Tag Archives: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Interview – Bassam Saba and April Centrone speak about their “baby”: the NY Arabic Orchestra


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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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Interview: Ravish Momin who gave up the opportunity for a bourgeois life for that of a touring musician!


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Date: 2/22/2011
Location: Brooklyn (NY)

Text and interview by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

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Yemen Blues (Yemen/Israel) – Moments of Deep Desert Soul!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Photo by Laurent Burst

YEMEN BLUES was founded by Ravid Kahalani, a rising star in Israel who grew up to a traditional Yemenite family, learned the language and the traditional chants of his origin. Ravid joined forces with Omer Avital, a well known bass player and composer, and together they gathered YEMEN BLUES, a group of musicians from New York, Israel and Uruguay which fuses traditional Yemenite music with blues, jazz, funk and West African rhythms and melodies. 

About Ravid Kahalani

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Japanese Snow Monkeys Bathing In An “Onsen”!


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Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Wintertime…. in New York, and I’m missing my Japanese snow monkeys!!! Did you know that the snow monkeys are the most northerly non-human primate in the world?  When temperatures drop to below freezing and snow covers their habitat, they spend the winter warming up in the volcanic hot springs called onsen in Japanese. If you have a day to spare on your trip to Tokyo, consider visiting the Jigokudani Monkey Park (地獄谷野猿公苑 Jigokudani Yaen Kōen). The park is located in Yamanouchi (a Northern Nagano Prefecture).

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Music documentary film “Punk: Attitude” released on DVD!!!

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Punk music has always been about attitude and anarchy, more than any other genre of rock music. Punk: Attitude, which  was officially released on the 25th of April 2005 at the Tribeca Film Festival in the U.S.A.,  is a documentary film by UK’s DJ, musician and film-maker Don Letts.

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