megumi’s original compositions that are inspired by three places she calls home: New York, Japan and Egypt. </p><p>Megumi Saruhashi is a violinist and composer, who grew up around rice paddy fields in seaport city, Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Having performed around the globe from Carnegie Hall to refugee camps in the Middle East, Megumi knows no boundary when it comes to performing music. Megumi has embraced her credo “The earth is my home, the sky is my blanket. Wherever I go, I am home”, with three bases she calls home, namely, Japan, New York and Egypt. Megumi has also been active as a soloist with ensembles and orchestras in Cairo, especially with El Manara ensemble. She has frequently appeared at the Cairo Opera House as a guest soloist.</p><p>Featuring: <br>Megumi Saruhashi, violin & compositions<br>Adam Good, oud<br>Kuba Cichocki, piano<br>Moto Fukushima, bass<br>Nezih Antakli, percussion</p><p>Brooklyn Arts Fund is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) (@nyculture), administered by Brooklyn Arts Council (@bkartscouncil)</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/72022122023-05-11T10:55:00-04:002023-05-11T11:00:02-04:00Sami Abu Shumays - Wasla Nairuz <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/6b891a95170b4572c6d6b5bd6a58d7867fb71998/original/sami-headshot-2021.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p><p>Looking forward to another great night of music at Sisters, this time with a set by Sami Abu Shumays and his ensemble. Come enjoy the set, and stay for the jam!</p><p>Sami Abu Shumays - Wasla Nairuz<br>Tuesday May 23rd 2023 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 <br>$20 Admission</p><p>Stick around for the Arabic Music Jam after the set!</p><p>Sami will perform a suite of songs (a wasla) in Maqam Nairuz, a beautiful variety of Maqam Rast. Linking songs by maqam allows for an in depth exploration of that particular mood or musical mode, and is a way to build toward Tarab. This wasla will begin with Syrian muwashshahat, move to Egyptian taqatiq (light songs), and conclude with the popular 19th century Dawr Aslil-Gharam - and will of course include instrumental pieces and improvisations by the master musicians accompanying Sami.</p><p>Featuring:<br>Sami Abu Shumays, vocals & violin<br>Ameer Armaly, oud<br>Johnny Farraj, riqq<br>Gideon Forbes, ney</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71983292023-04-28T00:40:42-04:002023-04-28T00:40:42-04:00Ameer Armaly and Friends at Barbes<div class="event-info event-notes"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/1624a4f3b75c3d0aad5a87674a3b40e649473e18/original/ameer.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><p>Really looking forward to present oudist Ameer Armaly and his crew to perform at Barbes. He is one of our favorite recent transplants to the NYC Arabic music community, don't miss it! </p>
<p>Ameer Armaly and Friends <br>Wednesday May 10th, 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p>
<p>Oud player Ameer Armaly will present a program of songs from the golden age of Arabic music in collaboration with three singers, each with their own vocal and musical style. The program will include songs from Egypt, Syria and Iraq and will showcase some of the many styles of music present in the Arab world. The singers will be accompanied by a takht or traditional small ensemble.</p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Zahra Al Zubaidi - vocals <br>Marwa Morgan - vocals <br>Mohammad Salah Ali - vocals <br>Ameer Armaly - oud <br>Sami Abu Shumays - violin <br>Gideon Forbes - nay <br>Angie Assal - percussion</p>
<p>Born in South Carolina, Ameer Armaly was exposed to Arabic music from an early age through his uncle who played the oud. He then went on to study under oud masters Simon and Najib Shaheen. In 2018, he graduated with a Ph.D in computer science from the University of Notre Dame and currently works for Google where he works on making Android devices more accessible to the blind.</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71933242023-04-19T17:54:13-04:002023-04-19T17:54:39-04:00Zafer Tawil ++ Arabic Music Jam!<div class="event-info event-notes">
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/c5882cdaaaf8c3df2a19e883afa6f084878f5aa0/original/zafer.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Really looking forward to welcoming back Palestinian oudist Zafer Tawil! Always a wonderful night with Zafer on stage. Come for the music, stay for the jam!</p>
<p><strong>Zafer Tawil </strong>+ Arabic Music Jam<br>Tuesday April 25th 2023 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 $20 Admission</p>
<p>Stick around for the Arabic Music Jam after the set!</p>
<p>New York based Palestinian-American Zafer Tawil is a virtuosic performer on the oud, violin, qanun and a full range of Arab percussion instruments. He has performed with numerous musicians ranging from Sting to Arab music greats such as Simon Shaheen, Chab Mami, and Bassam Saba to avant-garde composer/performer Elliot Sharp, among others. Zafer has composed music for a number of films including the Oscar-nominated Jonathan Demme film Rachel Getting Married.</p>
<p>Co-produced by New York Arab Festival -- <a class="no-pjax" href="http://www.newyorkarabfestival.com">www.newyorkarabfestival.com</a></p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71620982023-03-24T10:00:00-04:002023-03-24T18:39:45-04:00Souq El-Jum3a at Barbes -- Wednesday April 12th 2023<div class="event-info event-notes"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/ef0233f3c7eabde282c4f404ae8d47ba0b538f55/original/souq-el-jum3a-cocert-poster-2023.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><p>Join us for the next installment of our monthly series at Barbes, featuring Boston-based Souq El-Jum3a! </p>
<p>Souq El-Jum3a at Barbes <br>7pm, Wednesday April 12th 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover</p>
<p>Souq El-Jum3a (Friday Market) will perform at Barbes a combination of original compositions and classical songs from their unique repertoire. The audience will enjoy songs, poems, and stories redolent with the scents of the past, yet anchored in the moment of now. Souq El-Jum3a will donate all ticket proceeds to the relief of people affected by the Earthquake in Syria/Turkey.</p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Hussam Jefee-Bahloul - Oud <br>Mohammad Salah Ali - Vocals <br>Ghassan Sawalhi - Percussion <br>Lana Awad: Frame Drum <br>Rami AbuOlaya - Nay</p>
<p>Souq El-Jum3a is a group of immigrant musicians and artists from the Arab world presenting original songs that aspire to preserve the essence of classical Arabic music. The project strives through collaboration of artists through the mediums of song-making and music videos. The name of the project takes its meaning from (Friday Market) which is a spontaneous market (or souq) that assembles weekly on the holy day of Friday in many cities across the Arab world. Souqs where people from all walks of life gather to socialize and market. Artists come to our “souq” to collaborate and create. A modern day “Souq Okaz” for song-making, if you will. The new project has released multiple songs and music videos and performed locally and virtually to fans around the world.</p>
</div>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71620892023-03-13T10:20:00-04:002023-03-13T10:20:05-04:00Marwa Morgan Sings Sayed Mekkawy + Arabic Music Jam -- Tuesday March 21st<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/303525/b883207a5e501d8afb5422080c14eb96dbad5936/original/dsf1503.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p><p>Coming up next, our monthly event at Sisters continues with a set of music by Marwa Morgan and her band, plus stick around for the Arabic Music jam following the set! </p><p>Marwa Morgan Sings Sayed Mekkawy <br>Tuesday March 21st 2023 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 <br>$20 Admission</p><p>Stick around for the Arabic Music Jam after the set!</p><p>Marwa Morgan and her ensemble will perform a selection of Sayed Mekkawi's songs that he performed himself and as well as pieces that he composed for well-known singers such as Umm Kolthoum and Warda. The program will span several decades of his work from the fifties and sixties through the nineties, close to the time of his death.</p><p>Featuring:<br>Marwa Morgan - vocals<br>Brian Prunka - Oud<br>Johnny Farraj - Percussion<br>John Murchison - Qanoun<br>Sami Abu Shumays - Violin</p><p><br>Sayed Mekkawy (1927-1997) was one of Egypt's most influential composers of the past century. He wrote music for almost all popular singers of his time, including Umm Kolthoum, Warda, Sabah and Laila Mourad. His music touched on almost every topic from politics to economics to culture, and his work with the poet Salah Jaheen, a close friend of his,spoke directly to and about the Egyptian working class.</p><p>Influenced by his upbringing in Al-Sayeda Zeinab, a working class neighborhood in Cairo named after a shrine for the prophet Mohamed's grand-daughter, he is most well-known for his folkloric pieces, especially El-Leila El-Kebeera (The Big Night). The 40-minute operette is a funny, expressive musical depiction of the celebration of the last night of the moulid, a festival celebrating the birth of the prophet Mohamed or other religious icons.</p><p>The concert will include some of Mekkawi's most iconic music, as well as some of the group's personal favorites.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71472492023-03-09T09:00:00-05:002023-03-09T09:00:03-05:00Nibal Malshi: Women in the Golden Age of Arab Music<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/f37cc37f2bcac3cab097dd4dd0c16dd94f0ee799/original/rba-nibal-malshi9-780x525.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />We are thrilled to be collaborating once again with Robert Browning Associates on another beautiful concert at Roulette featuring vocalist Nibal Malshi! </p>
<p>Nibal Malshi: Women in the Golden Age of Arab Music [RBA] <br>Saturday, March 11, 2023 8:00 pm <br>$30 advance $35 doors $25 Student/Senior (w/ ID, Senior 65+) doors 7:00pm <br><a contents="Buy Tickets " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://roulette.org/event/nibal-malshi-women-in-the-golden-age-of-arab-music-rba/" target="_blank">Buy Tickets </a></p>
<p>This captivating program of Middle Eastern songs features the return visit of the exquisite Palestinian singer Nibal Malshi, who has been noted for her evocative vocals. She graduated from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and performed with such virtuoso musicians as Simon Shaheen and the National Arab Orchestra under the direction of Michael Ibrahim. She will be joined by an ensemble with artists to be announced shortly. The program features a wide range of selections from the 20th-century classical Arab repertoire of the Levantine – Egyptian region, highlighting songs performed by female singers from Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. </p>
<p>Co-presented by Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, in association with Brooklyn Maqam</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71442592023-02-22T14:10:00-05:002023-02-22T14:20:03-05:00Maeandros Ensemble at Barbes -- Wednesday March 8th 2023 <p>Really looking forward to welcoming back the Maeandros Ensemble to Barbes! </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/beb613136d625008c77dc56549cf1b7837882169/original/maeandros-ensemble-dreamland-2.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Maeandros Ensemble at Barbes <br>7pm, Wednesday March 8th 2023 <br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>$20 cover </p>
<p>For over 15 years, the members of the Maeandros Ensemble have collaborated in concerts, workshops and recordings to bring old songs from the 78 rpm records of Greece and Turkey back to life, while also featuring original music and arrangements that blend in seamlessly and feature each member's unique talents and background. </p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Lefteris Bournias - clarinet <br>Megan Gould - violin <br>Philip Mayer - percussion <br>Mavrothi Kontanis - oud, guitar & voice </p>
<p>Lefteris Bournias was born in Queens and grew up there as well as in Greece. Lefteris has played the clarinet since age 11, and has performed and recorded with a long list of top performers in the US and abroad. As a diverse musician and composer, Bournias' style combines Greek traditional, Greek and Turkish Roma, Classical, and elements of Jazz (rhythmical and harmonic). With a special sound that emanates from his clarinet, he is a wanted man both live and in the studio. </p>
<p>Megan Gould (violin) is one of NYC's most versatile performers, composers and arrangers of Middle Eastern, Greek and popular music. Her comfort within a wide range of styles, her responsiveness to other musicians on stage, and a soulful improvisational style make Megan a sought-after element in many musical projects, from Natalie Merchant to Broadway shows. </p>
<p>Philip Mayer is a New York City based drummer and percussionist featured alongside Natalie Merchant and in the Broadway musical 'The Band's Visit' which won 10 Tony Awards. Aside from the drum set work, Mayer also loves playing Arabic and Turkish music, a passion which has taken him all over the world. </p>
<p>Mavrothi Kontanis is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and educator born and raised in the US, but with roots in Halkidiki, Greece. Mavrothi's main instrument is the oud, and his vocal style is inspired by early recordings from Greece and Turkey.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71427992023-02-09T16:00:00-05:002023-02-09T16:00:02-05:00The Music of Hany Mehanna + Arabic Music Jam!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/0c0dac9b4bea743243ce80aeb9e5c03ef5c5e8f5/original/the-music-of-hany-mehanna.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />So excited for this one! Very rare to hear the music of this unique master Arab keyboardist played live. Not to be missed!!</p>
<p>The Music of Hany Mehanna <br>Tuesday February 21st 2023 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238<br>$20 Admission </p>
<p>Stick around for the Arabic Music Jam after the set! </p>
<p>Hany Mehanna is a musician and composer living in Egypt. As a master keyboardist, Mehanna performed alongside Umm Kulthum, Abdel Halim Hafez, and was a member of Al Firka Al Masiya (The Diamond Orchestra). The music performed will be a selection of his compositions for orchestra, film scores, and songs from his 1973 album "The Miracle of the Seven Dances". </p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Mohamed Araki - keyboard <br>Dave Adewumi - trumpet <br>Gideon Forbes - nay <br>Sami Abu Shumays - violin <br>Sarah Mueller - violin <br>Josh Farrar - electric guitar <br>Marwan Allam - bass <br>Johnny Farraj - percussion <br>Philip Mayer - percussion</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71415052023-01-26T16:35:00-05:002023-01-26T16:40:03-05:00Nashaz at Barbes, February 8th 2023<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/e799db2c03ee2a42de660ded60f3c54cea47575a/original/dsc-0436k.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Our monthly series at Barbes continues! This time with one of our favorite bands bringing together jazz and Arabic maqam in a modern and genuine synthesis of styles. </p>
<p>Nashaz at Barbes<br>7pm, Wednesday February 8th 2023<br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215<br>$20 cover </p>
<p>Dubbed “one of New York’s most eclectic, interesting oudists” by NY Music Daily, Brian Prunka’s band Nashaz finds unexpected kinship between jazz and Arabic music, playing original music that stays true to the maqam tradition of the middle east while keeping the spontaneous interplay and energy of jazz at the forefront. </p>
<p>"Nashaz has found that sweet spot between jazz, Arabic rhythms, and traditional Middle-Eastern melodies" (Brooklyn Magazine, "5 Bands You Need to Know in Brooklyn's Arabic Music Scene”) </p>
<p>Featuring:<br>Matt Darriau (reeds)<br>Kenny Warren (trumpet)<br>John Murchison (bass)<br>Philip Mayer (percussion)<br>Chris Stromquist (drums)</p>
<p> </p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71353482023-01-12T14:00:00-05:002023-01-12T14:00:02-05:00Brooklyn Maqam Hang, featuring George Ziadeh -- with a new (old) Format!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/030ab950c01f3a4f010b798462e60f07c6f9ad58/original/screen-shot-2023-01-09-at-2-26-19-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Brooklyn Maqam is pleased to announce a return to our original format at Sisters: a curated concert, FOLLOWED by the famous Arabic music jam. At 8pm, there will be a listening set of music, with a $20 admission fee. After the set, we will change over to the usual Arabic music jam. </p>
<p><strong>Brooklyn Maqam presents George Ziadeh at Sisters</strong> <br>Tuesday January 24th 2023 <br>8pm (7:30pm Doors) <br>SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 <br>$20 Admission </p>
<p>Stick around for the Arabic Music Jam after the set! </p>
<p>Palestinian vocalist and oudist George Ziadeh is one of the most profound performers of tarab in New York City. George is considered an authority in maqam and Arab classical repertoire, known for his deep renditions of material from legendary artists such as Um Kulthum and Mohamed Abdel Wahab. </p>
<p>Featuring: <br>George Ziadeh - vocals, oud <br>Bashar Farran - bass <br>Zafer Tawil</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71335292023-01-05T20:26:52-05:002023-01-09T20:46:33-05:00Marwan Allam Quartet at Barbes - Wednesday January 11th 2023<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/eb55467389277d8cbad800a8856e7a64792c6006/original/dsc5086.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Looking forward to kicking off 2023 with our first event of the year featuring Tunisian bassist Marwan Allam and his quartet at Barbes this Wednesday January 11th. </p>
<p>Marwan Allam Quartet<br>7pm -- Wednesday January 11th 2023<br>Barbes — 376 9th street, Brooklyn NY 11215<br>$20 Admission </p>
<p>Marwan Allam explores Arabo andalusian Jazz with his quartet, with original compositions that blend Arabic rhythms, melodies, Maqams, and song-forms with modern jazz and swing traditions. </p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Samvel Sarkisyan - Drums <br>Santiago Leibson - Piano <br>Kenny Warren - Trumpet <br>Marwan Allam - Upright Bass / Composition</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71196112022-12-15T13:00:00-05:002022-12-15T13:00:04-05:00Arabic Music Jam at Sisters - December 20th <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/a2f11b59f17a050e23fae8cb78d101be6ff8bd53/original/img-6581.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Join us for the last Arabic music jam of 2022!! </p>
<p>Arabic Music Jam at Sisters<br>8pm, Tuesday December 20th<br>Sisters Brooklyn, 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 </p>
<p>Come and hang for the next Arabic music jam at Sisters! As usual, vibe is relaxed and music starts around 8pm. Bring your oud, violin, riq, etc., or just come and listen to the music and enjoy the food and drinks at one of our favorite spots in Brooklyn. </p>
<p>For first time musicians, come and talk to one of the organizers when you get there about joining in!</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71196102022-12-07T17:22:02-05:002022-12-07T17:22:02-05:00Kane Mathis at Barbes - Wednesday, Dec 14 <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/e1a05168c11f6c8e9a84bbf92d4ea4670f541f3c/original/kanemathis-39.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>We are really looking forward to welcoming back oud maestro Kane Mathis for a night of original and classical Ottoman music!</p>
<p>Kane Mathis at Barbes<br>Wed, Dec 14 @ 7:00PM<br>Barbes, 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 </p>
<p>Kane Mathis at Barbes 7pm, Wednesday December 14th 2022 Barbes -- 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 $20 Admission </p>
<p>Kane’s Oud study began in 1998 with Mutlu Torun, the head of strings and composition at Istanbul's I.T.U. conservatory. In 2000 Kane began what would become five and half years of continual study with Oud virtuoso Münir Nurettin Beken. A year after completing his study Kane took over leadership of the Seattle Turkish Music Student Ensemble, a performing group that focused on Ottoman music theory and Fasīl performance. Kane has performed his original works all over the world with recent notable appearances including Werkstatt Der Kulturen in Berlin, Germany, the University of Sheffield, England, and the premier of his suite for solo Oud in Byblos, Lebanon. </p>
<p>This program will combine traditional light classical repertoire with compositions from Kane’s latest record ‘Geminus’ which has been on the North American Radio charts in the top 20 for over a year since its release. This evening's performing ensemble was assembled uniquely for this performance. </p>
<p>Featuring:<br>Kane Mathis - Oud<br>Layale Chaker - Violin<br>Shane Shanahan - Percussion<br>John Murchison - Bass </p>
<p>www.kanemathis.com</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71049262022-11-23T11:00:00-05:002022-11-23T11:00:03-05:00Remix ⟷ Culture presents Tanfis <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/92f830194e42943c9df37c25b16dd6e318147fb4/original/tanfis-flyer-1b.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>We are really happy to be a partner on an exciting new project from Remix ⟷ Culture! This one-of-a-kind event will feature brand new collaborations between traditional musicians, remix artists, and DJs rooted in the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region with a stellar cast of artists! </p>
<p>Remix ⟷ Culture presents Tanfis<br>Wed, Nov 30, 7:30 PM<br>Public Records - 233 Butler St, Brooklyn, NY 11217<br><a contents="Tickets on Sale now! " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://dice.fm/event/vor77-remix-culture-presents-tanfis-30th-nov-public-records-new-york-tickets" target="_blank">Tickets on Sale now! </a></p>
<p>This fall Remix ⟷ Culture is premiering a new series of collaborations between traditional musicians, remix artists, and DJs rooted in the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region. For our first installment of the "Tanfis" series at Public Records, we will present a 3-hour audio-visual journey seamlessly blending acoustic trance with electronic dance, drawing the audience into a cathartic release. Leading this journey are a collective of critically acclaimed performing artists from Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, and the US: Marwan Allam (bass), and Nezih Antakli (percussion), Layale Chaker (violin), The Brooklyn Nomads' Hadi and Mo Eldebek (oud, bouzouk, percussion, voice), Eren Erdoğan (zurna, kaval, duduk), Remix ⟷ Culture's HAT (live video remixing), John Murchison (qanun), Haza's Myyuh (DJ and live remixing), and Disco Tehran's Mani Nilchiani (setar, voice, electronics). </p>
<p>The series explores the theme of "Tanfis," which is understood in Arabic as the journey of the nafs (self/soul) from a place of stuckness towards liberation, from the holding of breath to the exhalation. In English, tanfis can be translated as "catharsis." The notion of tanfis invites us to meet the crises of our time with transcendent revelry. To lean into our imaginations. To create together, locally, globally, and in solidarity. </p>
<p>This event is co-sponsored by Delight Factory and Brooklyn Maqam.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/71049252022-11-18T00:06:33-05:002022-11-18T00:06:33-05:00Coming up! The next Arabic music jam at Sisters is Tuesday Nov 22nd<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/55ddb801506b9dcb8da174eb3184e968050a504e/original/289946443-8394771500548224-4461788368348245129-n.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Arabic Music Jam at Sisters<br>8pm, Tuesday November 22nd<br>Sisters Brooklyn, 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 </p>
<p>Come and hang for the next Arabic music jam at Sisters! As usual, vibe is relaxed and music starts around 8pm. Bring your oud, violin, riq, etc., or just come and listen to the music and enjoy the food and drinks at one of our favorite spots in Brooklyn. </p>
<p>For first time musicians, come and talk to one of the organizers when you get there about joining in!</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70916032022-11-10T08:00:00-05:002023-12-10T13:10:09-05:00Layth Sidiq at Roulette<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/81b418e8d53ddf63a9977832bd68b8a4efafd2e7/original/layth-image-download.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />We are so pleased to be partnering again with Robert Browning Associates in presenting award-winning violinist/composer/educator Layth Sidiq for a special concert at Roulette. Don't miss this beautiful concert!!</p>
<p>Layth Sidiq Ensemble: Maqam Mosaics (RBA)<br>8pm -- Saturday, November 12, 2022<br>$30 advance $35 doors $25 Student/Senior (door only w/ ID, Senior 65+)<br>Tickets available now! --> <a href="https://roulette.org/event/layth-sidiq-ensemble-maqam-mosaics-rba/">https://roulette.org/event/layth-sidiq-ensemble-maqam-mosaics-rba/</a> Doors 7pm</p>
<p>The extraordinary award-winning violinist/composer/educator Layth Sidiq brings together an outstanding ensemble of musicians in an eclectic program that highlights the beauty and diversity of the Arabic maqam (mode). The group, featuring Layth Sidiq (violin, vocal), Jacinta Clusellas (guitar), John Murchison (bass) and Jeremy Smith (percussion), will perform Layth’s original compositions as well as distinctive arrangements of beloved melodies from the Arab world. From instrumental improvisations (taqasim) that travel between multiple maqamat to complex rhythmic cycles and harmonic structures, the program will be a journey into the past, present and future of Arabic music. Layth is the current artistic director of the New York Arabic Orchestra and has shared the stage with such major artists as Simon Shaheen, Javier Limon, Danilo Perez, and Tigran Hamasyan, to name a few. He has also collaborated with Carnegie Hall on multiple educational projects and currently travels the world to present his music in renowned festivals and cultural institutions.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70914852022-11-06T16:00:00-05:002022-11-06T16:00:01-05:00Mehrnam Rastegari - A Night of Iranian Traditional/Folk Music<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/e6d4f126787a9d9a27a0b9368531e3e9a9444db5/original/insta1.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>A Night of Iranian Traditional/Folk Music with Mehrnam Rastegari<br>7pm -- Wednesday, November 9th<br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 Admission $20</p>
<p>In light of the recent uprising in Iran, Artistic Freedom Initiative has launched a series of local performances to raise awareness for Iranian artists/activists at the center of the revolution and announce a new program entitled Iranian Artist Support Program (IASP), designed to help vulnerable Iranian artists/activists relocate to safety.</p>
<p>Please join us for a night with Mehrnam Rastegari, master Kamancheh player and world- renowned Iranian musician, composer, singer, and violinist who recently moved to NYC from Tehran, Iran. The night will feature Iranian traditional/folk music, including Kurdish songs, in celebration of the lives of Mahsa (Jina) Amini, Nika Shakarami, and all who lost their lives for demanding basic human rights.</p>
<p>Featuring:<br>Mehrnam Rastegari: Vocal, Kamancheh<br>Daro Behrouzi: Woodwinds<br>John Murchison: Qanun, Bass<br>Martin Shamoonpoor: Percussion</p>
<p>Mehrnam Rastegari has been featured in concerts and music festivals worldwide, including in Germany, Switzerland, France, Finland, Iran, and Kazakhstan. These performances have occurred at some of the most prestigious music festivals in the world where traditional Iranian music is performed, including the Fajr International Music Festival in Tehran, Iran, and the WOMEX World Music Expo, which occurred in Tampere, Finland.</p>
<p>Rastegari composed the score for multiple award-winning films, including “Dispirited” for which she won the award of “Best Original Score” from the Melbourne City Independent Film Awards (MCIFA), and the film “Rotten,” which was nominated for the original score in Japan Kadoma Festival.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70914812022-10-29T16:30:47-04:002022-10-29T16:30:47-04:00Zikrayat at Brooklyn Museum First Saturday<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/689072a9192003ba51b401db3d895080320d05ba/original/ea60b3ff-786c-43c7-ae2f-b46165869493.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>We are happy to be collaborating with Brooklyn Museum again this month, as part of their FREE music and arts series, First Saturdays. This event will feature Egyptian and Syrian music from Zikrayat in the first floor lobby of the museum!</p>
<p>Zikrayat at the Brooklyn Museum Saturday<br>November 5th, 5pm-6:30pm<br>Reserve your FREE ticket here! -- <a href="https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays">https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays</a>)</p>
<p>In addition to the music, there will be hand-on art, a pop-up market, and more. Check the Brooklyn Museum website at the link above for all the details, it will be a great evening!</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70703882022-10-20T15:00:00-04:002022-10-20T15:00:04-04:00Arabic Music Jam at Sisters - October 25th<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/a2f11b59f17a050e23fae8cb78d101be6ff8bd53/original/img-6581.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>The next jam is right around the corner!</p>
<p>Arabic Music Jam at Sisters<br>8pm, Tuesday October 25th<br>Sisters Brooklyn, 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 </p>
<p>Come and hang for the next Arabic music jam at Sisters! As usual, vibe is relaxed and music starts around 8pm. Bring your oud, violin, riq, etc., or just come and listen to the music and enjoy the food and drinks at one of our favorite spots in Brooklyn. </p>
<p>For first time musicians, come and talk to one of the organizers when you get there about joining in!</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70703872022-10-12T15:00:00-04:002022-10-12T15:00:01-04:00Nano Raies at Barbes, Wednesday October 19th, 7pm<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/88194b763becc93bccc11c5a8ffb093d027dc3d5/original/dsc06098.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>We are so happy to have Syrian vocalist Nano Raies coming to perform at Barbes this month. It will be a treat, hope to see you there!</p>
<p>Nano Raies at Barbes<br>Wednesday October 19th, 7pm<br>Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215<br>$20 Suggested Donation </p>
<p>Featuring:<br>Nano Raies - vocals<br>Jemina - piano<br>Daisy Castro - violin<br>Nezih Antakli - percussion<br>John Murchison - bass </p>
<p>Nano Raies is a singer-songwriter and actress originally from Homs, Syria. She fled the war in Syria and came to the US to pursue her passion in music, becoming the first Syrian woman to attend and graduate from Berklee College of Music. Nano sings in multiple languages like Arabic, English, French and Portuguese, and her music style is a fusion of pop, Middle Eastern Arabic, western classical, gypsy jazz, Latin, and Brazilian.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70703862022-09-28T14:48:04-04:002022-09-28T14:51:09-04:00Majid Bekkas Gnaoua Blues Band at The Sultan Room <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/4817d57c85d4a9690e4648e0736fb10722eb7e8b/original/photo-guitare-desert.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>Next up, a fabulous concert by the great Majid Bekkas and his band. It will be a wonderful night of music at the Sultan Room in Bushwick. Gnawa meets the Blues, followed by a set by DJ Soul K. Hope to see you there,<a contents=" grab your tickets now!! " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://dice.fm/event/lr62r-majid-bekkas-gnaoua-blues-band-soul-k-11th-oct-the-sultan-room-new-york-tickets" target="_blank"> grab your tickets now!! </a></p>
<p>Majid Bekkas Gnaoua Blues Band<br>Tue, Oct 11 @ 7:00PM<br>The Sultan Room at the Turk's Inn, 234 Starr Street, Brooklyn, New York 11237</p>
<p>Majid Bekkas, the Moroccan master of guitar, guembri, and oud merges tradition and the future, as he has done with jazz innovators like Archie Shepp and Joachim Kuhn. The result is the most soulful fusion of swirling, entrancing Gnaoua playing and blues-drenched African American styles. </p>
<p>In the 90s he began to experiment with the notes of the lute and the guembri that identify him so much, as well as singing and incorporating other instruments such as the flute and drums. He recorded 20 albums with different line-ups and won multiple awards. </p>
<p>Majid Bekkas is touring to promote his new album: “Joudour”, an open-minded cooperation between the Gnaoua music’s essence and the Blues. Joining Bekkas are Bouhssine Foulane (ribab), Nor Edine Bahha (keys), Oussama Chtouki (bass), and Oussama Mougar (drums). Joined by DJ Soul K. </p>
<p>This is a 21+ event. </p>
<p>Presented by H'Art Prod in partnership with Brooklyn Maqam</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70703852022-09-25T15:00:00-04:002022-09-28T14:47:09-04:00Arabic Music Jam at Sisters - Tuesday September 27th <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/43286ea9269c82d32a5f168185168793ed4e1704/original/img-6214.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>The next Arabic Jam is here!</p>
<p>Arabic Music Jam at Sisters - Tuesday September 27th<br>Tue, Sep 27 @ 8:00PM<br>Sisters Brooklyn, 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 </p>
<p>Come and hang for the next Arabic music jam at Sisters! As usual, vibe is relaxed and music starts around 8pm. Bring your oud, violin, riq, etc., or just come and listen to the music and enjoy the food and drinks at one of our favorite spots in Brooklyn. </p>
<p>For first time musicians, come and talk to one of the organizers when you get there about joining in!</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70445742022-08-27T16:00:00-04:002022-08-27T16:00:01-04:00Summer Night Sahra - September 7th!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/b972cd90c9e93b23e326c581a65de971c07d2856/original/final-the-owl-aug-9th-v2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Join us on September 7th for this special Summer Night Sahra, featuring vocalists Zahra AlZubaidi and Marwa Morgan, and a stellar band! An evening of classic Arabic music featuring songs by Umm Kulthum, Mohammad Fawzi, Farid El Atrache and others, performed by the duet Zahra and Marwa. </p>
<p>Summer Night Sahra<br>Wed, Sep 7, 7:30PM (7pm doors)<br>The Owl Music Parlor, 497 Rogers Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225<br>Admission: $20 (Limited Available!) https://www.viewcy.com/e/summer_night_sahra</p>
<p>Zahra Alzubaidi is an Iraqi vocalist based in NYC who performs a variety of Arabic styles, and has appeared with several ensembles throughout the US. </p>
<p>Marwa Morgan is an Egyptian singer and journalist based in New York City. Grew up in Cairo, surrounded by classical Egyptian music. Since moving to U.S. 2015, music has become a way to connect her to home. She has performed with several ensembles in the U.S. </p>
<p>Zafir Tawil is an accomplished Palestinian musician and a virtuoso on 'oud, qanun, violin, and Arab percussion. He performs across the U.S. and in the Middle East with such musicians as Sting as well as celebrated world music artists. </p>
<p>Sami Abu Shumays is a violinist and vocalist performing traditional music from Egypt and Syria. He founded and directs the ensemble Zikrayat. </p>
<p>Johnny Farraj is a Lebanese-born musician and software engineer of Palestinian descent. His main instrument is the riqq; he also plays the 'ud and sings. Johnny is the creator of MaqamWorld.com </p>
<p>John Murchison is a Brooklyn-based bassist and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his active role in several musical circles, performing primarily in pop and musical theater, jazz and avant-garde, and traditional music from the Middle East and Africa. </p>
<p>Sahra سهرة : An evening party, jam or soirée.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70445732022-08-23T20:51:48-04:002022-08-23T20:51:48-04:00Boat Hang 2022!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/a03dd04411f6257753420d9e597c8b5e13a09be6/original/d5e8ede4-1433-48d3-96e2-5eccdb12ff26.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p><p>Jammers bring your instruments and come hang on the historic oil tanker Mary Whalen,home of PortSide NewYork, docked in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Please bring your instruments, beverages or snacks to share. This will be an informal and casual get together for musicians to play and shmooze in an exquisite outdoor setting on the deck of a historic boat. Mark your calendars!! </p>
<p>Music jam on a boat<br>Friday August 26th, 7:30pm<br>$10 donation strongly suggested!<br>Mary Whalen: Pier 11, Atlantic Basin, Brooklyn, NY 11231<br>(next to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Closest street address is 159 Pioneer Street.)</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70252972022-08-07T19:25:00-04:002022-08-07T19:40:02-04:00Zahra & Friends at Barbés - Wednesday August 10th 7pm <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/770e3bc85e59ef0eed9456fc547cff27a1191bba/original/zahra-a-by-mg.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Come join Zahra AlZubaidi and friends for an evening of Iraqi tunes about love, home, and heartbreak. The Pestat (rhythmic songs) are from the popular Iraqi repertoire of the 20th century that continue to be sung until today for their poignant melodies and joyful rhythms. </p>
<p>Zahra & Friends at Barbés<br>Barbes, 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 <br>Wednesday August 10th 7pm<br>Suggested Donation: $20 </p>
<p>Zahra Alzubaidi: Born in Iraq. A New York based vocalist who performs a variety of Arabic styles, with a focus on Iraqi music. Zahra pays homage with her performances to the Southern Iraqi sound, and is dedicated to studying and researching the Iraqi Maqam and Atwar. </p>
<p>Featuring:<br>Zahra Alzubaidi - Vocals<br>Zafer Tawil - Qanun<br>Sami Abu Shumays - Violin<br>John Murchison - Bass<br>Philip Mayer - Percussion</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70252962022-07-27T23:10:12-04:002022-07-27T23:13:13-04:00Porch Concert, featuring Dolunay Sunday August 7th, 4pm !<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/24649859c605f7df53c8141f3e27299fae8c1eb6/original/copy-of-hi-resh83a4463-2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />We are so pleased to be partnering again with Operation Gig!, a local community-led outdoor music series in Ditmas Park in Brooklyn. This porch concert will feature Dolunay, a beautiful Brooklyn-based trio that has been performing Turkish and Rumeli music for over a decade.</p>
<p>Dolunay Outdoors Porch Concert<br>(exact address to be announced)<br>Sunday August 7th, 4pm<br>Donations highly suggested </p>
<p>Featuring:<br>Jenny Luna - voice,<br>percussion Adam Good - oud<br>Eylem Basaldi - violin </p>
<p>Since 2012, Dolunay has lured audiences with their approach to Turkish and Rumeli musical traditions. At once ethereal and grounded, Dolunay flirts with the soundscape of the ancient Ottomans, tracing its migration through Balkan villages, coaxing it across seas and oceans, and grafting it onto a Brooklyn-based backdrop. The trio infuses classic and contemporary traditions with an urban grit that can only be found in New York City’s confluence of musical and cultural forces. With an array of original compositions offered alongside renditions of Turkish and Rumeli standards, the music of Dolunay (Turkish for “full moon”) offers listeners an escape from the press of city life.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70126472022-07-18T11:00:00-04:002022-07-18T11:00:01-04:00Arabic Music Jam at Sisters - July 26th<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/55ddb801506b9dcb8da174eb3184e968050a504e/original/289946443-8394771500548224-4461788368348245129-n.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Come and join us for the next Arabic music jam at Sisters! As usual, vibe is relaxed and music starts around 8pm. Bring your oud, violin, riq, etc., or just hang and enjoy the food and drinks at one of our favorite spots in Brooklyn. </p>
<p>For first time musicians, come and talk to one of the organizers when you get there about joining in!</p>
<p>Tue, Jul 26 @ 8:00PM<br>Sisters Brooklyn, 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238<br>Arabic Music Jam at Sisters 8pm, Tuesday July 26th </p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70126462022-07-14T11:10:00-04:002022-07-14T11:20:02-04:00Eden Zane at Joe's Pub - Saturday, July 16th <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/34aa4399920fc47bc396e904711364f104a91de9/original/286756223-2872910433014084-8972909100708558212-n.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Brooklyn Maqam is thrilled to be a partner on this event featuring our good friend Eden Zane. He always puts on beautiful and fun performances, this will be a wonderful night!! </p>
<p>Eden Zane at Joe's Pub<br>Sat, Jul 16 @ 7:00PM<br>Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St, New York</p>
<p>Grab your tickets here: https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2022/e/eden-zane </p>
<p>Inadvertently multi-national and purposely intercultural, the Syrian-New Yorker Eden Zane began his musical journey pouring his emotions into timeless Arabic music classics by icons like Abdel Halim Hafez & Mohamed Abdel Wahab. He maintained momentum writing his own songs, effectively colliding his Eastern & Western influences. Eden’s LP 'Shamsak' is a hauntingly beautiful baroque & electronic ballad that intensifies his disarming, velvety vocals. His call-to-prayer rendition is an iconic feature in the Hulu TV series “Ramy.” </p>
<p>"[Eden's] baritone conveys romance, elegance and gusto” - The New York Times “With his debut single ‘Shamsak’ and accompanying music video, the Syrian artist has managed to make the intangible tangible. Eden's writing is a rose, every lyric a petal” - Cairo Scene </p>
<p>Featuring: Kennon Ward - Keys John Murchison - Qanun Josh Kaye - Guitar Marwan Allam - Bass Zafer Tawil - Percussion Engin Kaan Gunaydin - Drums Watch 'Shamsak' here: https://youtu.be/3__8N5KGESU?t=25 </p>
<p>$25 tickets are sold online and at the door. This event is in partnership with Brooklyn Maqam.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/70126452022-07-11T22:55:24-04:002022-07-11T22:55:24-04:00Chiotosmirniotakia at Barbes - Wednesday July 13th!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/d21a21419c968d7cf4f21e3747bd4966dc673780/original/1011950-565450690160324-74443014-n.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Join us this Wednesday for some beautiful Greek music!! Led by master clarinetist Lefteris Bournias, Chiotosmirniotakia performs music from the Island of Chios and the Ege region. </p>
<p>Chiotosmirniotakia at Barbes<br>Wed, Jul 13 @ 7:00PM<br>Barbes, 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215<br>Suggested donation $20</p>
<p>Featuring: Lefteris Bournias - clarinet Megan Gould - violin Philip Mayer - percussion </p>
<p>Plus, special guests Rena Tsapelas, Pantelis Gatanas, and Stratos Gatanas </p>
<p>Lefteris Bournias is the founder and leader of Apollo Orchestras, serving the Greek-American community with high-quality traditional and modern Greek music, as well as American music, for 25 years. Early in his career, he attended the Aaron Copeland School of Music, earning a B.A. in Performance and M.S. in Music Education. As a diverse musician, Lefteris' style combines traditional Greek, Gypsy, Classical and elements of Jazz. </p>
<p>Lefteri performs at a variety of musical events and venues throughout the U.S., Greece and the rest of the world, and is known internationally as one of the top clarinetists in his field. He specializes in the duple Syrto and the Tsifteteli, both music styles of the Greek island Chios, and tours annually throughout the island. Lefteri also performs traditional Greek demotika (including tsamika and ipirotika) and is the founder and leader of the Kavala Brass Band, which plays traditional Greek music from the regions of Florina and Edessa (Western Macedonia).</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/69882692022-06-09T11:00:00-04:002022-07-11T22:48:11-04:00Our next Arabic Music Jam at Sisters!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/062b111731ffdcb1f21c83546e4ff94ba8e4804f/original/img-6013.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Arabic Music Jam at Sisters<br>8pm, Tuesday June 21st</p>
<p>The next Arabic music jam at Sisters is coming up! We hope you'll join us on June 21st - as usual, vibe is relaxed and music starts around 8pm. </p>
<p>Bring your riq, oud, violin, etc., or just come and enjoy the music/vibe and meet some new friends at one of our favorite spots in Brooklyn. </p>
<p>For first time musicians, come and talk to one of the organizers when you get there about joining in.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/69869672022-06-05T10:00:00-04:002023-12-10T13:10:11-05:00Murat Keyder and Friends at Barbes, June 8th!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/73e3c86789cf7d4110397b22bccacd8238863473/original/img-6075.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Murat Keyder and friends will be performing a variety of traditional music from Turkey and around the Middle East! </p>
<p>Brooklyn Maqam Presents Murat Keyder and Friends <br>Wednesday June 8th, at 7pm <br>$20 suggested </p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Murat Keyder - oud <br>Eren Erdogan - ney and kaval <br>Dave Earle Chorowski - percussion </p>
<p>Murat Keyder was born in Istanbul in 1986 to a Turkish father and an American mother. He started playing both oud and guitar in his early teenage years, absorbing different styles of both Western and Turkish music. He moved to America when he was 16 and while studying math at Cornell he continued to focus intensely on music. He currently lives in Brooklyn, teaching oud, guitar, and math while writing and performing music on both instruments. His first solo album "Ruya" consists of his original guitar compositions and can be found on spotify, and he's also currently working on a solo Oud album. </p>
<p>If you can't make it live, you can stream the performance here! -> https://www.viewcy.com/e/brooklyn_maqam_presen_4</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/69712502022-05-25T16:00:00-04:002022-05-25T16:00:01-04:00Nibal Malshi at Scandinavia House - June 4th! <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/120472af9e67766e27fdc7d768664116af0e3099/original/nibal.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />We are so happy to be a collaborator on Nibal Malshi's next concert in NYC on June 4th. Her debut NYC performance at Roulette was such a hit, and she is back with another stellar ensemble of musicians. </p>
<p>NIBAL MALSHI & ENSEMBLE </p>
<p>Directed by FIRAS ZREIK </p>
<p>For the second time in New York, Nibal Malshi & ensemble take us into "Tarab" night like no other. The Palestinian singer who has been noted for her expressive vocals, graduated from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and performed with some of the great world knwon musicians as Simon Shaheen, has recently been seen performing all over the states as well as with the National Arab Orchestra Directed by Michael Ibrahim. </p>
<p>This event features some of the most exceptional artist living in the states, led by the young great composer, arranger & Qanun player Firas Zreik. </p>
<p>The program includes a wide range of selections from the 20th-century classical Arab repertoire, including works of the great Umm Kulthum, Abdel Wahab and Fayrouz, and such composers as Sunbati, Baligh Hamdi and the Rahbani Brothers.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/69712512022-05-14T16:22:07-04:002022-05-14T16:22:07-04:00Next up: Arabic Music Jam May 24th!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/ba02be873fe71227b50b4b71000b604b74e3cc5f/original/img-4327.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Brooklyn Maqam presents, another Jam at Sisters! Join us May 24th, music starts around 8pm. </p>
<p>Bring your riq, oud, violin, etc., or just come and enjoy the music/vibe at one of our favorite spots in Brooklyn. For first time musicians, come and talk to one of the organizers when you get there about joining in. </p>
<p>Arabic Music Jam at Sisters <br>8pm, Tuesday May 24th</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/69647432022-05-05T20:43:01-04:002022-05-05T20:43:01-04:00PARHĀM HAGHIGHI at Barbes, this Wednesday May 11th! <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/dd1974d26cabd20092562e3c0ae5b3abacea4402/original/whatsapp-image-2022-04-15-at-2-48-33-pm-1.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Brooklyn Maqam Presents <br>PARHĀM HAGHIGHI: 'Songs of Birjand' <br>May 11th 7pm <br>$20 suggested </p>
<p>Paying tribute to his roots, Parhām Haghighi once again will be back in Barbés, with a selection of regional folk music of Iran, in particular the music of South Khorasan, the city of Birjand, where he is originally from. Unique rhythms meet Persian modes (Dastgah) played by musicians of Iranian origin from New York and Boston. </p>
<p>Parhām Haghighi - vocals <br>Mahya Hamedi - vocals <br>Bahar Badieitabar - Oud <br>Hidayat Honari - Tar/Setar <br>Daro Behroozi - Ney <br>Martin Shamoonpour - Daf </p>
<p>Parham Haghighi is a music producer, vocalist and pianist, originally from Mashhad, Iran. He moved to the United States in 2012 to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston where he graduated, Summa cum Laude, in Contemporary Writing and Production. During his time at Berklee, Parham had the chance of working as a performer and arranger with some of the world-renowned musicians including Javier Limon, Simon Shaheen, Joyce Moreno, and Zhang Bichen to name a few. A recipient of Berklee’s “Outstanding Achievement Award”, Haghighi currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and has been performing as a vocalist and pianist at the music festivals, universities and venues across Iran and the US. </p>
<p>If you can't make it in person, you can stream it here! https://www.viewcy.com/e/brooklyn_maqam_presen_2</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/69281202022-03-21T14:01:16-04:002022-05-22T16:41:17-04:00Spring events!<p>We have some nice events coming up in the spring! </p>
<p>First, join us this week on Tuesday March 22nd, for another Arabic music jam at Sisters! Bring your oud, violin, riq... or just come and hang and enjoy the music and the atmosphere at one of our favorite spots in the neighborhood.</p>
<p>Then next month, we will be presenting French/Moroccan/Jewish vocalist Laura Elkeslassy at Barbes on April 13th with a wonderful band. </p>
<p>Plus more coming up! Hop over to our Events page for the details, and follow us in Instagram for more updates about future events and happenings around the city. </p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/68870122022-02-10T15:00:00-05:002022-02-10T15:00:04-05:00Arabic Music Jam at Sisters!!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/e900897626704d7e55621d9ff6e033422ed1b126/original/273172449-7716258288399552-7245350471086496695-n.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>We are so excited to get back into Sisters this month! </p>
<p>To kick things off, we will be hosting an Arabic music jam night on February 22nd. Bring your oud, violin, riq... or just come and hang and enjoy the music and the atmosphere at one of our favorite spots in the neighborhood. </p>
<p>Arabic Music Jam at Sisters <br>8pm, Tuesday February 22nd</p>
<p> </p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/68870112022-02-02T19:01:31-05:002022-02-02T19:01:31-05:00George Ziadeh at Barbes (New Monthly Residency)<p>We are so happy to be beginning some monthly programming again. To start out, we will be booking wonderful groups once a month at Barbes, the first of which will be this Wedesday February 9th featuring Palestinian vocalist/oudist George Ziadeh. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/37167a37060e7ebf907dc37640ebc1ec8bc1f863/original/272261147-7621606251198090-6346685502502984032-n.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Brooklyn Maqam presents George Ziadeh at Barbes <br>7pm, Wednesday February 9th <br>Suggested Donation $15-$20 </p>
<p>Palestinian vocalist and oudist George Ziadeh is one of the most profound performers of tarab in New York City. George is considered an authority in maqam and Arab classical repertoire, known for his deep renditions of material from legendary artists such as Um Kulthum and Mohamed Abdel Wahab. </p>
<p>Featuring: <br>George Ziadeh - vocals, oud <br>John Murchison - double bass <br>Firas Zreik - qanun </p>
<p>If you can't make it live, it will be streamed here: https://www.viewcy.com/e/brooklyn_maqam_presen</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/67888922021-10-27T22:16:47-04:002022-03-23T11:46:50-04:00Great events coming up this fall!<p>We are really looking forward to some events happening this fall!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/339b0ce734d3d4338f246f843ed7046c0cbc7e5d/original/nibal-malshi-2-cropped.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />First of all, we are pleased to be collaborating with Robert Browning Associates again on the opening concert of their upcoming season. We hope you'll join us in welcoming the NYC debut of vocalist <strong>Nibal Malshi on Saturday November 6th. </strong>It will be amazing program, you can get <a contents="tickets here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://roulette.org/event/rba-nibal-malshi-ensemble-golden-age-of-arab-music-song/" style="" target="_blank">tickets here</a>! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/5f7a718559b50eacd0ca438ddd01389ba48231d2/original/8p7a8341.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Then, we are psyched to present <strong>Esraa Warda & The Châab Lab at Wild Birds on November 14th. </strong>Esraa Warda & The Châab Lab (“The People’s” Lab”) is a NYC-based music/dance ensemble preserving popular musical traditions from Algeria and Morocco paying tribute to the chiekhs and cheikhat of North Africa. </p>
<p>Click on over to our Events page for all the details!</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/66451932021-05-31T20:03:52-04:002022-03-23T11:48:02-04:00Live performances are here again!<p>Brooklyn Maqam is back at it, putting together live performances in Brooklyn again! Most of our dates are at one of our favorite new venues, Wild Birds. They have an indoor and outdoor music setup, and we are excited to continue to present some of our favorite artists there over the course of this summer. </p>
<p>Coming up next...</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/f8ee6db005c2694456f17014361821106e88de08/original/gaiasquarci-7-3.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Brooklyn Maqam is pleased to announce our first live, indoor concert this year featuring Iraqi vocalist Zahra AlZubaidi. </p>
<p>**All Attendees must be vaccinated** <br>In order to allow more people in the room to enjoy the music, Wild Birds' policy at this time is that all attendees to indoor shows must be vaccinated. </p>
<p>Tuesday June 8th, 2021 <br>8:30pm <br>$15 Suggested donation <br>Wild Birds - 951 Dean St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 </p>
<p>Seating limited, so come early and grab a seat! </p>
<p>You can <a contents="RSVP Here!! " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/events/378587373594602" target="_blank">RSVP Here!! </a></p>
<p>A Brooklyn based Iraqi vocalist, AlZubaidi performs a variety of Arabic music styles with focus on Iraqi Maqams and Atwaar. She has performed with several ensembles in NYC in such as Safaafir & Hamid Al Saadi (Iraqi Maqam) & Takht ElNagham (Syrian Music Preservation Initiative), The Brooklyn Nomads, and with Brooklyn Maqam Hang. </p>
<p>Featuring: <br>Zahra AlZubaidi - Vocals <br>John Murchison - Qanun <br>Sami Abu Shumays - Violin <br>Zafir Tawil - Percussion</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/64542752021-01-17T14:21:28-05:002023-12-10T13:08:25-05:00Interview with Zahra Al Zubaidi<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/3fcb572ae456b4eabbb48736366df12e5ff7dcb7/original/86295532-3197668520243952-1222608427021238272-n.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" />by Insia Malik </p>
<p><em>A Brooklyn-based Iraqi vocalist, Zahra AlZubaidi performs a variety of Arabic music styles with a focus on Iraqi maqamat and atwaar. She has appeared with several ensembles in NYC, such as Safaafir & Hamid Al Saadi (Iraqi maqam), Takht al-Nagham (Syrian Music Preservation Initiative), The Brooklyn Nomads, among others. Most recently, she headlined a performance at the Brooklyn Maqam Hang. She has performed in venues including Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum, Roulette Intermedium, Rutgers University, and BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center. </em></p>
<p><strong>How did music figure into your childhood? </strong></p>
<p>My mother sings beautiful songs, and she is pretty much the reason I love singing. But I think my earliest awareness of music came from witnessing my siblings react to music through their different life stages, watching them fall in love and grow out of love through songs. I’m the youngest of 12 siblings, and my next youngest sibling is six years older than me. Their struggles, ambitions, traumas, and joys were all translated to me through songs. For heartbreaks, there would be Umm Kulthum nights. For a girls’ night out, there would be Haytham Yusuf. Dakhil Hassan [YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orliU0yAIXg], the singer from the city Nasiriyah, was always on for my mother when she had the need to cry or feel joy. His voice reminded her of her father, who was a qari’ (reciter) in the mosque. Dakhil was best known for his unique deep voice and long phrases in performing the southern Iraqi atwaar (pl.; sing.: tawr). He's one of the most influential vocalists of Iraqi rural music from the south. </p>
<p>I got to absorb music through older family members because I was subjected to it all the time. Growing up in Iraq and then later in Jordan as a teenager in a pre-internet era, we didn’t have much access to music. We either had what played on television, or someone at home who had the ability to get a cassette or to record music. We always had music physically available at the house, mostly cassettes. CDs were also popular later in the early Internet era, but you either needed to have a car or computer to play them; growing up as a refugee in Jordan, I had neither until my late teenage years. Therefore, I think the less resources there were, the more the need for music there was. You cherish what you have, and you listen to a cassette over and over again. </p>
<p><strong>What is an example of one of these cassettes that you listened to over and over? </strong></p>
<p>When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, I had siblings who had lived there since the 1970s. During the years of the Gulf War and sanctions on Iraq, we could no longer connect with them or see them. They would send us cassettes and videotapes with messages from them as well as recorded songs. They would send recordings of Qahtan al-Attar [YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ohvqSNZ33A], who by means of Kuwait, fled Iraq and has now ended up in Denmark, like many artists who fled the Ba’athist Party at the time. It was one of the cassettes I cherished later as a teenager. Iraqis love Qahtan and Fouad Salim, both of whom had similar styles and both fled to Kuwait from Iraq. The music of Iraq in the 1970s and 1980s was a lighter version of maqam, focusing on the pestat (rhythmic songs) with a shorter maqam-based improvisation or mawwal. The performers included youngsters who took the baton from pioneers in Iraqi music and other older reciters of maqamat and atwaar, and rearranged the songs of the earlier era during the 70’s. This music became very sentimental for Iraqis later because it evokes nostalgia for life before the Ba’ath Party completely imposed upon every aspect of the culture and of life, and dragged the country into a series of wars that lasted for decades. </p>
<p><strong>Have you been working on music during this pandemic era of extended shutdowns of musical venues and performances? </strong></p>
<p>The pandemic gave me the space to pull back and study more, as the demand for my presence to be a singer had just accelerated recently, particularly in the beginning of the year. I began working on the ‘ud. I had lessons with the ‘ud player Farah Zahra and the qanun and bass player, John Murchison. While I didn’t play before, what helped was that I already had melodies in my head. It was much easier than I expected to find the notes on the instrument after being so intimidated to do it for so many years. I’m still reading Johnny Farraj and Sami Abu Shumays’s book, Inside Arabic Music. I also focused on listening to my mentor, the maqam reciter Hamid al-Saadi recordings, and I’ve been working with him on some of his videos that he regularly publishes on social media. The repetition of watching him has been the easiest way to get the maqam. </p>
<p>I’ve also begun small projects with some members of the music community in New York. Omar Dewachi is an associate professor at Rutgers University and is also a musician. He comes from a really interesting background in Iraqi music of the 1990s. He plays keyboard, ‘ud, and synth. We have an appreciation for songs that no one looks for to be musical masterpieces--from late 1980s- and 1990s-Iraq--as an interesting musical archive of some sort. These songs are related to an era--the socio-economic and political phase in Iraq we lived under--where people dressed a certain way, acted in a way, where older Iraqi music was recycled in a certain way: but they have nice simple melodies and fun rhythms. Omar and I are interested in a similar fusion. I’m interested in the classical repertoire of maqam, as I’m aspiring to learn proper recitation. And Omar, who is well-versed in Iraqi maqam music, has a love for creating sounds. So we’re experimenting. </p>
<p>We started working on a piece on the maqam awshar, which is the Iraqi version of the segah maqam (musical mode). It’s just very eerie, and focuses a lot on the tawr, a rural musical genre, as opposed to the urban genre of Iraqi maqam. Atwaar represents more of where I’m from, the southern region of Iraq, the music outside from cities. I’m interested in creating more music that honors and experiments with voice and sound in atwaar. This track that we are working on is a tawr ale’nesi, that already exists as a song. My vocal interpretation is faithful to the original song when it comes to the essence, the ruhiyya, but the feel is based on the sound environment Omar creates with his music. It is the ruhiyya that I’m trying to translate with my voice, and with my understanding of the tradition. Staying faithful to that can translate in different ways, but the only reality is you have to practice for years to gain understanding and experience. </p>
<p><strong>What has your musical journey been like in New York? Was it a place you ever expected would connect you more to Iraqi music? </strong></p>
<p>Prior to 2018, I was very out of touch with the Arabic music scene because I was working all the time. I was heavily involved in productions and films, both as an actor and a worker in post-production. This was full-time work, and I was just another human being trying to survive NYC. But I continued singing at parties and gatherings during this time. If someone had an ’ud there, I’d take the opportunity to sing. Finally, I had friends who just told me that I really needed to get out and sing publicly. They put an email together saying, “Brooklyn Maqam Hang at Sisters: They’ll love you, go!” And so I went to the Hang fully dressed up in traditional attire! The next time I attended the Hang, Johnny Farraj urged me to meet Hamid al-Saadi personally at the Queens Museum where he was to perform. I met Hamid and Amir ElSaffar at the same time. Ustadh Hamid really took me under his wing and started with me from zero. We would talk a lot about maqam, singing, poetry, and his relationship with his renowned mentor, Yusuf ‘Umar. There is a whole world around the student-mentor relationship in maqam, playing a huge part in passing down the tradition: I felt very lucky to experience this relationship in a city like New York. I’m grateful to him for introducing me as a vocalist and to have shared the stage with him and with Safaafir, the only ensemble in the United States to perform Iraqi maqam. </p>
<p><strong>Can you talk more about what Iraqi music means to you? </strong></p>
<p>Generally, I’ve always been interested in learning how to perform Iraqi music that I have already known my whole life. When the opportunity finally presented itself, I didn’t hesitate, and immediately dropped everything to focus on maqam. At the time, I was feeling very down about politics, and with the length of time I’d been outside of Iraq, I was losing my identity, whatever that means. You try to hold onto something, but there’s not much to cling onto because everything is either being erased from memory or you’re forced to move on from it and respect the ever-changing nature of life. I struggled to look back the more the years passed by, and I watched the country from the outside, while living inside the idea of Iraq. Iraqis have joined Palestinians along with Syrians and Lebanese in the trauma of displacement and PTSD. We just tend to try not to look back, and to only move forward, it’s hard for me to go back and look at where I come from without feeling hurt or shattered by the cruelty of what happened and is still happening, but I still felt the need to connect. Songs are literally a dimension to exist in when you feel dehumanized completely, because your deepest emotions are intact and complete and perfect within them. </p>
<p><strong>Are you drawn more to performing either maqam or atwaar, and what are the aspects that speak to you? </strong></p>
<p>At this point, I’m still a beginner. I have a passion for all musical styles and I love listening to both atwaar and maqamat equally. Sometimes, I’m drawn more emotionally to atwaar due to familiarity, while I’m more intimidated by the maqam and the various styles, regions, dialects, languages it has been performed within. But at the same time, I feel very comfortable and in a place to explore and absorb whatever I can. Poetry is relevant for both of them; they’re both heavily dependent on playing with poetry and melodies. Whether it's classical or colloquial Arabic, I find that having a passion for Arabic poetry-- and Iraqi poetry specifically--helps a lot in determining my spiritual and mood tendencies. </p>
<p><strong>Who or what are your other artistic influences and interests? Has acting helped you as a singer? </strong></p>
<p>Living in different cultures and cities has definitely influenced me; life experiences and the people I worked with in music, film, and stage, and pretty much anything that can teach me something have influenced me as well. I immerse myself in music, but I have other interests in movement, theater, installation, screenwriting, languages, and even photography, working with photographers by creating narratives and unique visuals. </p>
<p>The acting training was amazing: spending time on stage kills your fear of the public. It helped me be myself more when I’m performing. Acting also trains you to be present as a performer, and to commit to your physical surroundings and to the psychological background that you figure out for your character. Understanding who you are in the moment is key in being present and focused, and to embody the state of emotions you’re about to perform in sound or movement. </p>
<p><strong>You occasionally go live on Instagram to sing and play music. How do you approach these live sessions? </strong></p>
<p>I really enjoy going online sometimes just to sing. If I see the sky is beautiful, or the breeze is blowing, or there’s a nice moment where I’m contemplating life and I want to express myself with a song, I go live. But I quickly realize that maybe going live isn’t the best way to engage, because your presence can come across as trivial when you don’t have other materials online, as I’ve only otherwise done live shows. However, my most successful Instagram Live appearance was when I got my mom to go live with me. She’s now in her late 70s. She laughs, and has funny answers for everything. My dream is to perform with her at some point, as I’m now learning how to play our favorite songs on ‘ud. </p>
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<p>MEDIA </p>
<p>Sound cloud: </p>
<p><a contents="https://soundcloud.com/zahrazubaidi&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://soundcloud.com/zahrazubaidi">https://soundcloud.com/zahrazubaidi </a></p>
<p>Instagram: </p>
<p><a contents="https://www.instagram.com/zahra_zubaidi/&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/zahra_zubaidi/">https://www.instagram.com/zahra_zubaidi/ </a></p>
<p>YouTube: </p>
<p><a contents="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwGcLVC-V00" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwGcLVC-V00">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwGcLVC-V00</a></p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/63715152020-07-07T18:06:26-04:002023-12-10T13:08:28-05:00Interview with Megumi Saruhashi<p><strong><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/eb8643a30d5c9c531edd5c27fc69b06a66ad2d30/original/megumi2019.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_right border_" /></em></strong><em>By Insia Malik </em></p>
<p><em>Megumi Saruhashi is a Japanese violinist and composer. Her dedication to bring healing to the heart and restoration of innocent perception through music propelled her to perform around the globe for people in all circumstances from Carnegie Hall to refugee camps in the Middle East. Megumi bounces between New York, Japan, and Egypt constantly, with her passion to compose music that expresses a joyful and boundless celebration of all the cultural influences to which she has been exposed, and fulfills her dedication to the discovery of a universal healing medium that embraces all ages and cultural diversity. </em><a contents="www.megumisaruhashi.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.megumisaruhashi.com" target="_blank">www.megumisaruhashi.com</a> </p>
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<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Where did you grow up and how was music a part of your upbringing? </strong></span></p>
<p>I grew up in Japan surrounded by rice fields. My father was a jazz musician, and he was gigging with his quartet in Tokyo until I was about 15 years old. When I was little, his band members would come to the house and jam, so I would hear them rehearse all the time. My mom also plays piano. We used to sing and play when I was little. I played classical piano growing up, but didn’t play violin until much later in life. I really wanted to play jazz and loved jazz violin when I was in high school, and I woke up one day realizing I couldn’t live anymore without playing violin. I borrowed money from my dad to buy a violin. But I just didn’t have the time or the right environment to play. Because Asian college entrance examinations are really stressful, I was studying 16 hours a day for a few years and then gained admission to a top university. I was almost 20 years old when I started playing violin seriously. I was studying comparative cultures at university, but I quit university to come to New York to study violin and jazz. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>That’s a huge move! </strong></span></p>
<p>Yes, it was huge. I prepared everything by myself. My parents didn’t even know I was quitting my school. In Japan, quitting school doesn’t exist. In America people transfer, but you just don’t do that in Japan. I worked so hard to get into this school and my life was completely set with my program. My parents just couldn’t make sense of my decision. Once I was in New York in 2007, I went to the City College of New York, as they had the cheapest bachelor’s program in jazz. I didn’t know anybody. I shared a small apartment with four people and two dogs, and shared a bed with a friend. While I was in school, I worked the coat check at the Village Vanguard. As I was studying jazz, it was perfect that I was able to see everyone major in the jazz scene perform. And I could watch the show the whole time, since I didn’t have to serve anyone. I started to teach 4-5 days a week shortly after the Village Vanguard job, and I was gigging with singer-songwriters, orchestras, and a gospel band while I was in school. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>How did you start playing Arabic music? Was it in New York? </strong></span></p>
<p>Yes, it was with Bassam Saba’s New York Arabic Orchestra. My friend, violist Edmundo Ramirez, would often bring me onto his gigs, usually classical music ones. This one time he called me, he asked if I wanted to check out the “[something something] orchestra”. I only picked up the word “orchestra” and agreed to go without knowing anything! I just showed up to the NYAO rehearsal and I was thinking to myself, seeing all these different [string and percussion] instruments: What’s going on here? </p>
<p>Bassam asked me, “What do you tune in?” [Arabic tuning for the violin differs from Western classical tuning.] </p>
<p>And I asked, “What do you mean?” </p>
<p><br><span class="font_large"><strong>How did you end up studying with renowned Egyptian violinist and composer, ‘Abdu Dagher in Cairo? </strong></span></p>
<p>Many people who play Arabic music in Japan study in Cairo and somehow they all study with ‘Abdu Dagher. There was a woman in Egypt, Zeinab, I was connected to who speaks Japanese and acts as a secretary to ‘Abdu Dagher. We connected and she picked me up from the airport in Cairo when I arrived, even though we had never met. She allowed me to stay with her for seven weeks right after I met her! She introduced me to ‘Abdu Dagher, and would call him to make my lesson appointments. ‘Abdu Dagher is very pure, with a wonderful sense of humor. Someone asked him why he doesn’t charge much to foreigners for private lessons, as he has students come to him every day from different countries. He said he doesn’t charge much because he knows he will die one day, but he wants his compositions to stay alive. This is rare, as I’ve had friends be charged $400 for a single lesson! One of my friends was studying with the old violinist Mohammad Sa’ad Hassan, who used to play with Umm Kulthum. Like ‘Abdu Dagher, he didn’t really charge and was just thankful people came all the way to Japan to study with him. Some people are so pure with the music, not just trying to monetize and squeeze money out of you. </p>
<p>I’ve now been to Cairo five or six times. Since 2017, I’ve gone for three months in the summers, and for one month during the winter. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>On your website, you state your credo: “The earth is my home, the sky is my blanket. Wherever I go, I am home”. Can you tell us more about what this means to you as it relates to your life and performance life? </strong></span></p>
<p>This is a quote from the mystic Almine. When I was in New York, I was exposed to a lot of different music. When I was learning jazz, I was also learning English, and I was becoming immersed in American culture for the first time. Next, I was exposed to gospel culture. I was playing in a gospel band in a church in Brooklyn, where I was the only Asian person among black people. I really loved the music, and I was observing different types of people and different types of thinking based in different sufferings. I also got into tango from Argentina and Uruguay, with those musicians’ own struggles reflected in their music. Because I was studying comparative cultures in Tokyo, I really loved learning about cultures and people from different places. How different we are and how beautiful all these cultures are really fascinates me. And then Arabic culture really opened me up, because it was the exact opposite of Japanese culture. Anything I can think of, flip it inside out and upside down, that’s what Egypt is to Japan. That helped me connect everything that I was experiencing, that diversity makes us rich and shouldn’t make us distant: You’re fascinating to me because you’re different. I really appreciate each culture. That’s why whenever I go to other places, I feel like I’m home. I don’t feel excluded. You have to find a home within, right? </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>What recent performance of yours was most important to you or that was memorable? </strong></span></p>
<p>I’ve performed a bunch of times with the Al Manara ensemble in Cairo. but probably the time when I played solo on the famous Umm Kulthum song “Enta ‘Umri” was most memorable. People were so welcoming to me, a foreigner trying to play Arabic music. The musicians and audience were so warm and so helpful. It was also so fun backstage, as everyone was trying to help. I really felt like the audience was also happy to be understood more, as I’m someone coming from Japan. I felt I was able to feel and share love. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="dlGvMux6W5w" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/dlGvMux6W5w/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dlGvMux6W5w?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>You are also a composer. In what ways has your Arabic music training and time spent in the Middle East impacted your compositional creative process? </strong></span></p>
<p>I compose mostly for my group Megumi and Friends. I think the training showed me more possibilities in compositions. Arabic music has the subtleties that [other musical styles have] lost. It helped me to feel the deeper parts of me that I wasn’t able to express before. ‘Abdu Dagher’s entire life was unrestricted by rules. I definitely received something in particular from him that I can’t really put into words. </p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large">Who are your favorite musicians and top artistic influences, Arabic or otherwise? </span></strong></p>
<p>‘Abdu Dagher and the composer Mohammad al-Moogi are my top influences in Arabic music. Aside from Arabic music, I’m really into EDM music, particularly the artist Avicii, who passed away recently. It’s a completely different genre but I really feel his soul through his music. Any music that has the truth of the person in it, that really speaks to me. Also, as I played classical piano for 13 years, Chopin and Liszt were a foundation for me: I love the Romantic sound. One of my favorite albums of all time is Nocturne by Charlie Haden. The violinist in this album has really captured my soul. There is also Fernando Otero, the multi-Grammy winning composer and pianist from Argentina. In his music, I see, smell, and can almost touch Buenos Aires. When I first performed his compositions as a duo with him in New Jersey, I was so excited, and he gave me a lot of inspiration as a composer. Also, I love Piazzolla, Quinteto Real, Diego Schissi, and other musicians from Argentina. I've always loved songs from the south of Japan. </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>What music have you been working on during this era of quarantine? What’s next? </strong></span></p>
<p>I’m writing music for my group (Megumi & Friends). I also want to write a violin concerto for myself to be performed with an Arabic orchestra in Cairo. I really love vocal songs, so I’m mainly learning Arabic vocal music these days. In my email newsletter, I share more esoteric things and what is happening in my life and cosmos. I’m starting a Patreon soon, which will be more of a virtual tip jar. On it, I want to share videos of Arabic music and my compositions, as well as my cultural insights, including about learning languages. I’m studying Arabic, and now in quarantine I have much more time to study. Japanese, English, and Arabic are three totally different languages of very different musical cultures, so language has really fascinated me.</p>
<p><a contents="Visit Megumi Saruhashi on Patreon" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.patreon.com/megumisaruhashi" target="_blank">Visit Megumi Saruhashi on Patreon</a></p>
<p>Megumi's Blog: <a contents="megumisaruhashi.com/new-blog/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://megumisaruhashi.com/new-blog/" target="_blank">http://megumisaruhashi.com/new-blog/</a></p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/63136282020-05-22T11:51:00-04:002023-12-10T13:10:04-05:00 Interview with Johnny Farraj <p>by Insia Malik </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/52b2e58dfdae83c319def503354a4f486f2e3a3a/original/johnny-farraj.jpg" class="size_orig justify_left border_none" alt="" />Johnny Farraj is a Lebanese-born musician and software engineer of Palestinian descent. His main instrument is the riqq; he also plays the 'ud and sings. Johnny is the creator of <a contents="MaqamWorld.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.maqamworld.com" target="_blank">MaqamWorld.com</a>, the leading Internet reference on Arabic music theory, and co-author of the recent comprehensive reference book <a contents="Inside Arabic Music" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://global.oup.com/academic/product/inside-arabic-music-9780190658366?lang=en&cc=bh" target="_blank">Inside Arabic Music</a>. Johnny is a frequent Arabic music blogger, teacher and performer, as well as a lifelong listener. He lives in New York City with his wife, their two children, and their cat Cocoa.</p>
<p><strong>How was music a part of your upbringing in Lebanon? How would you describe your musical training? </strong></p>
<p>I started on the piano at a young age. My mom has a lot of musicians on her side of the family, although they were all Western-trained. She was born at the end of the Ottoman Empire where everything considered good was coming from Europe, and the instrument of choice was the piano. I really hated the lessons for two reasons: I hated practicing and I hated the music I was playing. After a while I decided to quit taking lessons and I started learning music by ear. I would follow along on the piano to Arabic music, such as Fairuz’s “Bhibbak Ya Libnan”, until she would hit Jins Bayati. And then I got stuck and realized that there are some notes I can’t play on piano…interesting! Of course, I’d already heard these other notes and scales before from two religious sources. The mosque was right outside my bedroom window and I would hear the adhan from there all day. Also, the Byzantine music we heard at church had quarter tones and microtones. So, my ear was already attuned, and I did grow up around Arabic music on the radio, it’s just that my first instrument didn’t incorporate it. </p>
<p>When I was in Catholic school, I joined a children’s choir. So actually, my first instrument was the voice. We learned everything by ear: harmonic music, with some in Latin and some in French. I also joined a Western choir in Abu Dhabi, and two years later when I came to NJ I joined the Kirkpatrick Choir at Rutgers University. Throughout all this I had one common problem which was that I couldn’t sight-read music, and I would learn everything by ear. When I lived in England, I went to audition for a prestigious choir. The final test was sight-reading…and I couldn’t do it! From then on, I stopped pursuing activities that required reading music. </p>
<p><strong>How did you end up playing Arabic music and the riqq in particular? </strong></p>
<p>In 1998, I attended an event at the venue Cedars in New York, where I made friends with Ranya Renee, a belly dancer. She introduced me to the violinist Sami Abu Shumays. One time, we attended a concert of Simon Shaheen at Columbia University. At that point, I had started to accumulate CDs of Arabic music, but I hadn’t played any of it. Simon Shaheen’s <em>Taqasim</em> was one of them, so I did know him by name. Sami introduced us after, and I went to Simon’s Arabic Music Retreat for the first time soon after taking some ‘ud lessons with him. Before my first Retreat, I met the percussionist Karim Nagi at a concert by Najib Shaheen, on which he played riqq. He was gregarious and talkative. He loved introducing his instrument to the world. And he said to me, “This is called the riqq, do you want to try it and play it?” He gave me his riqq, saying, “This is how you do the dum, and this is how you do the tak”…and that just blew my mind! I told him, “This is amazing, I’m going to buy one of these.” I bought a riqq before my first Retreat and my first instrument my first year there was the riqq. I owe that to Karim. Twenty years later, I try to do the same thing: I try to spot candidates in the audience who are curious about the instrument and let them hold it. Having people hold it can become this magic moment that can really convince someone. Before this moment with Karim, I was aware of the ‘ud because everyone knows of it, but I hadn’t really thought about the riqq. “This is not a tambourine. You are the leader of the rhythm.” Karim taught me this in my first lesson, and now I teach that to my students. </p>
<p>In this early period, I met Taoufik Ben Amor, who formed a small ensemble that was ideal for me as a beginner. You can’t really learn this music between four walls. You have to actually go and practice it in public, with other musicians and a real audience. There was this restaurant called Tagine in Manhattan, and we would play there once a month after rehearsing at Taoufik’s apartment. I went to the Retreat six years in a row, and played gigs with Taoufik’s ensemble and a few other musicians, and started getting more experience playing Arabic music. </p>
<p><strong>What more can you tell us about the role of percussion in Arabic music? </strong></p>
<p>Americans have a problem understanding the concept of the percussionist leading the ensemble. If you shoot a percussionist in a symphony orchestra, probably no one will notice, and everyone will keep playing. But in Umm Kulthum’s orchestra, if someone shot Ibrahim al-‘Afifi—good luck! Iqa’ is a very important component of the music and is almost as complex as maqam. You have to fill up with ornamentation and tashkil, like all the accents put above words in Arabic calligraphy. You flesh it out, give that skeleton a body. You need to learn how to do that, as per the performance. To be the leader, the mechanism by which you lead everyone is through these ornaments and your playing. How do you convey all this information to the ensemble? Through the modulations of iqa’, volume, and ornaments. By the end of the piece you’ve done a million things, by ornamenting and giving information to the rest of the musicians. I can talk about this for hours. There’s so much to do on the riqq. I always contend that I know the melody better than the melodic instrumentalists. Also, you have to know the lyrics. One of the important jobs of the “Dabit al-Iqa’” is to catch the vocalist’s mistakes. Even excellent singers might skip a beat sometimes (including Umm Kulthum), and the percussionists need to be ready. When you’re in a state of saltana or ecstasy you might forget a beat: not a big deal, but we have to be ready for that. You have to know what syllables start on the dum beat. The lead percussionist needs to have a mental map of the song, syllable by syllable on every beat, so they can see whether or not he is dragging or trying to push the beat. </p>
<p><strong>We lost a legendary riqq player recently, ustaz Michel Merhej Baklouk. How would you describe his legacy? </strong></p>
<p>Michel is part of an era that is now gone. I think we will continue his legacy, albeit in an inferior way. It’s not possible…There was a critical mass of everything (in the Golden Age), of performers and of listeners, and right now we don’t have either. There’s a better mass of performers but a worse one of listeners. I think so many musicians are coming to like this music but there are not enough listeners to appreciate it. </p>
<p>On a personal level, I really like Michel’s school of playing, and it has influenced me a lot. His approach and philosophy is that you don’t show off your technique just for the sake of showing off technique. One time I took a lesson with him, and I asked him if he could show me some variations of the iqa’ we were working on. He said, “I can’t show you any variations because I don’t know what the melody is. If you give me a muwashshah, I’ll listen to it, learn the melody, and then show you variations that work with the melody.” That was a huge lesson I’ll never forget. He refused to ad lib without a melody. Without a melody, you don’t just show off your technique. Michel really captured the role of the riqq as the leader of the iqa’ and also as the instrument that adapts and supplements and beautifies everything else rather than shows off themselves. </p>
<p><strong>Describe your ideal setting for a performance. </strong></p>
<p>It would be a small space, ideally a house concert: 20 to 30 people, with the audience knowing the music and repertoire. The quality rather than the quantity of listeners is important. A small takht ensemble with a singer, and ideally the musicians can double as the chorus, and everybody would improvise a lot in between composed music. The ideal repertoire would be muwashahat or adwar, or the repertoire from any long concert by Sabah Fakhri, with a wasla in one maqam and then a wasla in another maqam: that would be perfect. </p>
<p><strong>Let’s talk listening rituals. You share lots of recordings and links to music on your Facebook page regularly. How do you listen to music? </strong></p>
<p>I listen on YouTube and start my day pondering what mood I am in. Umm Kulthum, ‘Abd al-Halim Hafiz/Warda, or someone from Aleppo: these are the three directions I usually start from in terms of my daily listening. If it’s Umm Kulthum, I try to think what song would fit my mood, because each one is so different. Riyad al-Sunbati and Baligh Hamdi are two ends of the spectrum. Sunbati is totally sober and serious. Hamdi is hedonistic and sexy and groovy. Whereas Mohammad ‘Abd al- Wahab is a little bit of both, brainy and groovy at the same time. He’s more commercial than the others. My energy for listening is much higher in the morning. The first couple of hours after I wake up are the best time for me to listen. I can reach this really good level of “mental tarab”…I get really high from it. As the day goes by, that mental state goes down. In my normal week while I’m commuting and taking the subway into the city, that’s my optimal time. I can start singing on the subway! I can get really excited. </p>
<p><strong>What were you listening to this morning that you’d recommend? </strong></p>
<p>A video of Hossein Sabsabi (‘ud) and the singer Shadi ‘Abd al-Karim from Aleppo, also accompanied by qanun, and an electric guitarist. It filled my head. I think they were in a hotel lobby while on tour just playing between performances.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="dU6G5khY2As" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/dU6G5khY2As/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dU6G5khY2As?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/56060822019-01-21T18:21:10-05:002021-11-03T13:12:04-04:00Sami Abu Shumays<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/be4b642fd3002bba42873fb6a509984bf4aa8c3d/original/sami.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>
<p><strong>Sami Abu Shumays</strong> is a multi-faceted artist, teacher, scholar, and arts administrator. He is a vocalist and violinist performing the music traditions of Egypt and Syria, and he founded and leads the ensemble <a contents="Zikrayat" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.zikrayatmusic.com" target="_blank">Zikrayat</a>, which performs music and dance traditions from around the Arab World, with a special focus on music from mid-20th Century film musicals made in Cairo. Zikrayat has performed at numerous venues, including Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, C.U.N.Y. Elebash Hall, Alwan for the Arts, Drom, the American Folk Festival, the Lowell Folk Festival, and the Global Film and Music festival at William and Mary. </p>
<p>As a teacher and scholar he has led workshops around the U.S. in Arab music, published on maqam, and developed unique online resources for learning Arab music at <a contents="maqamlessons.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.maqamlessons.com" target="_blank">maqamlessons.com</a> (he is also a contributor to <a contents="maqamworld.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.maqamworld.com" target="_blank">maqamworld.com</a>) and is co-author, along with <strong>Johnny Farraj</strong>, of <a contents='"Inside Arabic Music"' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/inside-arabic-music-9780190658366" target="_blank">"Inside Arabic Music"</a>, a forthcoming book published by Oxford University Press.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/56060362019-01-21T18:14:16-05:002021-10-07T14:50:16-04:00Zafer Tawil<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/1c2e873fffaf1d7333222e97ef5672551fb0b109/original/zafer-pic.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_" /><strong>Zafer Tawil</strong> is a virtuoso on ‘oud, violin, and qanun, and a master of Arab percussion. Zafer has performed in concerts across the country, including performances with numerous musicians ranging from Sting to Arab music virtuosos Chab Mami, Simon Shaheen, Bassam Saba and George Ziadeh, to avant-garde composer/ performer Elliot Sharpe. He was a featured composer and performer in acclaimed director Jonathan Demme's Oscar-nominated film Rachel Getting Married and is composing and performing for Demme’s next film project, Zeitoun, based on Dave Eggers’ book about Abdulrahman Zeitoun’s post-Hurricane Katrina odyssey. Zafer has worked on many collaboration concerts involving classical Indian and Persian music as well as Arab/jazz fusion. He has held workshops on Arab music at many institutions and universities across the United States. A native of Jerusalem, Palestine, he resides in New York City.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/54853952018-10-25T00:58:00-04:002022-02-06T10:11:40-05:00George Ziadeh<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/4e53fa6342c156094a2d0a9f63d3685b0662264b/original/georgeziadeh.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" />George Ziadeh was born and raised in Birzeit, Palestine, and pursued music from a young age. In 1986 he moved to the United States, where he studied ‘oud with Simon Shaheen and classical singing and voice with Youssef Kassab, with whom he has toured extensively across the country. George has performed and lectured with such ensembles and institutions as the University of Chicago’s Middle East Music Ensemble with Issa Boulos, the University of Colorado (Boulder), Alwan for the Arts, the United Nations (invited by Kofi Annan), and annually at the Columbia University Department of Ethnomusicology. In 2008, George was a featured solo and ensemble performer in the “Brooklyn Maqam” Festival of Arab Music. From 1995 to 1997 George taught at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Ramallah and at Birzeit University. George is considered an authority in maqam and Arab classical repertoire.</p>Brooklyn Maqamtag:brooklynmaqam.com,2005:Post/54853912018-10-25T00:47:17-04:002020-05-12T16:01:36-04:00Shelley Thomas<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/303525/c7fc410c044b33efb28448d2a26b5a541f61ce4f/original/79408682-3920998871258865-2734912230653952000-o.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_none" alt="" />Dubbed “One of the most eclectic of New York’s elite singers” by NY Music Daily, Shelley is a professional vocalist specializing in Eastern European and Arabic styles. She sings in over fifteen languages with disarming fluidity, authenticity and emotion. She has taught workshops, recorded, performed and toured nationally and internationally with various World Music ensembles and artists including Kronos Quartet, Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, Hassan Hakmoun, the New York Arabic Orchestra, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Vlada Tomova’s Bulgarian Voices Trio, and Black Sea Hotel. She has performed at festivals such as Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Vancouver Island Music Festival, and Abu Dhabi Festival. <br><a contents="shelleyvoice.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.shelleyvoice.com" target="_blank">shelleyvoice.com</a></p>
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<p> </p>Brooklyn Maqam