FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2015
Tickets & Info: 212-545-7536

PRESS CONTACT

The World Music Institute continues its intimate Global Salon series with Echoes of the Divine: Jewish Women's Voices on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the Talia Theater at Symphony Space.

This program showcases two powerhouse voices: Bukharian Jewish singer Muhabbat Shamayeva, one of Uzbekistan's leading vocalists; and Middle Eastern singer and composer Galeet Dardashti, heir to a family tradition of distinguished Persian and Jewish musicians including her grandfather, the renowned classical singer, Yona Dardashti. 

The first half of the program features Shamayeva’s diverse repertoire, including Central Asian classical shashmaqam, folk songs and popular estrada music. She has participated in Yo-Yo Ma’s The Silk Road Project, and is the subject of two documentaries. Shamayeva is accompanied by Iosif Abramov on tar (long neck, plucked string instrument) and Osher Baraev on doire (frame drum).

The second half features the innovative Dardashti, who is especially known for multi-disciplinary projects like The Naming and her edgy all-female powerhouse Mizrahi ensemble, Divahn, who will perform with her. Divahn has gained an international following with its fresh and fiery take on Jewish music: eclectic Indian, Middle Eastern, and Latin percussion, lush string arrangements and vocals spanning Hebrew, Judeo-Spanish, Persian, Arabic, and Aramaic. As one of the few groups performing Judeo-Persian and Judeo-Arab music in the US, Divahn welcomes its audiences to a beautiful sphere of shared Jewish and Muslim culture.

The informal and intimate Global Salon series—which takes place at the 168-seat Leonard Nemoy Thalia theater on the Upper West Side—presents an enticing format for delving into esoteric and ancient traditional music, the kind that won't be found in the mainstream. Now in its third year, the series continues to feature brilliant artists who not only perform, but also share with the audience cultural history and personal stories. Global Salon offers outstanding performances combined with a rare glimpse into the work and minds of modern practitioners of authentic traditional art forms.

Nordic Fiddlers Bloc (4/22)
Three of the finest young fiddlers on the international folk circuit

Tickets for all World Music Institute events are available for purchase online at www.worldmusicinstitute.org, by calling (212) 545-7536, or in person at the WMI Box Office at 101 Lafayette Street, #801.

Student and group discounts are available, as are VIP tickets for select events. Discounts are also available for WMI Friends with memberships starting at $70. WMI Friends enjoy priority seating throughout the season.

World Music Institute is a not-for-profit concert presenting organization founded in 1985 by Robert and Helene Browning and dedicated to the presentation of the finest in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world.

WMI encourages cultural exchange between nations and ethnic groups and collaborates with community organizations and academic institutions in fostering greater understanding of the world’s cultural traditions. WMI works extensively with community groups and organizations including Indian, Iranian, Chinese, Korean, Middle Eastern, Latin American, Hungarian, Irish, and Central Asian. This has enabled it to be at the forefront of planning and presenting the finest ensembles from these countries.

WMI presents a full season of concerts each year in New York City, and arranges national tours by visiting musicians from abroad, as well as US-based artists. WMI’s accomplishments and expertise in its field are recognized by major institutions throughout the US and internationally. 

WMI has brought many musical, dance and ritual traditions to the New York stage for the first time, including Laotian sung poetry, folk music of Khorason and Bushehr (Iran), songs of the Yemenite Jews, Bardic divas of Central Asia, trance ceremonies from Morocco, music from Madagascar, and Theyyams (masked dances) of Kerala, South India. Many artists have been given their U.S. or New York debuts by WMI.

Tickets available online at www.worldmusicinstitute.org,
by calling (212) 545-7536, and at the WMI Box Office (101 Lafayette Street, #801)
Subscription, student, and group discounts available

For further information, press tickets, photos, and to arrange interviews,
please contact Aleba & Co. at 212/206-1450 or aleba@alebaco.com.