The Dark Nightingale
Posted By admin on May 7, 2010
| August 26, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 pm | ||
| August 27, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 pm | ||
| August 28, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 pm | ||
| August 29, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 pm | ||
| September 1, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 pm | ||
| September 2, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 pm | ||
| September 3, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 pm | ||
| September 4, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 pm | ||
| September 5, 2010 | ||
| 8:00 pm |
Jawaahir Dance Company presents “The Dark Nightingale”
Running August 26 through September 5
Jawaahir Dance Company is excited to present The Dark Nightingale, centered around the beloved music of late Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez. The renowned Georges Lammam Ensemble, featuring virtuosic Arabic musicians from across the nation, sets the backdrop for unforgettable dances by Jawaahir, Cassandra, and Spanish guest artist Nesma al-Andalus.
Abdel Halim Hafez: Hafez (1929–1977) was known as al-‘Andaleeb al-Asmar (the Dark Nightingale). Despite a fairly short career, he was one of the most influential Egyptian stars of the 1950s and 60s. He is widely considered to be one of the four greats of Egyptian and Arabic music, along with Umm Kalthoum, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, and Farid Al Atrache. His mellow, resonant voice, subtle vocal style and notably clean intonation made him a stand out.
Abdel Halim studied at Cairo’s Institute of Arabic Music and the Higher Institute for Theatre Music and began his career teaching and playing oboe. During the 1960s, he started to sing colloquial poetry more closely related to popular folk song than ordinary pop songs. His work on these lines had a significant influence on popular song in general. Abdel Halim died March 30, 1977, a few months short of his 48th birthday, while undergoing treatment for bilharzia. His funeral in Cairo was attended by millions of people – more than any funeral in Egyptian history except those of President Nasser (1970) and Umm Kalthoum (1975). Fourteen women committed suicide upon hearing of his death.
Abdel Halim’s music is still very popular, and he is widely regarded as one of the most virtuosic singers in the Arab world. His albums have sold more copies since his death than any other Arab artist except Umm Kalthoum.
Nesma al-Andalus: Born in Spain, Nesma resided in Cairo 1993–1998, where she studied Oriental dance and Egyptian folklore. During that time she performed as a soloist with her own orchestra in over 3,500 shows on the most prestigious stages in Cairo. She broadened her artistic career in the National Egyptian Folkloric Reda Ballet, as the only non-Egyptian dancer to form part of the company. Since 1998 she has danced and taught around the world, and founded her own school and dance company in Madrid: Al-Andalus Danza.
Georges Lammam Ensemble: The violin virtuosity of Georges Lammam returns to rock the Ritz, along with Arabic music superstars Elias Lammam (accordion and vocals), Naser Musa Janini (oud and vocals), the inimitable Karim Nagi (riq and percussion), Nicole LeCorgne (tabla), and Miles Jay (bass), joined by amazing local artists Tim O’Keefe (percussion), Laura Harada (violin), Dawn Doering (nay), and Salah Abdel Fattah (violin).
The show features choreography by artistic director, Cassandra Shore, as well as Kathy McCurdy and Helen Voelker of Jawaahir Dance Company. Plus, the show features lighting design by Jeff Bartlett, former artistic director of The Southern Theater.
In addition to this fabulous show, Nesma and Karim Nagi are offering workshops while they’re here. Visit www.jawaahir.org for more info.
Ticket info
General admission, $28. The performance on Wednesday, September 1, is pay-as-able. Tickets on sale now. Please call the box office at (612) 436-1129 or click here to purchase tickets online!
Categories: Playing at the Ritz
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