Meet the Ensemble
ARTISTIC DIRECTORS:
Sami Abu Shumays
Director of Zikrayat
Arabic Violinist, Composer, and Educator
Arabic Violinist Sami Abu Shumays was born in the United States of mixed Palestinian and American descent, but returned to the Arab world to develop a richer connection with his cultural heritage. Originally a composer and scholar of Western Classical music, he began studying Arabic violin with renowned Arabic violinist and oud player Simon Shaheen in New York, where he concurrently pursued graduate studies in composition and ethnomusicology at C.U.N.Y. after receiving his B.A. in Music from Harvard. Seeking a deeper immersion in Arab musical culture, Sami studied in Cairo, Egypt on a Fulbright fellowship, with Dr. Alfred Gamil, and continued his studies in Aleppo, Syria, with Mohammed Qasas, Abdel-Basit Bakkar, and Abdel-Minaim Senkary–experiences that led him to devote himself to Arabic music.
Since then, Sami has been performing and teaching Arabic Violin and Arabic music theory (maqam) across the United States. Having played with numerous ensembles, such as Tarab, Saffafir, Maqamikaze Dance Troupe, the Chicago Oriental Ensemble (with which he also recorded The Songs of Sayyid Darwish), and Simon Shaheen’s Near East Music Ensemble, he founded Zikrayat with his wife, dancer Dameshe, in late 2005. Through Zikrayat, an ensemble devoted to presenting the classical, dance and folkloric repertories of the Arab world side-by-side, with a particular focus on rare music and dance pieces from classic Egyptian film, Sami seeks to make Arabic music accessible to a wide variety of audiences. Sami also composes original music for Zikrayat. He produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered Zikrayat’s first CD: Zikrayat: Live at Lotus, released in May 2007. In addition to performing, Sami also works as a studio musician and has composed and recorded for film.
Educating is one of Sami’s deepest passions. Having come to Arabic music as a “second language” has given him valuable insights into the learning process, which has enabled him to find creative ways to teach Arabic music to American students. He has brought his practical, melodic-based approach to teaching maqam (the Arabic system of melodic modes) to hundreds of students across the U.S., through workshops and classes. A regular instructor at Lark Camp in Mendocino, CA and Folktours Middle Eastern Music and Dance camp near Lansdale, PA, Sami has also led classes at the Global Youth Village in Roanoke, VA, the Arab Dance Seminar in Hartford, CT, and Lotus Music and Dance in New York City, as well as giving workshops in middle and elementary schools.
He also produces several unique online resources on Arabic music, which have reached thousands more. Personal Performances (www.shumays.libsyn.com), the first Arabic music podcast, features Sami performing with and interviewing guest artists, as well as episodes of a more educational nature; and his innovative online Maqam Lessons (www.maqamlessons.com) have captured the interest of students from around the globe who, for the first time, have an online resource to study the melodic vocabulary of maqam, rather than simply theory. He is also a principal contributor to www.maqamworld.com.
For more on Sami, please visit www.samimusicworld.com
Robin Dameshe Shumays
Dance Director of Zikrayat
Robin Shumays, known professionally as “Dameshe,” began studying and performing Middle Eastern Dance in 1997 at the legendary Serena Studios in New York City. After developing a curiosity about the historic and cultural aspects of the dance she read as many books as she could find to educate herself and further refine her performance. It was during that time that she tuned in to the Arabic channel for inspiration and discovered classic Egyptian cinema (musical films recorded between 1940 and 1970–often referred to as Egypt’s “golden age”) and its dance stars. It was then that she fell in love with the Egyptian style of belly dance, known as Raqs Sharqi, and decided to devote her career to it.
She immersed herself in studying with the top instructors of the art, most notably; Yousry Sharif, Aida Nour, Zaza Hassan, Sahra Kent (Sahra Saeeda) and Mohamed Shahin. She has performed with numerous dance companies including Ranya’s Maqamikaze Dance Theater, and BellyTrance, and has been featured in theatrical productions produced by ASAmed, Elena Lentini and the Samara Dance Theater. In 2003, she expanded her dance vocabulary with Bollywood and semi-classical Indian dance under the instruction of Seema Iyer; and in 2004 she began classical Indian singing with Falguni Shah. In 2005 she made her first trip to Cairo where she attended and performed at the Ahlan wa Sahlan festival and studied with top instructors including Dina, Mona Said, Farida Fahmy, Randa Kamel and privately with Diana Tarkan. During this trip to Cairo, she purchased over 30 “golden era” Egyptian films. Inspired further by the music and the dances of this era (particulary by the films Tamr Henna and Aziza) Robin developed the concept of Zikrayat alongside musical director Sami Shumays in late 2005. As dance director, she is instrumental in the artistic direction of the group, making musical choices and developing choreographies with Yowalka evoking the spirit of the “Golden Age.”
A gifted and compassionate instructor, she is currently a resident instructor at the annual Lark in the Morning Music and Dance Camp in Mendocino, California, has offered workshops at Lotus Music and Dance on Egyptian dance and film choreography, and is passionate about persevering the authenticity of the art. In 2008, she was a recipient of the QCAF grant from the Queens Council on the Arts.
Outside of dance, Robin is a multi-disciplinary artist, working as a graphic/web designer for Random House Publishing until early 2009 when she left to launch her fashion line ‘Henna Flower’. She is also a talented henna artist, avid crocheter, knitter and is currently developing her own line of dancewear. Robin designed the cover art for Zikrayat’s CD “Live at Lotus,” as well as the Zikrayat website.
For more on Robin, please visit www.dameshe.com and www.gatormade.org
VOCALIST
SALAH Rajab was born and raised in Damascus and moved to New York at the age of 14. Growing up surrounded by classic Arabic music, he was drawn to legendary singers such as Abdul Halim Hafez, Farid Al-Atrash, and Wardeh. Salah was most influenced by his mother Gaida, an acclaimed singer, who motivated him and taught him his first songs. The young talent joined Zikrayat in 2007, where he was placed lead male vocalist. At the age of 21, Salah exhibits a rare warmth and depth in his voice, and has an authentic feel for Arabic rhythm and maqam. He is currently studying Packaging Design at The Fashion Institute of Technology.
DANCERS
YOWALKA, A graceful and elegant performer and instructor of Egyptian Raqs Sharqi, affectionately known as “Yogi,”. Yowalka was originally introduced to bellydance by Ana Luna in her home country of the Dominican Republic, and performed with a Folkloric Group at her hometown university, (UNPHU). After moving to New York, while a student of Serena, Yowalka performed with her at the 9th Avenue Festival, at the Dahesh Museum and at a special gala honoring Serena’s accomplishments in dance. Yowalka performed at the Rakkasah Dance Festival with the Helm Music Ensemble. Currently, Yogi is a dedicated student of Yousry Sharif, Dalia Carella and Ranya, among others, and has taken workshops around the country with Dina, Zaza Hassan, Raqia Hassan, Hassan Affifi, Mo Gedawi, Tamalyn Dallal, Karim Nagi, Farida Fahmy and Mahmoud Reda. Yogi also holds a degree with honors in computer science.
SHERINE Hatoun’s natural expression of Oriental Dance is rooted in her heritage. Her mother, born in Iraq, shared her love of Egyptian music through her voice. Sherine’s dancing was derived from the musical medium and bred at home. Music, while intertwined with the mundane aspects of home life, also sparked celebratory occassions, all the while cultivating Sherine’s sensibility and passion for Oriental dance. She was captivated by the ornate music and the expressive response it engendered from family and friends. It is Sherine Hatoun’s spiritual connection to music and movement, her cultural upbringing, and ancestral history that have provided her with a unique ability to embody the delicately intricate qualities and depth of emotion inherent in Middle Eastern/North African music. Born and raised in New York City, Sherine’s eclectic style draws on folkloric, classical and modern Egyptian, as well as other cultural dance influences. She began her formal dance training of Oriental dance in 1999 by studying with various teachers, including Jehan Kamal. Sherine continues to study with master dance artists, such as Elena Lentini, Dalia Carella, and Yousry Sharif, as well as guest artists traveling to NYC. Sherine has performed in concerts with the internationally acclaimed musical group Alabina. Sherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Hunter College, with a concentration in Dance. Sherine is honored to dance with the Zikrayat Ensemble - a wonderful break from raising her two kids!
MARIYAH is an award-winning professional bellydancer and sought after performer of Oriental dance in the New York area. She is known for her graceful and engaging performances of traditional Oriental dance as well as creative and theatrical dance variations. In 2007 Mariyah placed first in the “Queen of Raks Sharki” competition, a yearly event judged by Egyptian dance masters such as Dr. Mo Geddawi and Randa Kamel. Mariyah is an often requested solo performer for stage events and festivals. She has also performed for hundreds of parties, weddings, festivals and corporate events, as well as keeping a regular performance schedule at Middle Eastern nightclubs and restaurants in New York and New Jersey. In addition, since 2002 Mariyah has been a member of the Dalia Carella Dance Collective, an ethnic, comtemporary, fusion dance theater company directed by world-renowned dancer and choreographer, Dalia Carella.
MUSICIANS
DIMITRI MIKELIS studied the oud, Greek bouzouki, lute, saz and piano, with emphasis on Byzantine music, traditional Greek and Middle Eastern music, as well as classical music and jazz. He graduated from the Central Conservatory of Athens with a diploma in traditional harmony and counterpoint, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance from the Berkley College of Music. He is currently completing a Master’s degree in Jazz Performance at the William Paterson University in NJ, while studying the oud with Simon Shaheen. Dimitri has performed extensively on the oud in Europe and the US, within Rembetiko, Greek folk, Byzantine, Turkish and Arabic music ensembles. In addition to performing with Zikrayat, Dimitri directs his own Jazz ensemble, the Mitz Quintet.
APOSTOLOS SIDERIS was born in 1978 in Athens Greece. His first formal introduction to music was at ten years old when he picked up the flute. Soon, Apostolos was introduced to classical repertoire, and to composers such as Mozart, Hendel and Debussy. However, in his teens, he picked up the guitar and eventually the electric bass. Soon after, he was drawn to the world of Jazz. By the time he was 20, Apostolos was admitted to Berklee College of Music, where he continued his studies. Around this time, Apostolos had started to perform on the upright bass, which soon became his principal instrument.Upon completion of his studies, he moved to New York in order to extend his musical horizons. He was accepted at the City College of New York where he studied with renowned bass player John Patitucci. Since then, he has participated in a plethora of different groups ranging from Greek music to Jazz and Latin American music. He is currently the bass player of Zikrayat.
BRIDGET ROBBINS received a B.A. in Flute Performance from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1994. During this time she began studies in Middle Eastern music and went on to receive a Master’s degree in Ethnomusicology in 1997. Her interests have been primarily in flute and nay performance and the music of the Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum. For the last two years Bridget lived in the West Bank, Bethlehem, where she taught Western Classical and Arabic music at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. Prior to living in the West Bank, Bridget taught for two years through the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Currently she is back in New York where she teaches and performs (with the Near East River Ensemble and Zikrayat) as well as continuing music studies.
JOHNNY Farraj is a Lebanese-born Palestinian musician living in New York City. He studied the riq (tambourine) with Michel Merhej and Karim Nagi, the oud with Simon Shaheen and Bassam Saba, and classical Arabic singing with Rima Khcheich and Youssef Kassab. He has performed with Simon Shaheen/Qantrara, Najib Shaheen, Bassam Saba, as well as a host of New York-based Arabic music and fusion ensembles. His CD credits include The Maqams of Baghdad by Safaafir/Amir El-Saffar, Levantine Indulgence by Gaida Hinnawi, and the soundtrack of 9 Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo. Recently Johnny recorded on the soundtrack of award-winning documentary Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains by
Jonathan Demme, and appeared as a guest artist in Demme’s 2008 award-winning feature film Rachel Getting Married. Johnny is also the creator of maqamworld.com, the very popular internet resource on Arabic music maqam theory.
FAISAL Zedan was born in 1972 in Oum D’Baib, Syria and developed a passion for the derbakki at an early age. At the age of 15 after intensive study with a local drummer, Faisal embarked on a journey of learning through exposure to a wide repertoire of Arabic classical and contemporary music. Upon arriving in California in 1992, he met UCLA’s noted professor of ethnomusicology, Dr. Ali Jihad Racy, and was invited to join the acclaimed UCLA Near East Music Ensemble. He is also a founding member of the Near East music group Kan Zaman as well as Youm It Talaata along with Donovan Lerman. Currently, Faisal is a member of Eliyahu & Qadim, Stellamara, Kan Zaman and ASWAT in addition to Zikrayat.
Alumni performers:
Tareq Abboushi: Buzuq, vocals
Nikolai Ruskin: Percussion, mizmar, oud, qanun, nay, vocals
Nicole LeCorgne: percussion
Brian Prunka: oud
Nahara: Egyptian style Raqs Sharqi and folkloric dance
Leela: Egyptian style Raqs Sharqi and folkloric dance
Sira: Cabaret-style dance
Guest artists have included:
Mohamed Shahin, Folkloric Egyptian Dance
Amir El-Saffar: Iraqi Maqam vocals, Santur, Trumpet
Zafer Tawil: oud, percussion, violin
Aaron Paige: percussion
Yasser Darwish: Dervish, Cane, and other folkloric styles
Dorit: Cabaret-style Middle Eastern dance
Jaida: Egyptian style Raqs Sharqi
Alexis: Cabaret-style Middle Eastern dance