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Global Fridays Concerts Start February 8th at Arab American National Museum
In the immortal words of Detroit’s own Martha Reeves, “are you ready for a brand new beat?”
If the answer is a resounding yes (and it most definitely should be!), the Arab American National Museum’s Global Fridays concert series 2013 Winter Spring Season can fulfill that need with presentations of musical forms from the U.S. and around the world that are rarely seen here.
The season lineup features the traditional Italian music and dance troupe Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino making their Michigan premiere at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, as they prepare for their appearance at the prestigious SXSW Music Festival in March and a U.S. tour in June and July. “The best guitarist you never heard of” and the king of the American Primitive guitar style, Glenn Jones makes his first area appearance in five years at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, 2013. Rounding out the season is up-and-coming NYC-based solo artist Saadi (7:30 p.m. Friday, April 5, 2013), who rocked the opening concert of the 2012 Fall Global Fridays season as part of Janka Nabay and the Bubu Gang, and those fine, funky, award-winning musical mélange masters from Chicago, Funkadesi (7:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2013).
Since 2005, the multicultural Global Fridays performance series – a sister series to the annual summer Concert of Colors world music festival in Midtown Detroit – has offered high-quality musical and spoken-word presentations for fans of traditional and world music and those with adventurous cultural tastes.
Enhancing the Global Fridays experience are the Museum’s intimate 156-seat Auditorium and the after-show artist “meet and greets” and CD signings. The $10/$9 Museum Members ticket price and free, lighted parking makes Global Fridays a great entertainment value for everyone. For complete Global Fridays information and to purchase tickets online, visit www.arabamericanmuseum.org. Tickets are also available at the door.
Read more about this season’s artists below.
Global Fridays is made possible in part by DTE Energy and Comerica. Artist accommodations are provided by DoubleTree Hotel Detroit Dearborn.
GLOBAL FRIDAYS 2013 WINTER SPRING SEASON
HIGH RESOLUTION COLOR IMAGES FOR ALL ARTISTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/85a8drxb3y6l31c/dAiP1F8XGl/2013%20winter%20spring%20Global%20Fridays
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino MICHIGAN PREMIERE
(traditional Italian music + dance)
7:30 p.m. Friday, February 8, 2013
Formed in 1975, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino is both the foremost and longest-standing traditional band from the Salento peninsula, in the Puglia region of southern Italy. Led by violinist/percussionist Mauro Durante, son of the troupe’s original bandleader, this six-piece with dancer provides an intense, atmospheric spectacle, ranging from energetic pizzica (traditional dance/music of Salento) to tender songs of love and longing; from the festa-like exuberance of a village band to an ironic glance toward modernity.
CGS has made 17 albums and thrilled live audiences in Europe and the Middle East; they embarked upon their first North American tour in 2011. In 2010, CGS opened the Concertone of La Notte della Taranta, a major traditional music festival in Melpignano, Italy, where they performed live before 100,000 people. They earned rave reviews for 2012 shows at New York City’s GlobalFest and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. This Global Fridays appearance is the group’s first visit to Michigan; in March they will appear at the SXSW Music and Media Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas with additional dates in the U.S. and Canada set for this summer.
“…their performance was a triumph. Led by violinist and percussionist Mauro Durante, the septet played a fiery, rhythm-driven set that electrified the packed…room.”
— Geroge de Stefano, popmatters.com, re: 2012 GlobalFest appearance
Glenn Jones FIRST AREA SHOW IN FIVE YEARS
(finger-style acoustic guitar)
wsg Lac La Belle
(future-rustic acoustic)
7:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, 2013
The Boston Globe calls Glenn Jones “the best guitarist you never heard of.” A 30-year devotee of the American Primitive tradition of acoustic steel-string guitarists, Jones has been playing guitar since age 14. He formed Boston psych-rock band Cul de Sac in 1989 and led it on a 20-year journey, resulting in nine albums and noted collaborations with guitarist John Fahey and Damo Suzuki of the legendary German group Can. Jones’ 2007 solo release Against Which the Sea Continually Beats is considered a significant addition to the solo guitar canon; his Barbecue Bob in Fishtown was one of Wire magazine’s 50 Best Albums of 2009.
“…Jones uses half-capos and alternative tunings to create incandescent sitar-like sounds… these shimmering musical meditations evoke a wondrous tranquility that’s simply soulful.”
-Linda Laban, The Boston Globe
Lac La Belle is an acoustic duo from Detroit that juxtaposes the early decades of recorded rural American music with a decaying Rustbelt aesthetic. A tradition is re-imagined – or maybe just resumed – in the ‘future-rustic’ swirl of accordion, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and resonator guitar. Jennie Knaggs (accordion/mandolin/ukulele/guitar/vocals) and Nick Schillace (banjo/mandolin/resonator guitar/vocals) are joined by Serge Van Der Voo, upright bass, for this performance.
Saadi (Electro/Pop/Reggae)
7: 30 p.m. Friday, April 5, 2013
Presented in conjunction with Community Partner YELP
Boshra Al Saadi was born in Syria, raised in Pennsylvania and moved to NYC’s East Village in her late teens to co-front indie band Looker. She has spent the last two years singing for Janka Nabay and The Bubu Gang, who rocked the opening of Global Fridays’ 2012 Fall Season. Saadi possesses a rare blend of churning passion and disembodied detachment; no surprise she cites Brian Eno among her influences. Her music is reminiscent of no wave, afro-disco, show gaze, post punk and dabke. Saadi’s band is bassist Mike Dossantos, drummer Mike Duncan, Joanna Choy on keys/vox and Natalia Perlaza on dumbek.
Click HERE to watch Saadi videos, including one from the mesmerizing single Snowyman, a wild masala of urgent, dark vocals whipped around fiercely tribal beats from Saadi’s 2012 release of the same title.
“Like Kate Bush with a sequencer and a passion for reggae, Syrian-born singer Boshra Al Saadi takes the introverted qualities of folktronica and experimental pop and introduces them to some cool new friends.”
-MTV Iggy
Funkadesi (Funk/Pop/Reggae)
7:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, 2013
Funkadesi proudly hails from Chicago, representing the diverse multi-ethnic communities there. What distinguishes it is each band member’s unique and uncompromised cultural/musical contribution merging to create one unifying sound and vision. Funkadesi’s one-world sound, roots-watering vision, and positive vibe make the band a unique and compelling musical force. The group was named Best Int’l/World Music Band in The Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago 2012; they have won five Chicago Music Awards, including two for Most Outstanding Band. Funkadesi has been hailed by Time magazine and Barack Obama; click HERE to watch a music video sampler featuring Obama.
“The rhythms of Indian Ragas and reggae have striking similarities, while the Latin, African and contemporary funk that’s spicing this one-sound, many-voices stew fits the all-world melange to a tee. Whatever your background, there’s music here for you.”
– Geoff Chapman, The Toronto Star
“Funkadesi really knows how to get a crowd going. I can’t say enough how energizing this band is. There’s a lot of funk in that desi!”
–then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama
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All Global Fridays performances begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Lower Level Auditorium at the Arab American National Museum, 13624 Michigan Ave. just west of Schaefer Road in Dearborn. Free, lighted parking is available in the municipal lot north of the Museum; enter the lot by turning north onto Neckel Street from Michigan Avenue.
Tickets, $10/$9 Museum Members are available in advance online at www.arabamericanmuseum.org; tickets also available at the door.
Complete information is available at www.arabamericanmuseum.org or by calling 313.582.2266.
Global Fridays is made possible in part by DTE Energy and Comerica. Artist accommodations are provided by DoubleTree Hotel Detroit Dearborn.