Welcome
to Our Calendar
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:: JANUARY 2005 ::
[To learn about getting events listed, email the Calendar Editor. Send all photos as small jpegs or gifs.]
All programs free unless otherwise noted.
Through
Jan. 8—"Prism, Beyond the Focal Plane" Exhibit and ReceptionExhibition through January 15, 2005. Artists from the South Asian and Turkish disapora show new multimedia works, curated by Andaleeb Firdosy. "A map is a curious thing—a totalizing document, yet abstract and disembodied. It is an indispensable reference and completely malleable at once, marking the fires of politics with a sterile hand..." This exhibit is a catalogue of cartographers, artists creating metaphor-models that trace the contours of the globe, catch it through a peripheral glance, and offer up the occasional cross-section. The themes of the five disaporic artists are as varied as their maritime coordinates, yet their statements are expressed in an emergent modal currency, a double vision that draws a line suggesting dimensionality.
Gul Cagin, Arzu Arda Kosar, Meena Nanji, Allan deSouza and Andaleeb Firdosy. 18th Street Arts Center, 1639 18th St., Santa Monica 90405. Info 310.453.3711. See the web site for details. Made possible by The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts, cosponsored by Artwallah.
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The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has become one of the most important issues facing the world today — yet what do we really know about the conflict beyond the bloody issues on the nightly news? Few other issues fuel so much global tensions and violence — but how many of us have met someone who lives the terror everyday?
This Land To Me, Some Call it Palestine, Others Israel is a new approach to exploring these questions. Through a traveling installation of life-size photographs and first person narratives, "This Land" creates a virtual encounter between the public and everyday Israelis and Palestinians. From many, it will be their first opportunity to stand eye to eye with what is perceived as the “other."
The installation pairs 12 free-form life-size canvas portraits (44" x 60") with another 12 free-form canvas panels (36” x 60”) bearing first-person narratives by those in the photographs. Viewers will be literally surrounded by images, words and voices as they make their way through the installation. Each photographic image is of a single person looking directly into the camera, as if looking into the viewers’ eyes; each narrative answers the question of what the land means to the person in the photo, as if speaking directly to the viewer in candid, intimate terms. A looped audio of their voices plays in the background.
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This Land is under the fiscal sponsorship of the Middle East Peace Network, a California 501 (c) 3 and is supported by the Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Levantine Cultural Center. The project was conceived by photojournalist Barbara Grover who has traveled from the Gaza Strip to the Lebanese border to photograph and interview subjects for this work.
At the Sherry Frumkin Gallery, Studio 21, 3026 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica Airport, Santa Monica 90495. Ph. 310.397.7493. "This Land" runs through Na. 8. Gallery hours Wed.-Sat., 11 am - 6 pm.
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| Robyn Friend of Garip Bulbul |
Vocalist and dancer Robyn Friend performs with Garip Bulbul at Cafe Aman at Café Danssa in West Los Angeles. The program includes Ottoman-influenced Balkan dance music from Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Friend begins the program with instrumentalist Neil Siegel by teaching some dances from Southwest Iran, and from the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. With Siegel on oud and kaval, Ergun Tamer on kanun, Ian Price on tupan, darbukka, and def, and the incomparable Sonja Tamar Seeman on clarinet. More info on Robyn Friend.
Café Aman at Café Danssa, 11533 W. Pico Blvd. West Los Angeles. Every 2nd Sat., 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. $7.00 Admission. (Street parking only). For information, please contact either of the hosts for the evening: Mady Taylor: 310.820.3527 or Ian Price: 818.753.0740.
Jan. 9 (Sun.), 6:30 pm—Dinner Show in Support of Middle East Peace Theatrical Production "Salam Shalom"
Café Intifada and the theatrical production of " Salam Shalom: A Tale Of Passion," coming in February 2005, present a show beginning at 6:30 pm with dinner at 8.
"Salam Shalom" is an award-winning play by the Palestinian American who goes only by the name of Saleem. When two men, a Palestinian and an Israeli, are thrown together as housemates, the last thing they expect to do is fall in love. It is a love affair that must transcends many taboos to survive. No matter what your creed, color, race, or sexuality, this play demonstrates the tenacity of true love in seeking acceptance. The play explores the articulations between nationalism and homosexuality in the Arab world and Israel.
Supporting peace through the different creative forms of the arts, you'll enjoy an evening with a family-style dinner buffet with Mediterranean cuisine , a spectacular Middle Eastern dance show with "Saleem" and "Flowers of the Arabian Desert, " including spoken word with Dima Hilal and Emma Rosenthal and the best selection of Middle Eastern & World DJ music that you will dance to.
$30 per person includes dinner and show. Contributions tax-deductible. Space is limited and reservations highly recommended. At the Bungalow Club - 7174 Melrose Ave.. West Hollywood , Ca 90046. 2 blocks west of La brea on Melrose. Reservations & Information: 323.933.9214, or email Saleem or visit the site.
You can also reserve by calling Emma Rosenthal at 818.404.5784, or visit the Café Intifada site.
Jan.
15 (Sat.), 7:00 pm/Jan. 16 (Sun.) 3 pm—Ustad
Farida Mahwash Performs Afghan Concerts
at the GettySounds of LA, the Getty's free weekend performance series exploring Los Angeles' rich musical heritage, launches its seventh season with an eclectic mix of music by master musicians as well as the next generation of culture bearers.
The 1960s and 70s are remembered as the golden age of Afghan music. It was the heyday of Radio Afghanistan, Kabul was a cultural center, and powerhouse vocalist Ustad Farida Mahwash was the voice of the times. Sounds of LA 2005 opens with the legendary singer who has devoted her life to sharing traditional Afghan music and culture. With characteristic Indian influences, the music ranges from elegant classical melodies to ecstatic festival songs. Click here for more info on Ustad Farida Mahwash.
Harold M. Williams Auditorium at the Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049. Free to the public, with reservations, limit four seats per reservation. Reservations available beginning December 23 at 9 a.m. For tickets call 310.440.7300.
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Souhail
Kaspar/Neareastmusic.com presents
Al Karisma, an ensemble featuring
the Grooves of Andalusia, Arabia & North Africa.
:: Open Dancing • Optional Traditional Dress Encouraged • Open
Bar with Lively Reception & Middle Eastern Jewelry Vendors 8-9 pm
• Full Show 9 to 11 pm ::
This
refreshing group brings together visiting master musician from Morocco,
Rachid Halihal, with master percussionist Souhail Kaspar, and multi-instrumentalist
Chakib Hilali, and features Kylie Faint on kanun and Bahia Sultan on percussion.
The first half of
the program presents vibrant grooves from the Golden Era of Arabic music
with vocal and instrumental selections including the likes of Oum Kolthoum,
Mohamed Abdul Wahab, and the Rahbani brothers. The second half of the
program will present a variety of different styles of music from Morocco
and North Africa, including "ala" or music
of Andalusia.
Features visiting master musician from Morocco, Rachid Halihal on
oud, violin and vocals; master percussionist Souhail Kaspar; Kylie Faint
on kanun; Chakib Hilali on oud, percussion and ney; and Bahia Sultan on
percussion. For full bios and to purchase advance tickets, click
here. Or call 310.559.5544 to reserve by phone.
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Jan.
26-Jan 30 (Wed-Sun.), 8:00 pm and 4 pm/7:30 Sun.—L.A. Theatre Works'
"Sixteen Wounded" Plays at Skirball Cultural Center
Tony Nominee OMAR METWALLY
Reprises His role When L.A. Theatre Works Records Eliam Kraiem's Piercing
New Play, "Sixteen Wounded" For Radio Broadcast
Sixteen Wounded - The life of an emotionally remote Jewish
baker in Amsterdam is turned upside down when a young Palestinian radical
is hurled through his bakery window. Two worlds collide as the young man’s
expectations about his life-long enemies are confounded by truths more
complicated than he is prepared to accept. Friendship struggles against
seemingly inevitable violence as each man tries to reach beyond the limits
of the age-old conflict that has defined them. All performances are recorded
to air on L. A Theatre Works’ nationally-syndicated radio theater
series, The Play’s The Thing, which broadcasts weekly on public
and satellite radio.
“Some plays have the power to provoke,” wrote the New York
Times. 'Sixteen Wounded' may well stun you into silence.”
Sixteen Wounded, Kraiem’s first play, received its world premiere
at the Long Wharf Theatre where it starred Metwally and Martin Landau.
It transferred to Broadway with Metwally and Judd Hirsch, receiving numerous
nominations and awards including a 2004 Tony nomination for Metwally’s
performance.
Performances of Sixteen Wounded at the Skirball Cultural Center
take place Wed., Jan. 26 at 8 pm; Thurs., Jan. 27 at 8 pm; Fri., Jan.
28 at 8 pm; and Sun., Jan. 30 at 4 pm and 7:30 pm. (There is no performance
on Sat., Jan. 29.) Audience Q & As with the playwright follow the
Thurs., 8 pm and Sun., 7:30 pm performances. The Skirball Cultural Center
is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Boulevard, in the Santa Monica Mountains
just off the San Diego Freeway (exit Skirball Center Drive). Tickets range
from $20.00 to $45.00. For reservations and information, call the L.A.
Theatre Works Box Office at 310.827.0889 or go to www.latw.org.
Jan.
27 (Thurs.) 12 noon—Lecture on "Jewish Question/Muslim Question"
at UCLA
Mario Scialoja, former Ambassador of Italy to Saudi Arabia, speaks on
"Jewish Question/Muslim Question: The Burden of Assimilation in European
Society, Past & Present." Royce Hall 306, UCLA. Free to the public.
Info 310.825.5387 or see web site.
Feb.
1 (Tues.) 7:30 pm—Rumi and the Mystical Life
Journey, with Dr. Majid Naimi
A Community Interfaith Event. DR. MAJID NAINI
Professor Naini is a world traveler who has lived and taught in four different
continents. For most of the past 24 years Dr. Naini has been a Professor,
Program Director, Laboratory Director, Department Chair, and College Dean
at several major universities throughout the world in the fields of Computer
Science, Engineering, and Information Technology. For the past 30 years
of his life, Dr. Naini has been a student of mysticism, poetry, literature,
history, and numerous traditions and cultures. He has been featured in
numerous U.S. and international websites, newspapers, and TV and radio
shows, including a new PBS program, “Iran: A Celebration of Art and
Culture.” He also is the main speaker and consultant for a new documentary
film about Rumi. Dr. Naini is one of the foremost scholars of Rumi, the
13th century Sufi mystic, who is the best selling poet in the U.S. today.
Dr. Naini’s latest book is “Mysteries of the Universe and Rumi’s
Discoveries on the Majestic Path of Love.”
Dr. Naini’s electrifying and mesmerizing rendition of Rumi’s
poetry resonates within all who seek love, peace, and knowledge. Many
people have commented that Dr. Naini “radiates warmth and love and
Rumi’s spirit moves in him” and they have been “transformed
by his talks” and “moved by his generosity of spirit.”
Professor Naini’s extraordinary gifts are perhaps described best
by a recent workshop participant who stated, “The depth of his knowledge
of Rumi's poetry and his ability to recite a poem appropriate to the subject
on the fly and then accurately translate it to English, is unparalleled.”
Everyone agrees it is wonderful to hear someone so passionately and touchingly
speak of universal love, serenity, and peace.
In this talk Dr. Naini will discuss Rumi’s life, discoveries, and
his teachings of how to appreciate the wonderful journey of life both
in time and space on this earth, throughout the universe, and beyond.
As Dr. Naini states, “Rumi’s poetry emphasizes love, the miraculous
force that quickens the flow of the energy of our souls and allows us
to soar to the highest state of ecstasy in our life journey. Rumi declares
that love is the reason for the creation of the universe. Love makes mountains
dance and the whole universe sing a heavenly song of Divine Unity.”
Join Dr. Naini for an exciting workshop and share a few sips of Rumi’s
incredible potion of love and wisdom and reach a new level of mystical
understanding about the journey of life on this earth and beyond, and
the power of true love.
Culver-Palms United Methodist Church, 4464 Sepulveda
Blvd. Culver City, CA 90230. 310. 390.7717. Directions: Four blocks East
of the 405 Freeway, 1 block south of Braddock Ave.
Parking is available in the lot behind the church. $15 donation at the
door, $10 in advance;
Make check payable to YES, INC. For
further info call: 310.837.2294.
Feb.
4 (Fri.), 8 pm—Sussan Deyhim / Maya Beiser in Exclusive Double Bill
at UCLA's Royce Hall
Sussan Deyhim: Vocodeliks
Maya Beiser: World to Come
"[Sussan Deyhim creates] thrilling music that sounds in the ear long
after you’ve left the show."
— The New York Times
"Maya, it seems to me, is doing for the cello what the Kronos Quartet
did or the string quartet ... She's saying, 'This is a different way to
go.'"
— Steve Reich
Incorporating the ancient mysticism of Middle Eastern music with the wizardry
of modern technology, Iranian-born vocalist, composer and performance
artist Sussan Deyhim creates
a haunting, resonant and deeply moving fusion of East and West. Best known
for her celebrated collaborations with world-renowned Iranian filmmaker
Shirin Neshat, this versatile artist has lent her trademark vocal improvisations
and lushly layered harmonies to Peter Gabriel’s score for The Last
Temptation of Christ as well as to projects by Bill Laswell, Bobby McFerrin,
Branford Marsalis, Mickey Hart and DJ Spooky. Vocodeliks takes audiences
on a musical and visual odyssey across time, showcasing Deyhim’s
most probing vocal soundscapes, including her stirring film music with
Neshat.
Former cellist for new music heroes, Bang on a Can, Maya
Beiser has redefined her instrument with a repertoire that cuts across
cultures and genres. Evocative, theatrical and spiritual, Beiser’s
new multimedia solo concert features the Los Angeles premiere of a Steve
Reich multi-track cello piece as well as new works by Osvaldo Golijov,
David Lang and Louis Andriessen. Encompassing text, vocals, dramatic lighting
and interactive videos, World to Come is Beiser’s personal journey
into the sounds and images of cello music in the 21st century through
the works of some of our most esteemed living composers.
Royce Hall, UCLA, Fri, Feb 4 at 8pm. Tickets:
$45, 35, 25 ($15 UCLA students). Media Sponsor: LA Weekly.
Feb.
5 (Sat.), 8 pm—The Yuval Ron Ensemble Performs at Lenart Auditorium,
Fowlers Museum/UCLA
In
a concert to benefit the Oasis of Peace (Neveh Shalom/Wahat al-Salam),
a small town in Israel where Israelis and Palestinians live, work and
govern together, the Yuval Ron Ensemble, featuring Najwa Gibran, will
perform songs of Sufi origin, Arabic folklore, Jewish - Andalusian and
Ladino music from Spain and Morocco and Armenian traditional music. Organized
by UCLA's Progressive Jewish Students' Association and the United Arab
Society. For more about Oasis
of Peace, visit their site.
The Yuval Ron Ensemble is a collaboration of musicians from Arab, Israeli,
Jewish and Armenian origins. The ensemble combines the sacred musical
traditions of Judaism, Sufism (Islamic mystical tradition) and the Christian
Armenian Church.
Join Angelenos in celebrating a night of peace and co-existence. Sat.,
Feb. 5 at 8 pm. Doors open 7:30. UCLA Fowler Museum, Lenart Auditorium.
$10 suggested donation. No reservations or advanced ticket sales. Parking:
$7 in Wilson Plaza (Lot #4). Enter from Sunset Blvd. Directions: visit
the Fowler website at: or call
310.825.4361.
Volunteer with Levantine Cultural Center's Programming Committee
Bring your ideas, enthusiasm and support to the Center by participating
in a new Programming Committee, that will cooperate with our Board of
Directors in creating new arts programs in the weeks and months ahead.
To get on the reservation list for the next meeting, email
us now!
Board of Directors Seeks Community Leaders
Levantine Center's Board of Directors is continually in formation, and welcomes inquiries—we are actively searching for more people with our passion and conviction! The board consists of diverse members of the community who are of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean heritage or who have a strong professional or artistic interest in furthering our mission. As directors, board members represent the organization officially, are responsible for its financial health, and make the priority strategic decisions, with counsel from Advisory Board members where possible. Board members work with activists heading specific committes, including the Film/Video, Literary, Education Performing Arts and Membership Committees.
Our
Advisory Board is also in formation. Advisory board members are known
professionally in their own communities and offer valuable counsel and
services to the organization; they are eligible to attend the organization's
annual retreat and receive other benefits.
Please contact us at 310.559.5544.
Submit your calendar listings to our calendar
editor now.
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subscribe to our listserve and receive our special updates (which include
free ticket giveaways, articles and more), either visit our Sign-up
page or send a message to: levantinecenter@levantinecenter.org
and
include Subscribe Me in the subject box. Be sure to give us your first
and last name and how you heard about us!
To join/support Levantine Cultural Center, simply go to our membership page and fill in the blanks, use your credit card, or print and mail in your check for $120 annual membership dues (that's just $10 per month! and you'll receive many discounts and a pair of free tickets to an upcoming event, a minimum $40 value) to: Levantine Center, 8424A Santa Monica Blvd., N. 789, West Hollywood, CA 90069.
LEVANTINE
CULTURAL CENTER
Cultures of the Middle East & Mediterranean
8424A Santa Monica Blvd., N.789, West Hollywood
CA 90069
310.559.5544, info@levantinecenter.org
Levantine Center advocates for, educates about, and in general promotes
and supports Middle Eastern and Mediterranean contemporary arts and traditional
cultures. We present or cosponsor programs of music, literature, art,
film/video, publications, new media and more, often from educational and
historical perspectives. While acknowledging the value of entertainment,
we emphasize scholarship and substance. We are strongly multidisciplinary
and non-sectarian, do not embrace any political or religious doctrine,
and are committed to the principle of cross-cultural cooperation. We support
the strengthening of ties between all cultural, ethnic and religious communities
of the Middle East/West Asia/Levant, as well as between all peoples of
Middle Eastern descent in diaspora.
See what Levantine Center has been up to and take note of other recent cultural events.
