MENA Music presented Tangier Ensemble last month in four cities - New York, Boston, DC and Atlanta. The ensemble performed lovely pieces of Arabo-Andalusian music from Morocco.
I would like to thank all of those who attended the concerts, and I am very glad to share this musical experience with those people with all different backgrounds.
In concerts, Jamal Eddine Ben Allal, direction & violin, Hicham Zubeiri, oud, and Said Benguerch, darbouka performed excerpts from Nawbat al-Rasd, Nawbat al-Hijaz al-Kabir and the favorite Fiyachia.
In their final concert in Merkin Concert Hall, New York, the famous Rabbi Haim Louk was in the audience, brought by a NJ group. At my request during the intermission, the rabbi agreed to participate in the performance in Part 2. He sang response parts and vocal improvization, which was a totally unexpected treat for all audience members.
Rabbi Haim Louk is from Essaouira (near Marrakech in the central Morocco), and went to Tetouan to study Andalusian music with Cheqara and Temsamani decades ago before he moved to LA. So Mr. Ben Allal knows the rabbi well.
I am only sorry that Mr. Ahmed al-Ghazi could not make his way to the USA this time. Mr. al-Ghazi was here last year with Zaitouni, but his visa was not granted in a timely manner this year (the consulate in Casablanca notified me a week ago that his visa is now ready).
I hope there will be another time for them to perform together in concerts.
Monday, October 13, 2008
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