Zikrayat pays tribute to the abundant creativity of Egyptian singers, musicians and dancers during the mid-20th century, both on screen and on stage, with a variety show featuring classical vocal pieces, solo and group dance numbers, original compositions and improvisations, and multimedia.

Opening with some new repertory and a preview of their upcoming CD release, Zikrayat will show off the ensemble, featuring vocalist Salah Rajab and special guest dancer Jaida.

In the second half of the program, Zikrayat will present numbers from its multimedia show: clips of songs and dance numbers from Egyptian films of the 1950s and 60s, silently accompanying live performances of those numbers. The numbers are presented in the context of their scenes in the film (in some cases showing the scenes just before or after the music or dance number), and the social and historical context of the period.

BACKGROUND:

Egypt was the media center of the Arab world in the mid-20th century, and home to a multitude of talented musicians, vocalists, and dancers. There was an incredible amount of creativity during this "Golden Age," which gave birth to new genres, hybrids, and fusions, as well as a reinvigoration of compositions in traditional forms. The film industry attracted all of the greatest talents of the day, and produced an abundance of new film musicals every year from the mid 1930's until the 1970's. Egyptian singers Farid el-Atrash, Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab, Umm Kulthum, Leyla Murad, Fayza Ahmed, dancers Naima Akef, Samia Gamal, Taheya Karioca, and Nagwa Fouad, and a host of others, were all stars in film during this period, in addition to their many performances off-screen in Cairo's rich night-club scene.

ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE:

Zikrayat, led by violinist, composer and vocalist Sami Abu Shumays, and dancer Dameshe Shumays, and featuring lead vocalist Salah Rajab and a talented lineup of acoustic instrumentalists and Egyptian-style dancers, is a New York City-based Arabic music and dance group unique in presenting the classical and dance repertories of the Arab World side-by-side. Zikrayat places a special emphasis on repertory from the "Golden Age" of Egyptian cinema, especially from the 1940's 50's and 60's, and has developed a multi-media show featuring film clips from the period synchronized with live music and dance performances. http://zikrayatmusic....

Tickets: $15.00, available at the door
(a surcharge applies - use printout as your ticket)

More info to follow soon. . .