
NOROOZ 2008 Concert -- An
Inter-Cultural Celebration of Spring Renewal and Persian new
year
Town Hall
Saturday March 15, 2008,
7:30 PM
Doors open @ 6:45 PM
Description
Norooz is the
beginning of the year for the peoples of Iran.
Norooz
in Persian means "New
day". It is the beginning of the year for the peoples of
Iran.
It begins precisely with the beginning of spring on
vernal equinox, on or about March 21. Tradition takes Norooz as far back as 15,000
years. Seasons played a vital part
then. Everything depended on the four
seasons. After a sever winter, the beginning of
spring was a great occasion to celebrate this
rejuvanation. It was the dawn of abundance.
Today, Traditional Iranian musical
ensemble, Kamand, and Pangeo, in
association with Iranian
American Community Alliance (IACA),
Invite you to celebrate the ancient Iranian tradition on Norooz--a
New Year festival
that coincides with the earth's cycle of
springtime renewal, rebirth, and rejuvenation. In Iran, Norooz
is celebrated by cleaning the home, gathering with family and
friends, making peace with the troubles and challenges of the past
year, and starting anew with celebratory music, dance, and
community gatherings. The universal themes of Norooz --
forgiveness, renewal, unity -- are celebrated in many cultures
around the world, in a multitude of ways. Please join us
for a very special evening of Persian and Latin American music and
dance, in recognition and celebration of our common connection
to the earth's cycles and to each other.
Pangeo, is a four member group based in Seattle drawn together by a passion for Greek music and music of
the Balkans. With a taste for old-style dance music they are equally at home playing ballads from the mountains of Epiros in
Greece, or lively tunes from the Bulgarians Yugoslavian and Albanian
border areas. In the Greek tradition, as in many other
cultures, the arrival of spring is signified by many religious
and secular rituals that include music and dancing. Some of
them survived since the ancient times with little change
in between. Pangeo, along with the "Akrites" dancers from
Saint
Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, directed by Vassili Dikeakos, presents music and
dance with the themes of spring.
Christos Govetas, clarinet,
voice
Ruth Hunter, accordion, voice
Kane Mathis,
guitar
Will Dowd, doumbek, defi, daouli
From the
meditative grooves of classical Persian music to
the pulsing rhythms of Kurdistan, Kamand takes the listener on a journey to
the heart of Iran. As Seattle's only traditional Iranian
ensemble, Kamand seeks to represent, musically, many of Iran's
diverse regions. The sheer joy of music energizes the group
members' collaboration and a passion for promoting inter cultural
appreciation drives their commitment.
Special guests Hosts will
include:
Speakers:
Mr. Iraj Khademi and Mr. Paul
Plumis
Bobak
Salehi, Kamanche, Setar, Violin
(www.shabava.com) A
talented multi instrumentalist, Bobak was born in Tehran, Iran. He
ventured into the music realm when he was eight years old, under the
direction of his father maestero Hossein Salehi, and later studied
violin with other Iranian master artists.
Helene Eriksen,
Persian Folk Dance, http://www.helene-eriksen.de/
Helene
Eriksen's International Dance Theatre
St.Demetrios' church of Seattle "Akrites"
dancers directed by Vassili Dikeakos.
Karavans Dance Troupe,
Directed by Mish Mish, www.karavansdancetroupe.com
Location
Town Hall
1119 Eighth Avenue (at
Seneca Street)
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone (206) 652-4255
Email
info@townhallseattle.org
Map
Tickets
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/26005
Or Call 1-800-838-3006
ALso
Tickets are available at local Persian Restaurant and
grocery stores in Seattle and
Bellevue.
Low
Income/Students/Seniors $10.00
General
Advance
$18.00
Family (any 2 adults & up to 4 youth under 18)
$40.00
Contacts
kamandseattle@yahoo.com
(206)763-9525