Loading ...One Breath, One Soul: Sufi Poetry and New Music
Vocalist Dalal Abu Amneh, Composer Kinan Abou-Afach, and Al-Bustan Takht Ensemble
Philadelphia | Sat, April 16, 2016 | 8PM
Trinity Center for Urban Life (2212 Spruce St.)
Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture presents an evening of Sufi poetry, reviving poems from Rumi, Ibn Arabi, Rabi’a and Al-Hallaj, with new music composed by Kinan Abou-afach.
The concert will feature pre-recorded samplings, modified with granular syntheses techniques, and coupled with live music performance that is rooted in the Islamic musical suite tradition. Soloist Dalal Abu Amneh and Al-Bustan Takht Ensemble will ornament the music, evoking divine love and forgiveness through the writings of the Sufi poets—creating an atmosphere of unity for the audience. As Abou-afach explains his inspiration for the project,
Sufi values are so important to re-remember and re-embrace in our current days, when humanity in general seems to be suffering.
Dalal Abu Amneh will be in Philadelphia for a week of rehearsals and public engagements leading up to the concert and the studio recording which will result in a album to be released in July.
ARTIST BIOS
Dalal Abu Amneh is a renowned Palestinian singer who performs Arabic classical and folk music. Born in Nazareth, Abu Amneh came to national attention for her performances of the songs of the iconic Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum. She later won greater fame for her ability to perform a wide variety of Arab musical styles, ranging from the classical tarab, Andalusian muwashshahat, and Sufi mystical repertoire. Her songs have been on Arab radio Top 10 lists and been selected for international music contests. She has appeared often on Arab television and in festivals around the world. She was featured guest artist in December 2015 at Al-Bustan’s Words Adorned Concert.
Kinan Abou-afach is a cellist, oud player, composer, and recipient of the prestigious Pew Fellowship in 2013. The Syrian-born musician began his musical studies at the age of seven studying at the Arabic Institute of Music in Damascus, where he eventually joined the National Syrian Symphony Orchestra and performed with the Middle Eastern Ensemble. He holds a Master’s degree in Cello Performance from DePaul University School of Music in Indiana. He appeared on recordings by Las Guitarras de España, Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, Anne Harris and is currently a member of Al-Bustan Takht Ensemble. He composed for the Emmy award-winner Jason Vieaux; for Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture’s “Roads to Damascus”, “{De}Perception, and “Of Nights and Solace”; and for film, including for “The Long Night.”
Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting and teaching Arab culture through arts and language. This concert is made possible with the support of the William Penn Foundation and Knight Foundation.
Compiled by Arab America