Thursday, February 21, 2013

PALESTINE - Sabreen Palestine



Palestine



Sabreen is a strong hub for individuals and organizations from all artistic backgrounds and disciplines.  It is recognized locally and internationally and operates through its main office in Jerusalem and branch office in Bethlehem.  Sabreen focuses on LIVE AND PUBLIC PERFORMANCES, Networking with Musicians, Public Productions and music in schools.

It conducts school concerts, live performances, and music education workshops for students, music teachers, and the general public in the Palestinian territories including Jerusalem , the west Bank , and Gaza.

John Robert Handal:

A musician, born in Jerusalem in 1982 and living in Bethlehem. He has worked with Sabreen Association for Artistic Development since 2003 as a percussion trainer and has led workshops for students and teachers as a sound technician. He graduated from E’cole De Frere in Bethlehem in 2001. John is a Percussionist and piano player, and has done musical arrangements for songs and documentary films. He is also member in many Palestinian musical groups. He has performed in Norway, Germany, Italy, Nepal , SRI Lanka and United States of America.  

 Charlie Rishmawi :

A Palestinian multi-instrumentalist, born in 1986 in Kuwait. Growing up, he developed a love for different musical genres especially Ethnic, Classical, Jazz, and Contemporary music. By age 11 he started to play the Piano and the Transverse Flute. He performed in many International festivals with different bands as a Bass, Guitar, or Oud player. After his graduation from The National Conservatory of Music in Bethlehem, he worked as a music instructor in The Dhow Countries Academy of Zanzibar/Africa for two years. Charlie has composed musical soundtracks for local and international movies and is currently working as a music teacher and music arranger in several studios. He performs school concerts with Sabreen Association.



Joseph Za’rour :

Started music since he was 10 years old ,playing traditional and oriental woodwind instruments such as Nay and Duduk, member of many local Palestinian bands playing Nay on  age 14.  He  works  with Sabreen Association for Artistic development at performing school concerts. Joseph Graduated from Cairo University and he got his BA in Social Political Science.

Samah Mustafa:



Samah Mustafa is a young talented singer from Palestine. Mustafa has recently graduated from Jerusalem Academy of Music & Dance the faculty of oriental classical singing, and currently pursuing a master degree in music therapy. Mustafa has been involved in a number of concerts and programs where she grasped distinguished presences and ranks. Mustafa has worked as a music and choruses trainer never to fail mentioning working with patients in music therapy workshops.
International Groups
Chirkutt from Bangladesh became popular in the Bangladeshi scene with the release of their debut full-length album "Chirkuttnama" (2010). Their powerful lyrics, energetic and unique compositions, varied use of eastern and western instruments and musical scales, elements of fusion and folk music offer a very distinct local sound. Nirtya Nandan will be a mother-daughter duo performing several accompanying dance items.


Harmonia Do Brasil from Brazil are the sweet voiced Nanda Garcia, the singer, plus the trio Alessandro Cardozo, playing the small guitar (a Brazilian instrument known as ‘cavaquinho’), Charles da Costa with the acoustic guitar, and Netinho in charge of percussion. The trio has been playing together for the past 14 years throughout the main cities in Brazil. They have participated on several music festivals all over the country and they have also recorded "Brasileirinho", a CD and DVD launched in 2005 that participated on Cannes Film Festival. For the Jaffna Music Festival, Harmonia Do Brasil will play a miscellaneous collection of Brazilian music: samba, bossa nova and choro, among other rhythms.



Casa Murilo from Norway began with two Englishmen who met two Norwegian girls in Brazil. They met a great man called Murilo. When the two Englishmen later left Brazil for Norway, they named their band after him as a dedication. They are well known on the Oslo underground for their wild, energetic live shows. They released their second album “The Rise And Fall” in 2012.



In Jaffna, you will meet the two founders of the band, Chris Winfield and Dan Hesketh who will also perform at the main stage with the Bangladeshi band Chirkutt, whom they met during the 2012 Casa Murilo Asia Tour. The two bands quickly became musical friends and gave a large joint outdoor concert in Dhaka. In Jaffna, to everyone’s delight, they will meet again. What do you get when you mix an indie-rock band from Norway and a folk fusion band from Bangladesh? A very good time!



Ila Arun Troupe from India is a led by a leading folk and Bollywood singer who has been working with Rajasthani folk artists for the last 30 years and has brought folk music and folk dance of Rajasthan into the mainstream of the Indian Music Scene and made it popular all around the world. The group consists of folk singers folk dancers and musicians playing rare folk instruments.
Sabreen Association from Palestine focus on live and public performances, networking with musicians, public productions and music in schools in the Palestinian territories including Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. The musicians performing will be Charlie Rishmawi a multi-instrumentalist who enjoys many musical genres; John Robert Handal who is a percussionist; Joseph Duqmaq who is an accomplished saxophonist/pianist and Mohammad Abu Hamdah who specializes in Folklore Dabkeh and contemporary dance.


Hat-trick and Fiddle from Norway are Ulf-Arne Johannessen and Erlend Viken, two up-and-coming performers offering a small taste of the Norwegian folk tradition. They will demonstrate Halling, a highly competitive music
and dance tradition, where men are like roosters trying to impress women with their skills. 


They will also be performing with Nritya Nandan, Bangladesh and Aru Sri Art Theatre, Sri Lanka. Nritya Nandan from Bangladesh, is a vibrant dance duo who are versatile dancers in Maipuri, Bharatha Natyam and Oddissi, They are also popular Bengali Folk dancers who depict the lively, colourful, and rhythmic local folk culture. They will combine together with Hat-Trick and Fiddle, Norway and Aru Sri Art Theatre, Sri Lanka. Aru Sri Art Theatre from Sri Lanka will feature a selection of classical Barathanatyam and Kandyan dancers who are also engaged in Folk and Contemporary dance. They, together with a selection of eminent classical musicians, are to collaborate culture and skill in the dance programme between Hat- Trick and Fiddle, Norway and Nritya Nandan,Bangladesh.

The Jaffna Music Festival 2013 will be held in the Jaffna Municipal Grounds on Friday the 1st & Saturday the 2nd March 2013 offering an amazing opportunity to experience a gathering of both Sri Lankan and International folk, classical and contemporary music groups. 

Entrance is free to all events.
There will be simultaneous performances on four individual stages dedicated to Folk, Classical, Contemporary and Children’s musical routines from 09.00am –12.00pm on Friday and Saturday. The morning programme will allow festival goers to have a personally engaging experience through interactive performances.
7 more days until Jaffna Music Festival

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Jaffna Music Festival : JMF 2013 – pre-festival village performances

Jaffna Music Festival : JMF 2013 – pre-festival village performances

JMF 2013 – pre-festival village performances

The Jaffna Music Festival 2013 – pre-festival village performances.

The village level performances held in Mulliavali, Mullativue and Pasiyoor, Jaffna on the 9th and 10th March, 2013 were great examples of communities gathering together despite differences in age, gender and ethnicity to experience something uniquely local.
The revival and re-introduction of local folk forms at the two locations was witnessed by crowds of over 500 to 200-250 people respectively. Some came on bicycles, whilst others walked; even babies and toddlers were in attendance, wrapped securely in their parent’s arms. There was much laughter, chatter and collective excitement as the gathered crowds from all over Mulliavali and Pasiyoor and shared mats on which they sat with one another for a night of colour, lights, music and dance. The performance of Parai drumming stirred the crowd with its wild beats so much so that some broke with convention and danced energetically with the colourfully clad performers.
It was heartwarming to see communities that suffered so much gathered together sharing an altogether different kind of experience - one that depicted hope and recognition for a better future.  Most of the northern communities have suffered displacement due to the 30 year war. Many folk groups within this region were forced to give up their folk forms and as a result have lost or damaged their instruments, costumes etc. beyond repair. These particular folk groups performing at the festival were equipped by the Jaffna Music Festival MF 2013 initiative.

Jane Conrad (Media coordinator)
Mobile: +94 773 451 837
E-mail: jane.conrad@yahoo.co.uk
Web: http://www.jaffnamusicfestival.org/

Jaffna Music Festival 2013 Main stage performance line up



The Jaffna Music Festival 2013

The Jaffna Music Festival 2013 will be held in the Jaffna Municipal Grounds on Friday 1st & Saturday the 2nd March 2013 offering an amazing opportunity to experience a gathering of both Sri Lankan and International folk, classical and contemporary music groups. Entrance is free to all events.

There will be simultaneous performances on four individual stages dedicated to Folk, Classical, Contemporary and Children’s items from 9.00 am –12.00 noon on Friday and Saturday.  The morning programme will allow festivalgoers to have a personally engaging experience with performance. On both days this will be followed by a main stage performance from 5.00pm daily with the following line up

Day 1 - Friday March 01, 2013
05.00 pm – 05.25 pm             :               Traditions Meet
05.25 pm – 05.50 pm             :               PakkeerBaith – (Ampara)
05.50 pm – 06.20 pm             :               Sabreen Association (Palestine)
06.20 pm – 06.45 pm             :               Phoolan Devi Opera
06.45 pm – 07.10 pm             :               ParaiMelaKoothu - (Mulliyawalai)
07.10 pm – 07.30 pm             :               Casa Murilo (Norway)
07.30 pm – 07.50 pm             :               Dance Collaboration - NirtyaNandan (Bangladesh) Hat Trick & Fiddle (Norway), Aru Sri Art Theatre (Sri Lanka)
07.50 pm – 08.10 pm             :               Chirkutt (Bangladesh)
08.10 pm – 08.35 pm             :               Colombo Brass Ensemble
08.35 pm – 09.05 pm             :               IlaArun Troupe (India)
09.05 pm – 09.30 pm             :               Sapthami
09.30 pm – 10.00 pm             :               Harmonia Do Brasil (Brazil)
10.00 pm – 10.25 pm             :               Naadro

Saturday March 02, 2013
05.00 pm – 05.25 pm             :               Oriental Music Orchestra
05.25 pm – 05.50 pm             :               MaraiKaathaMaaveerar - (Pasiyoor)
05.50 pm – 06.20 pm             :               Sabreen Association (Palestine)
06.20 pm – 06.45 pm             :               The Musicmatters Collective
06.45 pm – 07.05 pm             :               Casa Murilo (Norway)
07.05 pm – 07.25 pm             :               Chirkutt (Bangladesh)
07.25 pm – 07.45 pm             :               Bangladesh Norway Music Collaboration
07.45 pm – 08.10 pm             :               Ranwala Brigade
08.10 pm – 08.40 pm             :               Harmonia Do Brasil (Brazil)
08.40 pm – 09.05 pm             :               Dance Collaboration - Nirtya Nandan (Bangladesh) Hat Trick & Fiddle (Norway), Aru Sri Art Theatre (Sri Lanka)               
09.05 pm – 09.30 pm             :               Sanni Yakuma – Benthara
09.30 pm – 10.00 pm             :               Ila Arun Troupe (India)
10.00 pm – 10.25 pm             :               Ravibandu Vidyapathi Drum Ensemble

For further information please contact

Jane Conrad (Media coordinator)
Mobile: +94 773 451 837
E-mail: jane.conrad@yahoo.co.uk
Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/JaffnaMusicFestival
JMF 2013 Blog: http://www.jmf2013.blogspot.com/