[Los Angeles-MAY 1, 2013] On Friday, May 17, progressive comedienne/actor and activist Roseanne Barr presents "Mideast Masters of Jazz," a progressive be-bop quintet starring sax maniacs Gilad Atzmon and Zane Musa, performing together LIVE for the first time. The event will be hosted at The Mint in Los Angeles, accompanied by some of the best be-bop musicians in Los Angeles. To be sure, jazz as well as rock, heavy metal, hip hop and blues are all-American music originals, but they are genres that are constantly being challenged and reinvented by swingers in the Middle East-by composers, singer-songwriters and musicians who are both natively Middle Eastern but strongly western in their tastes and travels.

"EGYPT NOW", PUBLIC DEBRIEFING ON THE POST-REVOLUTION ERA, BRINGS TOGETHER KEY ACTIVISTS, SCHOLARS AND GENERAL PUBLIC, MON., APRIL 29, 7 PM, LEVANTINE CULTURAL CENTER

[Los Angeles-APRIL 23, 2013]—To get a deeper sense of life in Egypt today after the popular revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak and led to the election of Mohamed Morsi, top activists Jawad Nabulsi, Ahmed Maher and Karim Amer will speak to a limited audience in Los Angeles on Monday evening, April 29, 2013. "Egypt Now" is a public conversation with activist/entrepreneur Nabulsi, activist/engineer Maher, and activist/producer Amer (The Square), moderated by Nerfertiti Takla, on what Americans should know about Egypt in 2013.

There will be an exclusive short screening excerpt from the forthcoming documentary The Square by director Jehane Noujaim (Control Room) presented by its producer, Karim Amer. 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Please Contact Kameron Myles or Lulwa Bordcosh 310 657 5511

 

 “SULTANS OF SATIRE” UNIVERSAL MIDDLE EASTERN COMEDY SUPPORTS INDIAN & MIDDLE EASTERN/NORTH AFRICAN CHARITIES

 

Who: Sultans of Satire, Muslim/Christian Arab comedians with special guest Samson Koletkar, Indian Jewish Stand-Up

What: Comedy Benefit Fundraiser

Price: $20 general admission by April 15; $25 thereafter/at the door

Where: Westwood Hills Congregational Church 1789 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025

Reservations: 323.413.2001, or online, levantinecenter.org, sultansofsatire.com

[Los Angeles - APR 03, 2013] Dr. Norman Finkelstein, author of The Holocaust Industry and most recently Knowing Too Much: Why the American Jewish Romance With Israel is Coming to an End, will speak at several Southern California events on "Israel, Palestine and the Future of Peace." Finkelstein was the subject of the 2009 documentary "American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein."

A former history professor at DePaul University, Finkelstein has been barred from entering Israel again for 10 years due to his visit with Hezbollah officials following the Israel-Lebanon war in 2006. His pronouncements have alarmed the conservative Jewish community, and his stance on the two-state solution has irked the Jewish and Arab American left. Nonetheless, Finkelstein's arguments are always insightful and compelling. 

[Los Angeles—MAR. 20, 2013] Entering into the Persian New Year, the Levantine Cultural Center presents a masterpiece, Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings, a new illustrated edition of the classic work by the great 11th-century Persian poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi. Created by award-winning graphic artist and filmmaker Hamid Rahmanian, this new prose translation of the national epic is illuminated with over 500 pages of illustrations. Rahmanian will share images and text from the book as well as discuss the continued relevance of this powerful classic for a new generation of readers.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

For inquiries, please contact Lulwa Bordcosh or Kameron Myles

310.657.5511

 

MIDDLE EAST CONTINUES TO ROCK, SERIES CONTINUES WITH ONE-NIGHT ONLY PERFORMANCE BY IRANIAN STAR FARZAD GOLPAYEGANI, MARCH 1

[Los Angeles—FEB. 14, 2013] Farzad Golpayegani is one of Iran’s hottest fusion guitarists and composers. He is also a renowned painter and graphic designer who has lived in Iran, Turkey and the U.S. The band is Farzad Golpayegani on electric and acoustic guitar & violin; Ali Sanaei on bass guitar, fretless acoustic bass & acoustic guitar; and Rameel Nissan on drums, percussions and acoustic guitar. This is a one-night only concert before Farzad and his band play live at the 2013 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin TX. The band plays live at The Mint March 1, 8 pm, 6010 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles 90035 to be followed by an after-party art exhibit of his work next door at the Levantine Cultural Center. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

For inquiries, please contact Lulwa Bordcosh or Kameron Myles

310.657.5511

 

RARE MONTH-LONG CELEBRATION OF PAKISTANI AND CENTRAL ASIAN CULTURE CONTINUES WITH GIRNARI JOGI GROOVE, FEB 22, 2013  

[Los Angeles—FEB. 13, 2013] As part of a special month-long series showcasing the cultures of Pakistan and Central Asia, the Levantine Cultural Center hosts “Pakistan and the Girnari Jogi Groove,” a multimedia event showcasing art, music & film devoted to the region. The event will feature a live musical performance by Tablapusher, plus a special screening of musical performances by the Girnari Jogi Group and a screening of Gul, the inventive animated short film by Adnan Hussain.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

For inquiries, please contact Lulwa Bordcosh or Kameron Myles

310.657.5511

 

HONORING BLACK HISTORY MONTH, LEVANTINE CULTURAL CENTER HOLDS

PUBLIC DISCUSSION COMPARING CONFLICT IN MALI, SYRIA FEB 23, 2013

 

 

[Los Angeles—FEB 6., 2013] In honor of Black History Month, the Levantine Cultural Center will hold a public discussion, “Where Do We Go From Here? Answering Dr. King 46 Years Later: Unpacking and Rebuilding Mali and Syria,” featuring African History Professor, David L. Horne and Political Science Professor,ElieChalala on Feb 23 from 2 – 4 p.m. 

 

"THE OTHER SON" WED., FEB. 20, 7:30 PM

[February 7th 2013] In its on-going series examining the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Levantine Cultural Center will present The Other Son on Wed., Feb. 20th, 7:30 pm at the Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills. The Other Son is a provocative "switched at birth" tale that captures the essence of the struggle between Israeli and Palestinian peoples. French director Lorraine Levy presides over an excellent international cast (the film is in Arabic, Hebrew, French and English, with subtitles) that effectively conveys all the emotion wrought from the pain and joys of family drama. Following the screening is a film conversation with UCLA history professor Gabriel Piterberg, former UN consultant and Egypt Today editor Lulwa Bordcosh, and LA Times critic Steven Zeitchik (moderator). Info/tix: 323.413.2001, or visit levantinecenter.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

For inquiries, please contact Lulwa Bordcosh or Kameron Myles

310.657.5511

 

 LEVANTINE-MINT TO HOLD TURKISH ROCK CONCERT FEATURING INTERNATIONAL MUSIC SENSATIONS TWENTY7 AND KUSTAL AS PART OF MUSICAL SERIES, “THE MIDDLE EAST ROCKS”

 

 [Los Angeles—February 7, 2013] Turkish rock band Twenty7 and singer/songwriter Kustal will perform Feb 23, 8 pm at The Mint, 6010 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles. The performance is part of a new series, “The Middle East Rocks,” organized by the Levantine Cultural Center and hosted by venerable L.A. club, The Mint.