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Mosaic Productions Presents at the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts | purchase tickets | artist profiles | sponsorship possibilities | poster | |
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ARTIST PROFILES:
At the heart of the Georges Lammam Ensemble are three brothers of Palestinian descent, born into a family surrounded by art and music. Their father, Sobhi Lammam, film producer in Egypt and Kuwait, and his mother, Helene Amorfia, a singer who recorded in the chorus for many of the well-known singers in Arabic music, entertained many of the well-known artists of the time creating impromptu salons in their home on a regular basis. The Georges Lammam Ensemble is devoted to bringing the rich diversity and passion of Arabic music to listeners everywhere. Well known in the Bay Area and with a strong reputation and following in the United States, this ensemble is noted for its awe-inspiring presentation of classical Arab musical repertoire, astounding improvisational skills, dynamic percussion display and delightful stage presence. In addition to a busy concert schedule, Georges, Antoine and Elias share their gifts by presenting music workshops, in classroom and private instruction and through benefit performances promoting peace and humanitarian work throughout the Arab Middle East. GEORGES LAMMAM developed a love for the violin as he listened in studio sessions with his mother, who sang on many recordings. He studied music at school both in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates where he began performing at the early age of 15, eventually grooming his own ensemble, which performed in all the well-known nightclubs in Sharjah, Abu Dabai, and Dubai. Since moving to the United States in 1987, Mr Lammam has formed his own musical group, The Georges Lammam Ensemble that performs throughout the United States. He has co- founded his own production company, Amorfia Productions that proliferates Arabic music and dance arts through performance, education and recording. Georges has been an instructor of violin and Arabic singing for 10 years at the Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp held yearly in Mendocino, California and has taught ensemble and vocal classes at the University of California at Berkeley, 1995, 1996 and 2000. His Ensemble performs on regular basis at a local, nation wide and international level. In addition to his own recordings of Arabic Music, Georges Lammam joins many world music recording artists creating flavorful fusion of both genres.
Naser Musa is recognized by critics of middle eastern music as a talented singer, a gifted songwriter, an Oud virtuoso, a valued composer, and a versatile studio musician. Naser Musa has composed, arranged, and recorded numerous projects in the Middle East and in the United States. His recording, among others, include "Khaliji” (RT Productions): a collection of folk songs from the Arabian Gulf region, and "Christmas and Beyond "(SahaRaneen Productions): a collection of Western Christmas carols and Arabic church hymns. Naser Musa’s name appears on dozens of albums, including contributions on projects for Hollywood with John Debney and John Cameron among others. He has recorded with pop stars Shakira, Beyonce and Michael Sembello. Naser Musa has shared the stage with Lebanese vocalists, Sabah and Ragheb Alame, and Egyptian vocalists, Hani Shaker and Hakim. Naser’s Oud was heard on the soundtrack of the film "The Passion of the Christ" by director Mel Gibson. A Jordanian of Palestinian decent, Naser Musa started playing Oud, a Middle Eastern lute, and studying Arabic music, at an early age while living in Amman, Jordan. He moved to the United States in 1982 and continued his studies of music at California Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA. His artistic versatility and sense of musical adventure have enabled him to experiment with the blending of different musical elements and artistic styles. Throughout his career, his objective has been to combine Arabic maqams: melodic structures or series of phrases based on Arabic scales, with Western elements in order to present a style of Arabic music that is understood and appreciated by the Western listener.
Elias Lammam began receiving his training on accordion at the age of 11 with the master accordion player, Alexi, who played with Fairouz, the famous Lebanese singer. In Beirut, Mr Lammam has composed musical introductions for dancers and singers as well as commercial music for Coca Cola, Gillette, and Lipton Tea Company and TV dramas. Most recently Elias appeared as a soloist with Ragheb Alame, George Wasouf, Ghana Saliba, Joseph Noumnoum and with star dancers Amani and Samara. He has recorded both as studio musician and featured soloist and has appeared on TV and radio. For 10 years he was bandleader in Nightclub in Dubai. In 1994, he returned to Lebanon, managing a nightclub in Beirut until coming to the United States in 1999 to join his brothers and father in San Francisco. As a core member of The Georges Lammam Ensemble and a virtuoso musician, he is introducing American listeners to the remarkable Oriental-style, quarter tone accordion. Mr. Lammam was invited to perform in the10th Annual Cotati Accordion Festival to standing ovation approval. He was the instructor for the Student Middle Eastern Instrumental Ensemble at the Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp in Mendocino, California (2000-2003) and currently is director of ASWAT, an amateur choir in San Franisco for classical Arabic singing.
Although Shoshanna grew up in Arcata, she has traveled across the United States teaching workshops and performing Middle Eastern Dance. She has studied dance all her life, but has dedicated herself to a lifetime of study of Raks Sharki since 1992. Locally she is on the dance faculty at Humboldt State University, teaches many classes in Eureka and Arcata, directs the Ya Habibi Dance Company and produces events including the annual Redwood Coast Belly Dance Festival and numerous concerts and seminars each year through her non-profit Mosaic Productions (a program of the Ink People Center for the Arts). Shoshanna rarely competes, but has won several national awards for her performances, including the title of "Belly Dancer of the Year" in 2004. She appears on the IAMED 4th Awards Show DVD, Dancers for Dancers volume 2, the upcoming volume 3, and will be producing an instructional DVD to be released later this year. Shoshanna is known for her artful, dramatic style, and expressive connection to the music. Shoshanna began the Ya Habibi Dance Company 10 years ago (under a different company name) to help her students develop into excellent professional-level performers and to create wonderful presentations of Middle Eastern dance for audiences in Humboldt County and beyond. Several members have gone on to teach, win awards, begin their own companies, and develop professional careers of their own. Shoshanna is excited and honored to lead such hard-working, talented dancers.
Andalee’s love affair with the Middle Eastern Dance Arts began in 1999 at Humboldt State University, where she was studying biology, percussion and classical ballet. It was there she took her first of many Middle Eastern Dance classes with the brilliantly artistic Shoshanna. Thanks to her dedicated mentor, Andalee received an accelerated dance education through complete immersion in (and devotion to) the art of Middle Eastern dance and music and after a few semesters she became Shoshanna's Teaching Assistant and a member of Shoshanna’s Ya Habibi Dance Company. Eventually Andalee became a principal dancer and choreographer for the Dance Company and begun teaching classes of her own through Humboldt State University’s Center Activities program. Andalee is an award winning dancer who is committed to imparting to her students impeccable technique as well as an appreciation for the cultures from which the art has come to us. As a student of Arabic dance, music and language, Andalee has placed great importance on travel to the Middle East to perform, take classes from local teachers, and receive a general cultural education. Currently Andalee is living in the Southern Portion of California’s Central Valley where she is performs and teaches weekly dance classes.
MOSAIC PRODUCTIONS is a non-profit DreamMaker Program of The Ink People Center for the Arts whose mission is to promote Middle Eastern music, dance, and nurture cross-cultural awareness through events produced for our local community.
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THE GEORGES LAMMAM ENSEMBLE
NASER MUSA
ELIAS LAMMAM 
SHOSHANNA & YA HABIBI DANCE COMPANY
ANDALEE