Events

Event details

Join us for an intimate concert of Arab Music with Syrian oud master Essam Rafea.

Concert | Saturday, August 17, 8 p.m. | $15 donation requested
Arab Music Workshop | Sunday, August 18, 5-8 p.m. | $40 registration fee

Hosted by Mizna
and Rock Star Supply Co.
in their beautiful new space at
2388 University Ave West, St Paul 55114

Oud master and Damascus native Essam Rafea has recently settled in Dekalb, Illinois.
Rafea is the Chair of the Arabic Music Department at High Institute of Music in Damascus and the principal conductor of Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music. Essam has performed in France, Spain, Morocco, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Kuwait, and Syria, and won first prize in the oud category at the 2000 Cairo Improvisation Competition.

Essam is the founder of the award-winning Syrian takht ensemble Twais and the international ensemble Hewar. He has collaborated with a wide range of musicians, including Jean-Christophe Frish’s Musiques des Lumières XVIII-21, and Blur frontman Damon Albarn, on his project Gorillaz.

Listen to his songs with Twais: http://twaisquartet.com/albums.html

WORKSHOP DETAILS
Essam will also be offering a hands-on workshop on Arab music for local musicians. Topics will include ornamentation, improvisation, and maqamat (the melodic modes of Arab music). The focus will be on developing fresh ways of elaborating melodic sentences. All instruments and levels of ability are welcome; participants should be able to read staff notation, and of course should bring their instruments. The $40 registration fee will be collected at the door (cash or check, please). For more details, and to reserve a space, write Matt Rahaim: mrahaim@umn.edu