Zikrayat is proud to announce the release, on May 1st, 2010, of their second album, Cinematic, the long-anticipated follow-up to the 2008 Independent Music Award-winning album Live at Lotus. Cinematic mixes rare and popular songs and dance instrumentals from Egyptian movie musicals of the 1950s & 60’s, as well as original music by Zikrayat director Sami Abu Shumays, in arrangements that evoke the sound of mid-20th century Egyptian film orchestras. Highlighting the lush vocals of emerging talent Salah Rajab, and the exciting and danceable beats of master percussionist Faisal Zedan, Cinematic also features Johnny Farraj, Dimitri Mikelis, Bridget Robbins, and Apostolos Sideris.

Upcoming Performances

Friday May 7th, 8pm
Multimedia & Variety Show with special guest Dalia Carella
La Guardia Performing Arts Center
Zikrayat’s popular multimedia production, featuring clips from Egyptian films of the 1940’s-60’s synchronized to live performances of dance and vocal numbers, comes to Queens for the first time with a showcase at LPAC in Long Island City. Master dance artist and choreographer Dalia Carella joins Zikrayat for this exciting variety show, which pays tribute to dancer Badia Masabni’s Casino Opera and other Cairo night-clubs of the 20’s & 30’s. Show also features vocalists Salah Rajab & Salma Habib and dancers; Dameshe, Jaida, Mariyah, Sherine, and Yowalka!

To order tickets please visit;
https://www.choicesecure01.net/mainapp/eventschedule.aspx?clientid=laguardia

or www.laguardiaperformingarts.org

Seating: $15 advance / $20 at the door/ $10 students with ID.

Take the 7 train to 33rd/Rawson or the E, G, V, R to Queens Plaza.

LPAC Box Office: 718-482-5151

Performance is in the LITTLE THEATER at LaGuardia. The Little Theater is located in the M Building on the Campus in the back of the building. Take the long corridor straight back following the signs to the Theater.

Show starts at 8pm!

Sunday May 23rd, 9:30pm
Salma Habib & Zikrayat
Joe’s Pub
Salma Habib, a multi-talented singer, dancer, actress and television host, is emerging as one of the most prominent Arab female vocalists in the United States. Zikrayat joins her at one of NYC’s hottest music venues for a very special solo performance!

Zikrayat will be performing at the “Target First Saturdays” monthly series at the Brooklyn Museum: brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays.php, in an all-vocal show featuring Salah Rajab and Salma Habib.

Details:
Saturday April 3, 2010
5-7pm
Free!
@ the Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York 11238

Youssef Kassab, an unparalleled master vocalist within traditional Egyptian and Syrian genres, has also mentored and taught many of the finest performers of Arabic music within the United States. In this class, he will teach Maqam Rast, through songs, as well as improvisatory phrases on “Ya Leil”

Tuesday March 16th, 7:30-9:30pm
$25
@ Alwan for the Arts
16 Beaver Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10004

This class is part of Sami Abu Shumays’ series of Maqam Classes @ Alwan for the arts, normally held Tuesday evenings 7:30-9:00pm, $15.
**No Class Tuesday March 9th**
for more information, visit: maqamlessons.com

ABOUT YOUSSEF KASSAB:

Originally from Syria, Youssef Kassab began learning the oud and studying voice with his uncle at an early age. He continued his studies at the Damascus Conservatory, specializing in qanun (zither) and classical Arabic music vocal repertoire. There he recorded and performed with the Syrian Radio Orchestra as a vocalist.

In 1970 he moved to New York where he has been performing in concerts and festivals throughout the United States and Central America. In 1982 he joined the Near Eastern Music Ensemble as a principal vocalist. Youssef Kassab is one of the master performers of classical forms such as the Arabic Muwashshahat (classical Arabic/Andalusian vocal music), Al-Qudud Al-Halabiyya (traditional vocal repertoire from Aleppo, Syria), and 19th and early 20th century Egyptian vocal music.

for more information, visit: youssefkassab.com

Zikrayat has been added to the Touring Artists’ Roster of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance (CTMD), which will handle bookings to performing arts centers and universities across the U.S. For more information, or to contact CTMD about booking Zikrayat, visit our page here.  CTMD will be presenting Zikrayat in a showcase for the Association of Performing Artist Presenters (APAP) on Friday, January 8th, 2010, at Alwan.

Several Zikrayat members will be performing with vocalist Salma Marjieh in her solo debut at Alwan on Friday, December 11th, including Sami Abu Shumays, Tareq Abboushi, and Johnny Farraj.  For more details about the show, and to buy advance tickets, visit here.

Zikrayat is hosting a holiday party and belly-dance showcase at Je’Bon on Wednesday, December 16th, featuring guest dancers Tarik Sultan and Belly-dance Superstar Hannah Nour; details here.

Alwan for the Arts, in conjunction with Zikrayat, presents:

Egypt in the Golden Age - Music, Dance, and Film

Saturday, November 7, 2009
9:00 p.m. (doors open at 8:30)

Tickets: $15.00, available at the door or online here (use printout as your ticket): https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8763014

For more details on the event visit: http://www.alwanforthearts.org/event/409
Info: (646) 732-3261 or info@alwanforthearts.org

On Sept. 13th Zikrayat performed for the opening of R&B superstar Alicia Keys VMA Awards afterparty at Kush Lounge! A host of celebrities were on hand including Dennis Hopper and many more. We here that Alicia was extremely happy with the performance!

Zikrayat has been invited to perform at this unique festival celebrating the artistic diversity of Queens. The festival is Sunday, September 13th. Zikrayat performs at 3pm.

Visit the festival’s page on Facebook to see the full line-up:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Queens-County-Folk-Festival/151613496912

We’re proud to present 6 new videos, available on Zikrayat’s YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/zikrayatmusic

Zikrayat Presents: Ish-Showq Mihayyarni

Zikrayat Presents:

A Multi-Media Tribute to the Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema

Thursday, June 4th, 2009, 8:00pm

Galapagos Art Space 718.222.8500 www.galapagosartspace.com
16 Main Street, DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tickets: $12 advance, $15 door

To conclude its 2008-09 performance season, Zikrayat once again presents its popular multi-media tribute to the Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema, at the stage of Galapagos Art Space in Brooklyn.  The acclaimed production, not shown since its premiere in May 2008 at the CUNY Graduate Center, features large scale video projection of clips and montages from Egyptian movie musicals of the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s, synched with live performance.

Music Director Sami Shumays and Dance Director Robin Shumays collaborate to honor the amazing talent of the era.  Drawing upon its rich repertory, artists Farid el-Atrash, Naima Akif, Taheya Karioca, Fayza Ahmed, and many others, are brought to life on screen, while Zikrayat’s performers take the audience through a historical tour of mid-20th Century Egyptian Song and Dance, focusing especially on the decade of the 1950’s, when these art forms were in a dynamic process of transitioning from traditional to modern forms, in tandem with Egypt’s movements toward independence and a redefinition of national identity.

With equal parts sound, performance, and cinema, mixing flawless classical music, original compositions, inspiring improvisations and enchanting Middle Eastern dance, Zikrayat (2008 Independent Music Awards “Vox Populi” winner) recalls the variety-show character of musical theater and portrays the breadth of Arabic music and dance.

Special guest artists include master percussionist Faisal Zedan, returning from California, and renowned Egyptian Folkloric and Oriental dancer Mohamed Shahin.  Zedan, a virtuoso of the derbakki, riqq and tar, is a founding member of the UCLA Near East Music Ensemble and the Los Angeles-based Youm It Talaata percussion group.  Mohamed Shahin has performed and taught in Brazil, South Korea, Malaysia, Greece, Turkey, South Africa, Lebanon, Russia, Colombia, Cyprus and the in the USA.   His expertise includes all styles of Egyptian dance, including Tanoura (Whirling Dervish) and Saidi Tahtib.

For press tickets please contact Artist Manager Meredith Blouin at merblouin@zikrayatmusic.com or by phone at 954-937-0175.

“Their aesthetic leaves no sense untouched” - Ins and Outs Magazine

“This duo and ensemble is breathing new life in the performances of Arabic Music and Dance in the United States.”- The National Arab Times

“Shumays has become a renowned musician”- Aramica