Megumi Saruhashi Porch Concert - Operation Gig! 4pm-6pm, Saturday June 3rd 2023 Ditmas Park **Exact location announced week of the concert! Free!

Megumi & Friends performs Megumi’s original compositions that are inspired by three places she calls home: New York, Japan and Egypt.

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.

Featuring: Megumi Saruhashi, violin & compositions Adam Good, oud Kuba Cichocki, piano Moto Fukushima, bass Nezih Antakli, percussion

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)

Tan Haw Wednesday June 14th, 2023 Barbes - 376 9th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215 $20 cover

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.

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.

Featuring: Mani Nilchiani on the Setâr, Vocals, Fretless guitar, electronics

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.

Photo by Saman Shami

Maurice Chedid Tuesday June 27th 2023 8pm (7:30pm Doors) SISTERS - 900 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11238 $20 Admission

Stick around for the Arabic Music Jam after the set!

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.

Featuring: Maurice Chedid - oud, vocals Zafer Tawil - violin John Murchison - bass Johnny Farraj - riq

Join us for a summer celebration of love, culture and traditions in Iraqi and Arabic music through Chaabi songs performed by singer Zahra Alzubaidi.

Zahra & Friends Wednesday July 5th, 2023 The Sultan Room - Rooftop - 234 Starr Street, Brooklyn, New York 11237 Doors at 7pm $20 advance, $25 walkup