Armo-Greco Music & Comedy FestivalThe first Armo-Greco Music and Comedy Festival promises to be a high energy, memorable evening of song, dance and humor.
Heavyweight of hilarity Angelo Tsarouchas hosts the festival. Local favorite Element Band headlines a star-studded musical line-up that includes world-renowned guitarist Pavlo and Italian singing sensation Giovanna Gattuso.
Completing the line-up are comedy favorites Lory Tatoulian and Ara Basil.
Tickets available at Ticketweb.

Menu for August 20, 2001
Coffee: Tea:
Cafe Americain Moroccan Mint Tea
Cafe Cassé Persian Tea
Café Fez (Turkish Coffee) Sage Tea
Café Beiruti (w/ cardamom and orange blossom water) Anise Tea
Espresso Chai Tea
Cold Drinks: Snacks:
Mint Lemonade Labneh Plate
Qamar al-Deen (Apricot drink) Zaatar and Zeit (olive oil) Plate
Ayran (Yogurt drink) Zaytoun (olives) and Feta Plate
Iced Tea Hummus
Café Fez at the Levantine Cultural Center, 5998 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90035 (east of La Cienega, west of Fairfax). 310.657.5511.
Progressive Conversations on Israel/Palestine and US Foreign Policy in the Middle East, the monthly series organized by LA Jews for Peace and the Levantine Cultural Center, with support from the national organization Jewish Voice for Peace, presents Mary Hughes-Thompson and Yonatan Shapira on their experiences with the Gaza Flotilla in July. Despite failing to land any boats on the shores of Gaza, was the flotilla a success—as many international observers argued, because of all the media coverage?
Aslan Media (Staff Writer)
As summer quickly approaches, many of us will inevitably reminisce about years gone by. The end of school brought about warm evenings huddled with friends beneath a blanket of stars, singing folk tunes like "Cumbaya" or even Disney classics like "Hakuna Matata". At some point in between the campfire smores and gossip about the latest high school "crush," childhood delivered one of life's most poignant messages: the similarities we share are stronger than the differences that separate us.
In a letter titled "Ruh Jedida: A New Spirit for 2011," published on the Mideast web site 972mag.com, young Jewish descendants of the Arab and Islamic world living in Israel posted the following letter to their peers in the Middle East and North Africa on April 24, 2011.
We, as the descendents of the Jewish communities of the Arab and Muslim world, the Middle East and the Maghreb, and as the second and third generation of Mizrahi Jews in Israel, are watching with great excitement and curiosity the major role that the men and women of our generation are playing so courageously in the demonstrations for freedom and change across the Arab world. We identify with you and are extremely hopeful for the future of the revolutions that have already succeeded in Tunisia and Egypt. We are equally pained and worried at the great loss of life in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, and many other places in the region.
[Los Angeles, Apr 4]—Want satirical insights on the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East? Need a fresh and funny perspective on American and Middle Eastern life? Want to laugh about it all? The Sultans of Satire show features some of the best stand-up comedians today who happen to be of Arab, Iranian, Turkish, Greek, Armenian and Middle Eastern Jewish heritage. In "Sultans of Satire Celebrate the Egyptian Revolution," Sultans regulars Mike Batayeh, Noel Elgrably and Elham Jazab, plus Nadine Rajabi, Ara Basil and Sheno Khal will perform live on April 28, 2011, 8:00 pm, where they'll offer their own brand of outrageous comedy. Sultans will perform at the Madrid Theatre, 21622 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, CA, 91303.
Ahmed in Mohammed Al-Daradji's "Son of Babylon"This year several Middle Eastern countries submitted feature films to compete for nominations in the category of Best Foreign Film Oscar, among them Algeria, Turkey, Iraq and Israel (a country that rarely misses a chance to compete in the annual Oscar lottery). Egypt had skin in the game with Daoud Abdel Sayed's Messages From the Sea, and there were films from Greece, Azerbaijan and Iran (Mehdi Naderi's Farewell Baghdad). Only one film has a chance on Sunday.
LA Greek FestAt one time another most of these comedic characters have landed laughs as members of the Sultans of Satire, and Maz Jobrani headlined the world-famous "Axis of Evil Comedy Tour" with his buddies Ahmed Ahmed and Aron Kader (all three have been cultural ambassadors for the Levantine Center). Now Angela Tsarouchas, the great Greek comedian who moved to L.A. from Canada, headlines with Maz and Frank Spadone, while the show is hosted by the devilishly irreverent Ara Basil, with guest appearances by Noel Elgrably and Kira Soltanqvich.