Traditional Arab Music and Flamenco Unite on Stage in Detroit

posted on: Sep 1, 2013

At the intersection of traditional Arab music and the singular Spanish art of Flamenco is Andalusia, the southernmost region of Spain once ruled by the Moors – medieval Muslims from the Iberian peninsula, North Africa and other Mediterranean lands.

At 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013, the Arab American National Museum presents The Spirit of al-Andalus: A Concert of Arab Music and Flamenco, features Los Angeles-based Arab music masters A.J. Racy & Ensemble and renowned Detroit-based Flamenco artists La Chispa & Company, whose members include three native Andalusians.

This once-in-a-lifetime cross-cultural experience takes place at the Max M. Fisher Music Center, 3711 Woodward Ave. in Detroit. Reflecting distinctly Arab and Spanish cultural influences, each ensemble will perform a set; then, the two will unite for an improvisational jam session.

This evening marks the occasion of the 10th Museum Gala, supporting the Arab American National Museum (AANM) in Dearborn. Since 2004 – prior to the May 2005 opening of the AANM – this important annual event has been the Museum’s single-largest source of unrestricted funding.

Concert-only tickets are $50, $75, $100 and $150. Patron ($250) and Benefactor ($500) tickets include a 6:30 p.m. reception and other benefits. All are available by calling 313.842.4748 or online at www.arabamericanmuseum.org.

<u>A.J. Racy & Ensemble</u>

Dr. Ali Jihad Racy is a performer, composer and Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of California at Los Angeles. Born in Lebanon, he comes from a well-known family of artists, scholars, and academicians. Racy is internationally recognized for his extraordinary musicianship; he is a master of many traditional instruments, particularly the nay, a reed-flute, and the buzuq, a long-necked fretted lute. He has performed extensively in Lebanon and has appeared in major U.S. theaters, such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Hollywood Bowl and at international venues. Read more HERE.

Ahmed El-Asmer is an accomplished Arab singer and percussionist. Since moving to the U.S. in 1974, he has performed throughout the country. He is admired for his remarkable vocal talent and mastery of various Arab musical traditions.

Petro Al Ammar specializes in classical Middle Eastern percussion but is also well versed in global drum traditions. A 2001 graduate of the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music, the Beirut native has performed and recorded extensively in Europe, North America and the Arab World. He lives and works in Southern California.

Other ensemble members to be announced

<u>La Chispa & Company</u>

This renowned ensemble brings a fresh approach to Flamenco, an authentic feel that affirms its tradition and Flamenco’s exploratory roots. The diversity of artists and the development of music is the key to their constant innovation and evolution of their music and dance.

When fans and critics talk about the troupe’s founder, Valeria Montes, aka La Chispa (The Spark), they use terms like “mesmerizing” and “beauty in motion.” Trained in her native Mexico, Spain and the U.S., La Chispa, a 2010 Kresge Artist Fellow, is known for her passionate and graceful interpretation of Flamenco cante (song) and for the fireworks of her complex rhythmic zapateado (footwork).

La Chispa is joined in performance by the troupe’s co-director/arranger/dancer Jesus Munoz; bassist Yosmel Montejo; and three native Andalusians – vocalist Ismael De La Rosa, guitarist Jose Vega Nino del Puente, and percussionist Israel Katumba.

Visit La Chispa & Company’s Facebook page <a href=”https://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Chispa-and-Company/148039878632244″>here</a>.