Upcoming Events

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 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….)

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