Al-Andalus Ensemble "The Bridge" Concert Performance, Portland, Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. - July 20, 2016 - PRLog -- WEBSITE: http://www.Andalus.com
PHOTOS: https://www.flickr.com/photos/al-andalus/albums/72157660856804541

TICKETS: Generously underwritten by the Trinity Cathedral Arts Commission, Tickets are Free at the Door.

"A delightful proposition of exquisite music" (El Pais, Madrid, Spain)

Join the international Al Andalus Ensemble for a poignant evening "The Bridge" on August, 14th 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral 147 NW 19th Avenue.  Portland, Oregon 97209.  Free Concert

The Al-Andalus Ensemble "The Bridge" performance explores the theme of what "bridges" us to one another, as well as what we hold in common across our different religious & cultural backgrounds.  The work of the Al Andalus Ensemble stands as a premiere bridge between the worlds' music cultures, bridging East and West as well as Classical and World music genres.

Al Andalus Ensemble founders Tarik & Julia Banzi (oud, ney, darbuka & flamenco guitar) join with multi-lingual vocalists Emily Miles and Ranjani Krishnan as well as Boujemaa Razgui (kamanja, ney, voice, darbuka),  a regular with the Boston Camarata, Boujemaa may be familiar to audiences when news of how TSA agents destroyed his priceless ney flutes in 2014 went viral.

Al Andalus was a time when Christians, Jews & Muslims lived in peaceful co-existence (Spain 711-1492). Recent awards include the VOX Pop Award for "Best Contemporary Classical Album" and the Peoples Grammy Award for "Best World Music Song" (selected from 560,000 entries from 163 countries).

"The Bridge" concert is made possible in Portland through Trinity's Cathedral Arts Commission, which will be presenting a series of cultural events, including a ground-breaking exhibition this summer of 47 premier Arab, Persian and Jewish contemporary artists from 15 countries of Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions.

The evening is a timely and emotive musical celebration exploring our connectedness and exploring and creating bridges which override religious, cultural and linguistic divisions.  Audiences can expect a program with rich and unusual instrumentation such as the oud (pre Renaissance lute), ney (arabic reed flute), flamenco guitar (Spain) kamanja (arabic violin) and darbuka (goblet drum), songs sung in many languages including Arabic, Ladino (Sephardic Jewish), Farsi (Persian), stirring renditions of American Spirituals all punctuated to create a "unique and deeply moving concert experience."  The event promises to meld the past with the present in what has been hailed as "a new musical language that unites the East & West" (Aramco World Magazine).

In Judaism, Ahava is the most commonly used term for both interpersonal love and love between God and God's creations, in Islamic Sufi tradition Ishq is divine love and in Christianity Agape is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional love. This love guides us in building bridges across cultural gaps.

The Trinity "Bridges" performance is a timely and emotive musical tribute to the 1,300 years of interaction between the East and the West. Acceptance, coexistence and sharing are all focal points for the evening that serves to celebrate summer.

The artists of the Al-Andalus Ensemble build a new artistic language that unifies Eastern & Western cultures and generates a work that is rich, layered and socially conscious, expanding the artistic horizons of both experts and novices alike. Further the advancement of international understanding, goodwill & peace by supporting a group that reflects a place and time where Christians, Jews & Muslims lived together for a cultural flourishing: Al-Andalus.

Discography: "Illumination"   "Genetic Memories"   "Alchemy""Vision" "21 Strings"  "Andalusian Love Songs"

Additional Information

The Al-Andalus Ensemble pushes the boundaries of sonority and texture to bring out performances of wonderful commitment. The Al Andalus Ensemble is steeped in tradition, beautifully and soulfully merging classical, jazz and contemporary music with the music from the Middle East, North Africa and Spain. This collaboration yields a vigorous contemporary World-chamber ensemble that skillfully creates new and original music, retaining the essential soul and spirit of Middle Eastern, North African and European influences while fearlessly exploring new territory. Performing to universal acclaim through a repertoire that embodies a new sonic vision that embraces our global cultural heritage, they are considered Ambassadors of Goodwill. The Al-Andalus Ensemble's international engagements have taken them to Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Morocco, Malaysia, Spain, Switzerland, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and the United States. Whether performing for such notables as Queen Sofia of Spain or Princess Haifa Al-Saud of Saudia Arabia Al-Andalus gives all audiences that royal treatment and create what reviewers have called "a delightful proposition of exquisite music" (El Pais, Madrid, Spain). The Al-Andalus Ensemble pursues a singular artistic vision that reminds us that the intricate interplay of diverse voices are the geography of cultural harmony.

Historically, Al Andalus was a time when Christians, Jews & Muslims lived in peaceful co-existence (Spain 711-1492). The Al-Andalus Ensemble locates its creative impetus in the rebirth of Al-Andalus in todays cultural landscape. Al- Andalus Ensemble founders Moroccan oudist Tarik Banzi and flamenco guitarist Julia Banzi perform with Boston Camaratas Boukemaa Razgui  joining the ensemble are multi-lingual vocalists Emily Miles and Ranjani Krishnan to create an emotive tapestry of sight and sound. Their most recent album "21 Strings," with Grammy-winning Charlie Bisharat (violinist for phenoms Alanis Morissette, The Rolling Stones, Jane's Addiction, Yanni and others.

The concert promises to be a fascinating evening where parallels and contrasts will be drawn between the old and the new. Highlights of the program include contemporary works as well as traditional pieces from Al Andalus,Afghanistan and Iraq. Proud emblems, suspended within sound, each infused with its own poignant expression of nostalgia. The flow of these works, tugs at our heartstrings and inspires affection. The longing for an idealistic time permeates the works  and functions as a center of gravity for the program.