Music
and Dance of Asia Minor, North Africa & the Middle East
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Music
and Dance of Asia Minor, North Africa & the Middle East
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Instrument Teachers (subject to change) We have an extraordinary amount of talent and experience gathered in one place, including some of the most well-known Middle Eastern dance teachers and musicians in North America. Most of our staff grew up with this traditional music and dance while others learned from ethnic performers here and abroad.
SUREN BARONIAN (tambourine, ensemble) an Armenian-American from New York City, has performed throughout the U.S. and abroad as soloist and with his groups Taksim, a Near Eastern/jazz fusion band, Transicion and Oudansquerade. Souren has studied with the well known Turkish clarinetist Gundeger, and has played and recorded with leading Armenian, Turkish, and Greek musicians in this country for over 35 years. RACHID HALIHAL (Arabic ensemble, North African frame drums) brings alive the true character and spirit of music from the classical Egyptian repertoire; from the diverse regions of Morocco; and from the Arabian Gulf. Growing up in Fez, Morocco, at fourteen he entered the Conservatory of Music there to study Western classical and Andalusian music which best features his voice. In addition his strongest instruments are the oud (Arabic lute) and the violin, which he plays in both the classical manner and upright resting on the knee. The music Rachid presents is soulful and poetic as well as very danceable. He has presented his music in Ivory Coast, Sweden, Finland at the Helsinki International Music Festival, Denver Colorado, New York City at Columbia University with visiting Israeli singer, Michel Cohen, as well as other ethnic concerts and in various Moroccan establishments throughout the city; and Agadir, Morocco, where he fully managed a night club, his own band, and folkloric troupe for seven years. He then accompanied on his violin, the best known Arabian singer Mohamed Abdo, in the Arabian Gulf for two years. HASAN ISAKKUT (Turkish Kanun) Hasan was first exposed to music by his family. He started to play violin and kanun at the age of 8. He came to NY in 1989. As a composer and multi-instrumentalist he worked with Brian King, Omer Faruk Tekbilek, Simon Sahin and Richie Havens. His song “I Love You” was included in the famous CD Buddha Bar Volume 2. “Kibar” is his first solo recording. SOUHAIL KASPAR (Arabic percussion - tablah, tambourine) is a highly acclaimed performer on Near Eastern percussion instruments. Born in Lebanon, Mr. Kaspar received his early musical training in Syria, where he assimilated the basic theory and technique of Arab percussion playing from established artists and had the opportunity to play with various celebrated ensembles and vocalists. In the United States, he has been performing in Middle Eastern nightclubs in Los Angeles and accompanying stars in this country and abroad. In addition to displaying mastery on the tablah, he also plays the tar, a large frame drum, the mashar, a large tambourine and the riqq, a small tambourine. Mr. Kaspar is widely known for his brilliant technique and his ability to move the audience with his extraordinary rhythmic improvisations. GEORGES LAMMAM (violin, Arabic singing) born in Beirut, Lebanon, is well-known in the Middle
East and the United States as a solo violinist excelling in NASER MUSA (Arabic oud) is recognized by critics of Middle Eastern Music as a talented singer, a gifted songwriter, an Oud virtuoso, a valued composer, and a versatile studio musician. Naser Musa has composed, arranged, and recorded numerous projects in the Middle East and in the United States. His recording, among others, include Khaliji and Christmas and Beyond Naser has recorded with Shakira, Beyonce, Michael Sembello, Youssou N’Dour, Fathy Salama and Dr. A. J. Racy among others. Naser’s oud was heard on the Grammy award winner soundtrack of the film "The Passion of the Christ" by director Mel Gibson. An active and sought after performer, Naser has performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, the United Nations and Chicago’s Symphony Hall. The Washington Post described his compositions as “stirring”; the Beirut Times described him as one of the most versatile vocalists and Oud masters of the Middle East; and the Al Qabas newspaper of Kuwait described him as a talented songwriter with a soothing voice that touches the heart. SCOTT MARCUS (maqam and nay) has a doctorate in ethnomusicology from UCLA with a specialization in Arabic modal theory (maqam). Scott, a musician versatile on several instruments, studied oud as well as music theory in Cairo, Egypt. Currently he teaches ethnomusicology at UC Santa Barbara where he also directs a Middle Eastern ensemble. KARIM NAGI (finger cymbals) is a native Egyptian drummer, DJ, composer, and folk dancer. He specializes in the Riqq tambourine, Arabic Tabla, Sagat/Zills finger cymbals, as well as Arab folk dances. He is the creator of Turbo Tabla, and has released two internationally distributed CDs of this unique brand of Arab House/Electronica, using acoustic instruments instead of keyboards. Karim has authored instructional DVDs for the Tabla/Doumbek and Riqq tambourine, as well as two Arab rhythm compilation CDs. He is also well versed in the ultra-traditional styles of music and dance as the leader of the Sharq Arabic Music Ensemble, and the creative director of the Arab Dance Seminar. He has recorded music for Bellydance Superstars, Bellyqueen, and the Bellytwins, as well as mainstream artists like Alicia Keys, and The Urban Griot Project. His performances boast a dynamic concoction of live drumming and dance, done in unison. Because of his proficiency in both music and dance, his workshops deliver students to a new physical understanding of the connection between these two disciplines. Karim Nagi is a true crossover artist, uniting Tradition and Modernity, Ethnic and Urban, Cabaret and Tribal. SAGAT ("ZILL" finger cymbals): Karim has developed a comprehensive zill method that utilizes drum techniques, and an Ambidextrous approach. He uses the Egyptian Sufi Zikr aesthetic with multiple sounds, open and closed, sizzle and rapid combinations. Students will learn the Arabic rhythms by name and how to play them while dancing! Dancers will learn to use the cymbals to communicate rhythms to a band and accent solo dancing and body movements. Dancers and percussionists of all levels are welcome. He will also teach dance combinations, solo patterns, train the dancer in musicality, and teach when-and-when-not to play within an Arabic song. Karim promises to transform dancers into musicians with his finger cymbal teaching approach. PAUL OHANESIAN (Armenian oud) has been involved with the San Francico Bay Area Armenian music scene since Age 8,as a percussionist under the tutelage of Charlie Alexanian. Paul picked up the oud in 1973; the result of a party conversation with a violinist and a drummer. In 1977 he joined Robaire Nakashian to work with his Belly Dance Troup – Zaghareet. The popular duo appeared at restaurants, festivals, and special events.He played concerts at the Bach Dynamite Society with Peter Dorian, and Alan Ishmael. He played oud duets with Joe Zeytoonian at the 1988 Mid East Camp, and in concert with Joe in 1990. Currently he’s playing oud and percussion with the traditional Egyptian band Al Azifoon. BAHRAM OSQUEEZADEH (santur, tombak) (will have extra santurs and tombaks available for the class) was born in Tehran, Iran. He began his musical training at the age of 14 with the Santur and the Tombak. After graduating with a degree in Mathematics and Physics, he ranked second out of over 1000 participants in the field of Music at the first Nation-wide University Entrance Examination after the 1979 revolution. He entered the Department of Music at the University of Tehran in 1995 and received his bachelor's degree in composition and performance. Among his eminent teachers were Faramaz Payvar, Nasser Farhangfar, Parviz Meshkaatian. Although Mr. Osqueezadeh has extensive experience both studying and performing the Persian ‘Radif’ (the repertoire of classical Iranian art music), he is still working to further his knowledge and expertise on this vast subject. He started teaching his major instrument, the Santūr, in 1987. His high level of proficiency and diversity of knowledge led him to accept a faculty position at the Sūreh University. In 1990, he co-founded the Dārvak Institute of Music, and he has served as the director. His work as an instructor and an administrator demonstrated to him the beneficial role of musical education in developing life skills. Mr. Osqueezadeh has added other traditional Iranian instruments to his repertoire. This proficiency on multiple instruments has aided his compositional and conductorial development. He co-founded the Dārvak Ensemble in 1993 and performed several concerts with the group before and after graduation. As a soloist, composer, and conductor, Bahram has appeared on many radio and television programs in Iran. He won the Gold Award at the Eighth Nationwide Fajr Music Festival. Osqueezadeh has toured Iran and regularly performed concerts premiering his original compositions. Mr. Osqueezadeh moved to the United States to further his studies of western music. He is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine where he received his Master’s degree (2001) in composition and technology under the direction of Dr. C. Dobrian and with the internationally recognized flutist and composer James Newton. Bahram has performed numerous concert premieres as both conductor and performer during his time at UC-Irvine. He was asked to write his Concerto for Santur and Orchestra which was premiered with the UCI Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Stephen Tucker. After his residency at UC Irvine, he received a Fellowship to continue his studies in composition to the Ph.D. program at the University of California, Santa Barbara . He is studying with eminent composers such as Karen Tanaka and Joel Feigin His works for string orchestra won the first prize in the Sherril C. Corwin-Metropolitan Theatres Awards. He has been invited to give presentations and workshops at many distinguished universities such as UCLA, USC, UCSB and UC Irvine. His recent research includes an extensive work on the "Iranian Urban Musical Intonation." YUVAL RON (Judeo-Arabic music traditions of the Middle East and North Africa including ancient Hebrew prayers, Jewish and Arabic music originated from Andalusia and preserved in North Africa and Israeli folk songs and their relation to Bedouin songs) is a world-music artist, composer and producer who has composed internationally for Film, TV, Dance and Theater. He has collaborated with Sufi master teacher Pir Zia Khan, Head of the International Sufi Order, with Turkish Sufi master musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Jewish-Moroccan master Rabbi Haim Louk and Israeli-Iraqi master Yair Dalal. Yuval is the musical director and oud player for The Yuval Ron Ensemble, which includes Arabic, Jewish and Christian artists who unites the sacred musical traditions of Judaism, Sufism and the Armenian Church into an unusual mystical, spiritual and inspiring musical celebration. The Yuval Ron Ensemble has been actively involved in creating musical bridges between people of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. The ensemble was featured in the World Festival of Sacred Music in Los Angeles in 2002 and 2005 as well as in numerous venues and festivals worldwide since 2000. Yuval Ron has produced field recordings in the Sinai Desert with the Bedouins and produced the album "One Truth - A Window into the Divine Passion and Poetry of Sufism". His other recordings include "Under the Olive Tree", "In Between the Heartbeat", "One", "Proteus" and “Tree of Life”. Yuval has extensive experience in working with choreographers, collaborating with Daniel Ezralow (choreographer of ISO and the American Repertory Ballet), Zen priest Hirokazu Kosaka and Butoh master Oguri as well as with film directors such as Ari Sandel, David Lebrun and Jeremy Kagan. He is also a noted lecturer and has been invited to speak at numerous schools including: UCLA, John Hopkins University, Brandeis University, MIT, Berklee College of Music, UCSD, Jerusalem Film School (Israel), and many others. A recipient of grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, American Composers Forum, California Council for the Humanities and the Rockefeller Foundation among others, Yuval was awarded many awards including Los Angeles Treasures Award in 2004 and an Oscar for the musical film West Bank Story in 2006. For more information about Yuval Ron please visit: www.yuvalronmusic.com. DROR SINAI (drum ensemble) is an international performer, educator, and guest artist, as well as the Founder of Rhythm Fusion, Inc. in Santa Cruz, CA. In 2002, he received the Gail Rich award for supporting the arts, and is a founding member of the World Music Committee for the Percussive Arts Society. Dror has performed as a solo artist and has appeared in ensembles of many different musical styles, with other talented artists, including Yair Dalal, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Yuval Ron, Alessandra Belloni Dror has presented lectures, clinics, and workshops to diverse audiences, including Universities, schools, community gatherings, children, and adults, and has taught both professionals and amateurs; he has been a featured instructor for Spectra of the Santa Cruz Arts Council, and gave clinics at the PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention).Has been working for world peace as a way of life and taught and performed on the "Peace Boat". Dror loves to share his joy of music with all people. His expertise and his warm, joyful approach will help put music-lovers of every experience-level at ease, inspiring a path to musical expression "Rhythm is all around us, in everything we see, we touch, we breathe With rhythm, we shall achieve better communication and understanding among ourselves and all people: all people as one." ~ Dror Sinai For our kids, for the kids in us, for harmony, for social and community activities, for self-empowerment, for amateurs, for professionals, for music, for therapy, for the Spirit, and fun! ~With Rhythms of Harmony~ ROWAN STORM (Persian frame drum - dayereh, daf, tambourine) has been studying, recording, performing and teaching a wide range of Middle Eastern percussion instruments for over 25 years throughout the United States, Central America, Europe, Turkey, and Iran. She has collaborated with some of the greatest masters of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music, including Michel Mirhige, Mohammed el-Akkad, Taksim Ensemble of New York City, Pedro Bacan, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Necati Celik, Ross Daly, Kostas Papadopoulos, Khalifeh Rahmeh, and Lian Ensemble. Since 2000 Rowan has been studying and performing in concert tours with the legendary master of Persian Classical music, Mohammad Reza Lotfi. Rowan's concert venues include New York City’s Lincoln Center, Central Park Summer Stage, New York University; Conference for Islamic Studies, New York Council for the Humanities; San Diego State University; Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; conservatories and concert halls throughout Switzerland, Spain and Germany; Istanbul’s Reshid Rey Concert Hall; Ankara’s Middle East Technical University; Epidauros.and other ancient amphitheaters throughout Greece and Cyprus. Living in Greece and Switzerland since 1993, Rowan is a leader in the contemporary movement within Greek music and culture to embrace shared Oriental heritage. Recently Rowan spent three months traveling alone throughout Iran, deepening her understanding of Persian Classical music, the role of women in ancient, sacred percussion traditions, as well as the evolution of Western culture based on countless elements from the East. For some of her Iran travels, see her weblog, http://iran-rowanstorm.blogspot.com/. ERGUN TAMER (maqam and saz) was born in Izmir, Turkey and has been living in the U.S. for over 20 years. He is an accomplished singer as wall as instrumentalist and has been a featured soloist with the AMAN Folk Ensemble. OMAR FARUK TEKBILEK (ney and zurna) A virtuoso on several Middle Eastern instruments and a masterful performer on dozens more, Omar Faruk Tekbilek is a man of vast experience. He started performing at the age of 12 in his native Turkey studying under some of the greatest Turkish musicians. During the 60's he established himself as one of the world's foremost performers of Middle Eastern music. His appearances with jazz musicians Don Cherry and Karl Berger, and his work on numerous film and TV scores attest to his leadership status among contemporary Middle Eastern musicians. His recordings include the soundtrack for Suleyman The Magnificent for PBS Television, Firedance with jazz guitarist Briane Keane, and Whirling on the Celestial Harmonies label. MURAT TEKBILEK (Turkish darbuka) Murat was born in a family of musicians. Since the age of 5, he has studied with his father Faruk and his uncle Ibrahim Turmen (another master musician) and became a master darbuka, def, bendir and daire player. He has performed in numerous concerts and camps all over the USA. Now, he plays percussion with his father's band.
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