Zikrayat is very proud to present two powerful guest artists for this premiere show at Le Poisson Rouge, soulful and beautiful vocalist Salma Marjieh, performing with Zikrayat for the first time; and virtuosic master percussionist Faisal Zedan, visiting from California. (Also featuring the full Zikrayat ensemble with lead vocalist Salah Rajab, along with dancers; Dameshe, Yowalka, Sherine, Mariyah and Jaida!)

Friday January 15th, 8pm-10pm (doors open at 7pm)
Le Poisson Rouge
158 Bleecker St, New York, NY
$15 advance /$20 at the door

Zikrayat’s last several shows have sold out, so we’ve moved to a bigger venue! buy tickets in advance here:
http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/897

Zikrayat at (le) Poisson Rouge

About Salma Marjieh:
Vocalist Salma Khshaiboon Marjieh began her musical career at the age of seven, singing and dancing on stage. As an adult she hosted a television show for children in Palestine for nine years and a daily radio show for seven years while also singing, dancing, and acting for adult and children’s audiences. Since coming to the United States, she has performed with Simon Shaheen and his ensemble in numerous concerts across theUnited States, and recently made her debut with Bassam Saba and the New York Arabic Orchestra in a concert produced by the World Music Institute at Symphony Space. Salma hosts a television show for Arab-Americans on ART America entitled “Min America.”

About Faisal Zedan:
San Francisco-based percussionist Faisal Zedan, born in 1972 in oum D’Baib, Syria, grew up impassioned with the derbakki. 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, and since then has become a master of the derbakki as well as the riqq and tar (frame drum). Upon arriving in California in 1992, he met UCLA’s noted professor of ethnomusicology, Dr. Ali Jihad Racy, and was then invited to join the acclaimed UCLA Near East Music Ensemble. In 1993, Faisal co-founded the Near East music group, Kan Zaman. Along with Donovan Lerman, Faisal is also a founding member of the Los Angeles-based Youm It Talaata percussion group. Since 1996 Faisal has taught at the Middle East Music Camp in Mendocino,California, and he also conducts workshops annually at the Kosmos Camp. Currently Faisal is a member of Eliyahu & Qadim, Stellamara, Kan Zaman and ASWAT, and in 2009 founded and directs a new group, Ajyal.

The Art of Drum Solo Improvisation: Master Class with Faisal and Mariyah

Saturday, January 16, 2010
2:00pm - 4:00pm
440 Studios
440 Lafayette St, 3rd & 4th Floors

An improvised drum solo is the exciting culmination of a traditional bellydance show! This workshop will reveal the elements of dancing an improvised solo with a live drummer.

Topics will include:

- Components and typical rhythms of a bellydance drum solo and movements and variations that the you can use to illustrate these rhythms with your body.

- Odd meters, combinations of basic beats that make new beats, and how to develop a feeling for these various rhythms and approach them in your solo.

- Relationship and communication between the dancer and drummer during performance (what dancers and drummers want from each other during performance).

- The ability to improvise with structure. Develop a sense of pacing, ebb and flow of energy and a balance of grace, fire and subtlety.

$40 advance / $50 at the door
Purchase Advance registration here:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=10901737

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TO VIEW THE COMBINED ARTISTRY OF FAISAL AND MARIYAH CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW (drum solo toward the end of the video….)

Faisal Zedan http://faisalzedan.com will be joining Zikrayat again in New York for a few performances, as well as the beginning of a new CD project. Zikrayat plans to record an instrumental CD in the next few months, with a goal to release the new album sometime in fall 09. The CD will feature a mix of dance gems from 1950’s Egyptian musicals, along with original compositions by music director Sami Abu Shumays.

NYU students, check us out on March 24th; Fordham University students, check us out on April 3rd. more details soon!

Dameshe of Zikrayat presents a Raqs Sharqi Dance Intensive Weekend with renowned Egyptian-style dancer, Astryd Farah de Michele. For full flyer, download PDF.

Three workshops are offered:

Saturday, October 4th, 1-3pm: “Pure Egyptian Dance from Cairo”

Saturday, October 4th, 4-6pm: “Choreography: Fadl Shaker”

Sunday, October 5th, 12-2:30pm: “Classic Egyptian Choreography: Abdel Halim “Bahlam Beek”

Fees:

Advance: $45 per wprkshop $125 entire weekend

At door: $55 per workshop $150 for entire weekend

Please pay via paypal to: zikrayatmusic@gmail.com–kindly add $2.00 to cover paypal fees–and indicate which workshop you are signing up for. Or send checks/money orders to: Robin Shumays / 38-23 9th Street/ Long Island City, NY 11101. For private lessons or other information please phone 718-679-3650