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Text and interview by Jim Hoey
Video camera: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi
The New York Arabic Orchestra has quietly been honing their craft for the past three years, after forming out of a series of workshops started by founders Bassam Saba (oud, nay, flute, violin) and April Centrone (lead percussion). What they accomplished on February 12th at the Symphony Space was unique: the only Arabic orchestra in NYC comprised of musicians from the Middle East, the United States, Latin America, and Asia to be joined here by star vocalists Salma Habib (of Palestine) and Naji Youssef (of Lebanon) for a presentation of authentic Arabic songs.
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Their formula is simple enough: respect the traditions of Arabic music, yet introduce the styles and maqams (or modes) to the West and invite eager musicians from many different backgrounds to discover and explore the ancient charms of this music. The next step of course was to perform it for the public, like they did recently at this Symphony Space show.
Bassam Saba, an accomplished and respected multi-instrumentalist who has played with the Silk Road Project, Yo-Yo Ma, Alicia Keys, Sting, Santana, Fairouz and many more, leads this group and writes much of the music in their repertoire, and remains the catalyst and connection between the Arabic world and the modern players that he surrounds himself with here in NY. What I found intriguing is that Saba is able to unite so many musicians of different backgrounds and work with them on playing music that might seem a little surprising coming from non-Arabic instrumentalists. This bridging of cultures raise many interesting questions about multiculturalism and modernization in the Arabic world, and shows an openness that is not always expected or found these days among musicians from different countries.
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Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi (editor of DooBeeDooBeeDoo) and I were honored to sit down for the following interview with the NY Arabic Orchestra founders Bassam Saba and April Centrone at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrews, with the orchestra members warming up in the other room and the priests downstairs, no doubt, smiling at the beautiful songs coming down from the rafters. Check out the interview here……..
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