Monthly Archives: October 2012

Film screening: “Goddess – Chinese Women on Screen” @ Asia Society New York from November 9 to December 8, 2012

Asia Society New York announces the presentation of a film series to celebrate major screen divas in the history of Chinese cinema. The title of the series, Goddess: Chinese Women on Screen, is inspired by one of the selections, the 1934 silent classic The Goddess, featuring Ruan Lingyu—the “Chinese Greta Garbo.” Nine films from China and Hong Kong will be screened in 35mm print format. The series will run from November 9 to December 8, 2012 at Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue (at East 70 Street), New York City.

Clockwise from top left: Gong Li, Ruan Lingyu, Maggie Cheung, Xie Fang, Xue Jinghua, Brigitte Lin.

Chinese cinema has produced some of the most memorable and mesmerizing female screen icons. This film series pays tribute to the most significant divas in the industry’s over 100 years of history, beginning with the silent period. It includes unforgettable performances by Li Lili (1915-2005), Ruan Lingyu (1910-1935), Xie Fang (1935- ), Liu Xiaoqing (1950- ), Brigitte Lin (1954- ), Maggie Cheung (1964- ), Gong Li (1965- ), among others. The series recognizes the achievement of Chinese actresses, surveys the representation of women on screen across generations, and highlights the strength, resilience, beauty, love, and desire of Chinese women. The films in this series are all major Chinese classics, each with at least one woman in a prominent role.

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One of Sohrab’s favorite indie rock bands: The Secret Chief’s 3 @ The Stone, October 11, 2012

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

During my last week in Tokyo one of my favorite US bands played at the Stone in New York: the Secret Chiefs 3 (SC3) led by guitarist and composer Trey Spruance (formerly of Mr. Bungle and Faith No More). A band which fuses Persian music, surf rock, heavy metal, film music and electronics. Luckily I found videos of this show in YouTube. SC3 has always been a general name for several different bands. “Each representing a different aspect of a musical and philosophical intersection.” That night SC3 played under the name of Ishraqiyun,  a six piece band with following members: Trey Spruance (guitar, saz), Ches Smith (drums), Timba Harris (violin, viola), Toby Driver (bass), Shahzad Ismaily (bass) and April Centrone (percussion). They mainly used Middle Eastern (Persian) melodies and rhythms adding sounds of western metal, surf rock, and noise.

Last year in November I had the chance to see this band for the first time at Le Poisson Rouge. Me as an Iranian this concert was a revelation: Trey proved that Iranian or Persian music can “rock” and can “move” US rock fans. After the show Trey I interviewed him backstage (watch the video here).

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Music listings – 10/29 through 11/4

1. Sean Hayes w. Birds of Chicago

Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2012
Time: 7pm
Venue: Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012, ph: 212- 505-3474)
Ticket: $20
Genre: singer-song writer

Sean Hayes’ worn, soulful music defies easy categorization. Described as loose, dusty, and alive, his songs radiate a free-spirited charm that rarely seems attached to any particular era. The result is a sound infused with eclectic instrumentation and an unpolished warmth. Born in New York City and raised in North Carolina, Sean Hayes now resides in San Francisco. His songs have been re-mixed by DJs and and covered by folk artists. His unique soulful voice infects audiences with charm, equal parts affirming and heartbreaking. His most recent album is Run Wolves Run.
Birds of Chicago, is a collective based around JT Nero and Allison Russell. Whether touring as a duo or with the full family band, Nero and Russell have emerged as two of the most compelling new voices in North American Roots music.

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Concert Recommendation: Sylvain Leroux “Quatuor Creole” CD release concert!

Date: Thursday, November 1, 2012
Time: 8pm – 9pm
Venue: ShapeShifter Lab (18 Whitwell Pl, between Carroll St & 1st St,Brooklyn, NY 11215, 646-820-9452)
Ticket: $11

On Thursday, November 1, 2012 Downbeat Rising Star Sylvain Leroux will present a live performance of his latest project “Quatuor Creole” featuring legendary vibist Karl Berger. Released in June, the CD has been well received by critics, eliciting such comments as: “… perfect contemporary music release…” (Dustin Garlitz, JazzTalent.com); “… gentle as a river in the afternoon sun.” (Thurston Hunger, KFJC); “… worthy addition to the canon of the world- jazz…” (Hrayr Attarian, All About Jazz); “… mellifluous acoustic quality…” (Howard Mandel, Jazz Beyond Jazz); “…belongs to a lineage of precious recordings […] such as CoDoNa, Oregon, Steve Wilson, Don Cherry, Dollar Brand and Chico Hamilton…” (Dan Behrman, Magazine Son & Image–translated from the French).

With Quatuor Creole, Leroux reexamines the fusion of European and African music that took place in the Americas and informs it with his deep experience.

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Al-Madar at The Stone in NYC on Friday, October 5, 2012

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Unfortunately I missed the AL-MADAR show at The Stone on Friday, October 5, 2012 because I was still in Tokyo. As you might remember AL-MADAR  was opening up for my band SoSalA at  at the CD release party at Nublu in March. Since that show the band has went through member changes. Al-Madar became  a new 5-piece instrumental band of the New York Arabic Orchestra, fronted by Bassam Saba of Lebanon , a renowned figure of Arabic music and director of the New York Arabic Orchestra.  performing on the oud, saz, nay, and western flute and violin, in collaboration with Arabic percussionist and drummer April Centrone, joined by guitarist Gyan Riley, Timba Harris on violin/viola and trumpet, who’s also a member of one of my favorite bands the Secret Chiefs 3, and the versatile electric bassist Brian Holtz.

Bassam Saba and his NY Arabic Orchestra has been featured in DooBeeDoo a couple of times for the last two years. I’m actually surprised that Saba joined this ensemble because usually, as far as I know him, he wouldn’t play at small clubs like the STONE. Guess his young members convinced him to join and be the leading part of this ensemble.

Watching and listening to the videos this ensemble plays a mix of Arabic music to Afro Beat and progressive rock. What is missing is a human voice which would express an important element of Arabic music: melancholy.

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