Home » Maine Articles » Alhan Middle Eastern Music Ensemble to Perform with Jamileh & Friends Dancing Troupe
Alhan Middle Eastern Music Ensemble to Perform with Jamileh & Friends Dancing Troupe
Come enjoy an evening celebration of traditional Arabic music and belly dancing with classically trained performers
PORTLAND, ME April 03, 2009 /Maine PR News/ -- Alhan Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, performers of classical and popular Arabic and Ottoman music from the 17th to the 21st centuries, will be performing with Jamileh, a troupe of traditional dancers, for a rare performance of Middle Eastern Music and Dance at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church on 425 Congress Street Saturday, April 4 at 8 pm. Tickets to the show are $12 at the door, with children under the age of 12 are free.
Alhan's traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern Music repertoire is drawn from noted composers of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Turkey. The group will perform "Muwashshahat," a classical song form developed in 10th century Andalusia and performed throughout the modern Arab world. Also featured are selections of classical and popular Arabic songs, including compositions of the Rahbani Brothers written for the great Lebanese singer, Fairuz, and several instrumental pieces written for Raqs Sharqi by the Egyptian composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab.
"One of the distinct features of both Arabic and Ottoman music is the advanced system of chords and musical intervals capable of producing an unlimited range of expressive melodic possibilities," Tom Kovacevic, a musician in the band, said. "Combined with the physical expression of dance, the evening will offer the audience a truly rare and beautiful performance of Middle Eastern Music and Dance."
The musicians' performance will be enhanced by traditional belly dance performance art, which is very popular in Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey. Jamileh and her troupe will perform "Raqs Beledi" a solo folk dance of Egyptian women with variations native to many regions of the Middle East and Raqs Sharqi.
Alhan musicians will plays a number of instruments unique to Middle Eastern Music, including the "oud," a short necked fretless lute; the "riqq," a tambourine played by a varity of hand positions; and the "nay," a rim blown bamboo flute which traces its ancestry back to Sumer.
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About Drake's Island Media
About Alhan: Alhan is a Portland, Maine-based Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, performing classical and popular Arabic and Ottoman music from the 17th to the 21st centuries. The group, which formed in 2006 features Eric LaPerna, playing the riqq and darbuka; Tom Kovacevic, performing on the oud, nay and vocals; Madeleine Hanna, performing lead vocals and frame drum; and Michael Gallant on violin. All of the members have learned from leading performers of Middle Eastern music, including Simon Shaheen, Bassam Saba, Michel Merhej and the late Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian.
About Jamileh: Jamileh Jeanne Handy, of Lebanese descent, grew up with belly dance and began performance and in-depth study in 1993 with Josie Conte. She has been teaching different forms of movement for more than 20 years. She was the resident dancer with the late Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian Middle Eastern Ensemble and continues an active performing and teaching career, including as Director of the Bowdoin College Middle Eastern Dance Ensemble.
For Media Inquiries:
Mary Raitt Jordan
Drake's Island Media
207-985-3999
207-337-0050 mobile
mj@maine.rr.com
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Press Release Contact Information:
Mary Jordan
Drake's Island Media
Principal
114 Clark Road
Wells, Maine
USA 04090
Voice: 207-985-3999
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