Alchemy of Dreams - Sept. 24, 2005

Levantine Festival 2 at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood
Sat., Sept. 24, 8 pm.

Doors open at 6 pm, Mideastern booths at 7 pm.
Purchase tix below, or call the Ford box office, 323.461.3673

Read Whole Life Times article about Mystic Journey and Suzanne Teng.

Naser Musa, Adam del Monte

Alchemy of Dreams, Levantine Festival 2 features the virtuoso talents of oudist Naser Musa and flamenco guitarist Adam del Monte with their new ensemble. The concert event includes Mystic Journey, and both sets feature dance performances. This concert is part of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission series at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. It is a featured event in the third edition of the World Festival of Sacred Music. The Ford Amphitheatre opens at 6 pm for those wanting to bring a picnic dinner or order food and eat outside before the performance. Diverse Middle Eastern vendors open their booths at 7 pm. Join us for an amazing night of music and dance under the stars!

NASER MUSA Singer, songwriter, oud master and a valued studio musician, Naser Musa has composed, arranged, and recorded several projects in the Middle East and in the United States. His recordings include "Khaliji" (RT Productions), a collection of folk songs from the Arabian Gulf region, which he researched and arranged. His most recent CD is "Christmas and Beyond "(SahaRaneen Productions) a collection of Arabic church hymns and other western Christmas carols which he rearranged and performed. Naser Musa has also recorded for the highly acclaimed artists John Debney, Michael Sembello, Sabah, and others. He recently played oud on the soundtrack of "The Passion of Christ" by director Mel Gibson.

A Jordanian of Palestinian decent, Naser Musa moved to the United States in 1982 and earned a degree in music from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA. He performs regularly at concerts and festivals around the world and frequently with the prominent ethnomusicologists Dr. A. J. Racy of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Dr. Scott Marcus of the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He has appeared on stage with some of the biggest names in Arabic music, including Lebanon's legendary Sabah, Lebanese superstar Ragheb Alame, Hani Shaker and Hakim from Egypt. In addition to the United States, Naser Musa has toured Latin America and the Middle East.

He continues to experiment with the blending of musical elements and artistic styles. Throughout his career, his objective has been to combine Arabic maqams: a melodic structure or series of phrases based on Arabic scales, with western elements in order to present a style of Arabic music that is understood and appreciated by the western listener. Naser Musa's current project involves mixing elements of bluegrass with Arabic music to create a unique artistic statement.

The Naser Musa-Adam del Monte Ensemble performs contemporary Arab, flamenco and crossover Sephardic music, featuring guest dancer Laila del Monte. Visit Naser Musa's web site.

One of the leading flamenco and classical guitarists/composers of his time, Adam del Monte has made it his life mission to fully express himself in these two genres, transcending labeling and convention. Always having incorporated a wide variety of musical styles from around the world into his compositions, del Monte has recently debuted his new progressive flamenco ensemble, namely a group of extraordinary musicians embarking on a journey of blendingflamenco with jazz and beyond in a group setting. Adam is the first prize winner of the International Stotsenberg Classical Guitar Competition 1997. Parallel to his classical guitar studies, del Monte lived and studied with the gypsies of Sacromonte in Granada, Spain. It was in Granada and later in Madrid where he absorbed the art of flamenco, learning and performing with the true maestros of Spain: Pepe "Habichuela", Paco Cortez, and Gerardo Nunez, to name a few. He performed with singers such as Enrique Morente in the Teatro Real, Madrid and Teatro Manuel de Falla in Granada; singer Lole Montoya on several occasions and on Spanish television.
He has performed for the last 20 years in Spain, England, France, Switzerland, Israel, Brazil, and the US.Del Monte has been collaborating with his spouse, renowned flamenco dancer, Laila del Monte.

Some of the venues where they have performed include The Getty, the Skirball Cultural Center, Hollywood Bowl, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, John Anson Ford Theater, Mark Taper Forum, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Jordan Hall-Boston, Guitar Foundation of America guitar festivals in the US in the years '96, '97 and '99, in the prestigious court of Conde Duque in Madrid, and numerous concerts in guitar festivals around the world. Adam has collaborated with orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, Madrid Symphony Orchestra, Budapest Radio Symphony, California Philharmonic and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.
Visit Adam and Laila del Monte's web site.

World flutist and wind instrumentalist Suzanne Teng & Mystic Journey featuring world percussionist Gilbert Levy—with special guest artists Prince Diabaté (kora, vocals) and Lexi Pearl’s MoMomentum Dancers—will offer a performance of mystical music and dance created from a fusion of musical styles from around the world. A blend of ethereal, ecstatic, ancient and modern music will transport you around the world and beyond. The ensemble features Fritz Heede on flamenco guitar, sitar, saz and mandolin and Barry Newton on string bass. Additional guest artists are Andrew Werderitsch/didgeridoo; Malik Sow/African percussion; Armen Chakmakian/keyboards and Ray Yslas/Latin and world percussion.

Suzanne Teng, M. Mus., is a performer and recording artist in Los Angeles and is the winner of the Independent Music Awards Best New Age Artist for 2005 and 2001. Her contemporary world music band Suzanne Teng & Mystic Journey was named a HOT 100 by Music Connection Magazine for 2003 and 2004. Her critically acclaimed recordings "Miles Beyond" and "Mystic Journey" feature her original compositions on which she plays a large assortment of flutes from around the world along with her partner Gilbert Levy on world percussion, band mates Fritz Heede on world strings and Barry Newton on string bass, and special guest master musicians from around the world. Read Whole Life Times article about Mystic Journey and Suzanne Teng.

"Mystic Journey" was a finalist for the Just Plain Folks Awards 2004 Best Instrumental Album, a candidate for a Grammy nomination for Best New Age Album, appears on the UK Top Albums in New Age, and was a finalist for New Age Voice Magazine’s Best Acoustic Instrumental Album and Best Contemporary World Music Album. Billboard Magazine wrote "Sensual and Serene…'Mystic Journey' is an impressive solo debut." Both albums appear on numerous publication and radio "Top albums of the Year" lists including the Public Radio International nationally syndicated show "Echoes," and are listed by Amazon.com among the Most Requested New Age albums on the Radio. Visit the Mystic Journey web site.

Prince Diabaté hails from a prominent, Malinké family from Guinea, West Africa. He learned his art from his father, Djéli Sori Diabaté. Prince Diabaté has toured in Africa, Europe, Canada and the US, developing a distinctive style, characterized by a lightning-quick, percussive technique coupled with a dynamic stage presence. He has recorded two CDs: "Lamaranaa" (Buda Musique/Allegro) in 1993, awarded a four star rating, and "New Life" (Sunrise Records/Orchard) in 2001, which features guest artists Michael Brook and Hassan Hakmoun.

Considered to be one of the leading kora players of his generation, Prince Diabaté brings not only total mastery over his ancestral tradition, but a commitment to renew it through fresh ideas and exchanges with musicians from many cultures. His collaborations have included artists and groups as diverse as The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Adam del Monte (Flamenco) Hassan Hakmoun (Gnawa) and Grammy winners Michael Brook (guitarist/producer/composer) and Ozomatli (Hip-Hop fusion.) Moving easily between the classical traditions of Mandé music and modern fusion, Prince Diabaté has incorporated reggae, rap, blues and funk into his work. Recently, he has adapted the music of the Wassolou to his repertoire, which he plays, self-taught, on the kamelen n'goni. The result is entirely his own: a fresh, powerful brand of twenty-first century Manden music, which remains strongly rooted in traditional codes and references. Visit Prince Diabaté's web site.

Alchemy of Dreams tickets are $36 for preferred seating, $26 general, with some discounts available. For tickets, log on to the Ford web site or call the Ford Box Office at 323 GO 1-FORD (461-3673). For more information about the concert and Levantine Cultural Center, call 310.559.5544 or 310.402.6469.

The Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068, just off the 101 Hollywood Freeway across from the Hollywood Bowl and south of Universal Studios. The grounds open two hours before showtime for picnicking. The Ford offers a number of dining options: a variety of food and beverages is available on site and box dinners for evening events may be ordered in advance. Patrons are welcome to bring their own food and drink. The Ford is disabled accessible. Portable wireless listening devices are available upon request.

On-site, stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle for evening shows and $1 per vehicle for morning family shows. For evening shows only, FREE non-stacked parking serviced by a FREE shuttle to the Ford is available at the Universal City Metro Station lot at Lankershim Blvd. and Campo de Cahuenga. The shuttle, which cycles every 15-20 minutes, stops in the "kiss and ride" area. This event is part of the Ford Amphitheatre 2005 Season, a multi-disciplinary arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations. For a complete season schedule, directions to the theater and parking information, log on to the Ford web site.

Preferred Seating, $36

General Seating, $26

Founded in the summer of 2001 by four Americans of Middle Eastern heritage and with a prestigious national advisory board, Levantine Cultural Center has always been a nomadic center without a permanent home—with dozens of programs appearing across Southern California in venues as diverse as Beyond Baroque Literary/Arts Center, the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre or the Los Angeles Bahai Center. Recently the Center will moved into a new performance space, photography gallery and offices in Culver City, in an area burgeoning with art galleries and other creative businesses, near the intersection of La Cienega and Washington. What makes Levantine Cultural Center unique is its pan-cultural, inclusive approach, recognizing not only national cultures but important minority cultures within the Middle East, North African and Mediterranean mosaic. Additionally, many Levantine programs bring together both Arabs and Jews or other cultural groups with a history of conflict and a pressing need for reconciliation. Call 310.559.5544 for more information.

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