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Event
ARCHES
ARCHES Al-Andalus Ensemble to celebrate the golden 50th anniversary of Portland State University's Middle East Studies Center
CONTACT: PSU MESC/Lydia Beyoud, BeyoudL@pdx.edu, (503)725-4074 Al-Andalus Events: music@andalus.com (503) 230-2379
WHAT: "Arches", a concert featuring traditional and contemporary music and songs from the Middle East, performed by Al-Andalus Ensemble in celebration of the golden 50th anniversary of Portland State University's Middle East Studies Center.
WHEN: Friday, July 10
7:30 p.m.
WHERE: St. Mary's Academy, Clark Family Auditorium 1615 S.W. Fifth Avenue (Downtown, between Market and Mill Streets) Portland, Oregon 97201
DETAILS: Experience the richness of Middle Eastern culture with Al-Andalus Ensemble this summer, when the group performs "Arches" to celebrate the golden anniversary of PSU's Middle East Studies Center!
"Arches" will unveil traditional and contemporary songs sung in Arabic, Ladino, Farsi and Turkish, with music from North Africa, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Andalusian Spain, the Levant, and the Gulf States. Rich instrumentation will include the oud (parent of the Renaissance lute), ney (Arab reed flute), darbuka (clay or metal drum), kamancheh (Persian/Iranian violin), ghaita (medieval bagpipe) and flamenco guitar, to create music that offers parallels and contrasts between the old and the new.
Touted as creating "a new musical language that unites the East and West" by Aramcos World Magazine, Al-Andalus Ensemble was founded by Tarik (oud) and Julia Banzi (flamenco guitar). The group was named after Al-Andalus, a period (711-1492) in Spain when Christians, Muslims and Jews lived in peaceful co-existence.
Joining them for "Arches" will be Boujemaa Razgui (voice, ney, kamaja, percussion); Gavin Bondy (trumpet); Bobak Salehi (kamancheh, sehtar, violin, voice); Emily Henke (voice), Anthony Jones (drums), Nat Hulskamp (guitar, tar); and Diana LoVerso (Andalusian dance).
The mission of PSU's Middle East Studies Center is to promote understanding of the people, cultures, languages and religions of the Middle East through the university's academic programs and community outreach. Launched in 1959, it was the first federally-supported undergraduate program in the United States for Arabic language and Middle East studies.
Tickets for "Arches" ($20/general $15/students, seniors, green card holders) are available at 1-800-838-3006 and at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/69645. They also will be available at the door. For more information, visit www.SonicBids.com/Andalus and www.Andalus.com or contact PSU MESC/Lydia Beyoud mailto:BeyoudL@pdx.edu (503) 725-4074
Al-Andalus Events: music@andalus.com (503) 230-2379. Wheelchair accessible and special seating.
ARTISTS for the July 10th concert:
Tarik Banzi (oud, ney, percussion) "a superbly gifted player" (All Music Guide) was born to an Andalusian family in Tetuan, Morocco and traces his roots back to Al-Andalus. He later lived in Madrid, Spain where he completed his doctoral studies in Fine Arts and collaborated with flamenco-jazz music masters such as Paco de Lucia, Manolo Sanlucar, Enrique Morente and Jorge Pardo among others.
Julia Banzi (guitar, percussion) is one of the few female flamenco guitarists worldwide. She lived in Spain for over a decade, studying flamenco with some of Spains finest guitarists such as Manolo Sanlucar and Isidro Munoz, she holds a Doctorate degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and teaches guitar at Reed College and Lewis & Clark College.
Boujemaa Razgui (voice, ney, kamaja, percussion) hails from Marrakech, city of Dakka (percussion). A regular with the Boston Camerata (conductor Joel Cohen) since 2002, Razguis recordings include "Dralion" Cirque du Soleil, "Mediterranean Christmas" the Boston Camerata, "Al-Andalus" Sharq Ensemble, and the upcoming Shakira and Beyonce duo "Beautiful Liar." He first joined Tarik & Julia Banzi in Madrid in 1987.
Gavin Bondy (trumpet) is perhaps best known for his work as premier trumpeter for Portlands Pink Martini. Gavin has been a long time member of the Al-Andalus Ensemble.
Bobak Salehi (kamancheh, sehtar, violin, voice) A native of Iran, Bobak began exploring the world of musical instruments at the age eight, under the direction of his father maestro Hossein Salehi. He later studied violin with international recording artist Davood Ganjei.
Anthony Jones (drums) is the younger brother of the bandleader Eldon "T" Jones. They come from a very talented musical family. Anthony is considered one of the best young drummers on the West Coast. In high school he also won numerous awards playing the trumpet. He has been a long time member of the Al-Andalus ensembles "Guardia Civil."
Emily Henke (song) recent graduate of Lewis & Clark College and another fresh and new discovery by Al-Andalus. Look for grand things coming from Ms. Henke!
Nat Hulskamp (guitar, oud, tar) began studying guitar with guitarist/composer Paul Chasman and was introduced to flamenco guitar by Jose Solano and continued to study with Tarik & Julia Banzi of Al-Andalus. He later studied ethnomusicology at the University of Washington.
Diana LoVerso (Andalusian dance)
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LocationClark Family Auditorium, St. Mary's Academy
1615 SW Fifth Avenue
Portland, OR 97201
United States
Categories
Kid Friendly: No |
Dog Friendly: No |
Non-Smoking: No |
Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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