Music of the Banned (Final Concert): Her Banned Voice @ Brava Theater

Musical influence has never and can never be limited by the borders of nations. The far-reaching effect of the arts has created crossover music, with artists adopting elements of each other’s musical traditions.

In the face of the president’s travel ban of citizens from Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Iraq, Chad, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, and Venezuela from coming into the U.S., Music of the Banned seeks to build a sonic bridge between peoples. Organized by Iranian-born performer Dina Zarif, the concert series will give voice to musicians and artists from the Banned Nations, breaking the barriers of fear and ignorance by responding with love, peace, and empowerment.

Focusing on women artists, “Her Banned Voice” is the culminating performance of the Music of the Banned concert series. Within most banned Muslim-majority countries exist bans on women who are prohibited to perform as a solo performer and are permitted to sing only in ensembles or as backup vocalists. These restrictions cause many female singers to travel or emigrate to other counties to perform freely. However, with the current travel ban, female artists are not only prohibited from performing in their homelands but also banned from coming to the U.S. to pursue a music career.

In this performance at Brava Theater, female artists—including Iranian singer Dina Zarif, Sudanese singer Salma El Assal, and Kurdish singer Rojan—will express themselves freely without limitations of religion, borders, and politics. They will also be joined by Venezuelan musician Jackeline Rago and her VNote Ensemble, bringing the audience the joy and beauty of Venezuelan music. Preceding the concert is a visual art exhibition in the theater lobby by female artists from Iran: Mobina Nouri and Samaneh Salehi.
 

 

 
KURDISTAN: Rojan and Bamdad Ensemble
Symbolizing the Kurdish Culture Through Hope & Vibrant Melodies
Rojan Feyz – vocals
Sirvan Manhoobi – oud (stringed instrument)
Farzin Dehghan – kamancheh (Iranian bowed string instrument)
Ehsan Matoori – santur
Rumen “Sali” Shopov – davul
Nariman Assadi – daf, tombak, bendir, frame drum

IRAN: Dina Zarif Ensemble
Iranian Classical & Folk Music, Soundscape of Tragedy & Triumph
Dina Zarif – vocals
Amelia Romano – harp
Josh Mellinger – frame drum, cajón, tabla
Asaf Ophir – clarinet
Sascha Jacobsen – bass

VENEZUELA: The VNote Ensemble
Venezuelan Folk Music with Adventurous Jazz Explorations
Jackeline Rago – cuatro, bandola, vocals, percussion
Donna Viscuso – flute, alto saxophone
Michaelle Goerlitz – percussion
Saúl Sierra – bass

SUDAN: Salma El Assal & Sudan Music Ensemble
Folk & Contemporary Sudanese Music
Salma El Assal – vocals
Khalid El Mahi – oud (stringed instrument)
Tarawa aka Mazin Jamal – bongoz
Hafiz Bushra – jambia
Lee Dynes – guitar

 
*Poster design by Mohsen Ghaffari

 
Since January 27, 2017, President Trump has issued three travel bans to citizens from countries deemed by his administration: Chad, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, North Korea, and Venezuela. In the face of the president’s travel ban, Music of the Banned (MOTB) seeks to build a sonic bridge between peoples. The ten countries of the ban are a source of rich music and art that we can explore in a journey of peace and understanding.

Art will break down the barriers that isolate us — the barriers that either governments or media have worked hard to create. We are inviting the artistic ambassadors of these countries to lay down the drawbridge to their countries’ soundscape and beauty, and invite us all in.

So many have been suffering from a lack of understanding and from this travel ban in particular. Let’s stand to welcome the culture of the unknown, make ourselves aware of those that came to this country for a better life just as our ancestors. This concert series will give voice to musicians from the Banned Nations, breaking the barriers of fear and ignorance by responding with love, peace, and empowerment.

MOTB was first incubated by Dina Zarif, an Iranian artist, during a Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP) event at Red Poppy Art House on August 5, 2017. Its success inspired a concert at Yerba Buena Gardens Festival in June 2018. In 2019, with support from the California Arts Council, San Francisco Arts Commission, and Red Poppy Art House, Zarif as lead artist will organize three interdisciplinary concerts, an exploration of performing and visual arts, which feature artists from the countries on President Trump’s travel ban. The three concerts will take place on March 16 (“Borders without Bans“), April 6 (“Sacred and Traditional Music of the Banned” as part of MAPP), and May 5 (“Her Banned Voice” at Brava Theater).
 

TICKETS FOR THE MAY 5TH FINAL CONCERT SOLD THROUGH BRAVA:

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Rojan and Bamdad Ensemble
Symbolizing the Kurdish Culture Through Hope & Vibrant Melodies
 
Rojan (vocals) was born in Sanandaj, Kurdistan to a cultured and music-loving family. There, she was introduced to and influenced by Kurdish music, which resonated within her heart and seeped through the fabric of her soul. Before long, destiny led Rojan and her family to Kermanshah where she spent her school years and divorced mystical Persian music. The yearning strings of her spirit vibrated with the ancient Sufi melodies of Iran. She undertook musical studies with the guidance of Hengameh Akhavan and subsequently studied orchestration under the supervision of Tahmoores Poornazeri and Jalal Zolfenoon, leading to the birth of two major albums, Delshodeh and Kurdestan. Rojan may be named the custodian of the songs of the mountains of Abidar, Oraman, Beesotoon, and Tagh Bostan. She is currently recording her new projects and resides with her family in California.
 
Sirvan Manhoobi (oud) started his musical journey at age 13 taking tar/sehtar, studying with Keivan Saket and Behrooz Hemati. He chose oud as his primary instrument and attended classes with Arsalan Kamkar. Other masters he has studied under include Mohamadreza Lotfi (Radif Navazi-Iranian classical music repertoire), Mehran Rohani (principles and history of music), Siamak Jahangiri (improvisation and analysis of Radif). Upon taking workshops in improvisation with Hossein Alizadeh, Manhoobi was also introduced to the shoorangiz instrument. He was awarded Best Soloist in Iranian music festivals and collaborated with Ardeshir Kamkar. Manhoobi formed the Bamdad Music Ensemble, focusing on Kurdish and Iranian classical music. He is an MA graduate of archaeology from Tehran University and has worked with Bahram Bezaei as a composer and tar player for his most recent play, Tarabnameh, at Stanford. Manhoobi currently lives in San Jose, performing, composing, and teaching Iranian and Kurdish music.
 
Farzin Dehghan (kamancheh) is an Iranian/American kamancheh player hailing from Isfahan, Iran. Despite his young age, his magnificent talents have taken him to many stages where he has performed Persian, Arabic, Indian, American, Kurdish, Turkish, pop, and cross-cultural music throughout the United States with renowned artists such as Aynur Dogan, Simon Shaheen, Abigail Washburn, Celeste Buckingham, Sandeep Das, Mike Block, Idan Raichel, Wu Man, Shane Shanahan, and Alireza ShahMohammadi. He has been mentored by world-renowned Persian classical music master Kayhan Kalhor and has also studied Arabic classical music with the Palestinian oud and violin virtuoso Simon Shaheen. Dehghan was invited as a fellow to the prestigious Omi International Arts Center Residency. He has recently travelled to China to perform at the World Music Asia 2017 festival in Shanghai, Wuhan, Chonqjing, and Beijing, as well as to work as a teaching artist in international schools in Beijing where he taught Iranian/Middle Eastern music and culture.
 
Ehsan Matoori (santur) was born in 1979 in Iran. He began learning the santur based on Maestro Faramarz Payvar’s method and studied instrumental and vocal Radif—the Persian musical repertory—with Parviz Meshkatian and Pashang Kamkar. Matoori has also studied music composition and harmony with Farhad Fakhroaldini and kids’ music with Soudabeh Salem. After moving to the U.S. in 2013, he has performed with well-­known masters in global music including Sandeep Das, Jamal Mohamed, Paul Sriji, Maeve Gilchrist, Matthew Coley, Andrew Bleck, and Taher Khan. Matoori is the founder and director of AramArt World Music & Art Institute and has been a member of SMU World Music Ensemble since 2013. He currently lives in Dallas, Texas, where he teaches santur. His new album in collaboration with Iranian singer Mohsen Namjoo will be released on April 27, 2019.
 
Rumen “Sali” Shopov (davul) is a master Turkish-Romani drummer, singer, and string player from Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria. Romani music is not taught formally and does not have a system of notation, but is passed on from musician to musician, generation to generation. Shopov’s primary mentor was his uncle, Mustafa Kobalishtaliev, the best drummer in the region and the first Romani instrumentalist in the Nevrokopski Ensemble, Bulgaria’s first national folk ensemble. He also learned from his cousin Avdraman Teshovski and directors of the Nevrokopski Ensemble, Kyril Traikov and Zaprju Ikonomov. A charismatic and patient teacher, Shopov has taught at the Eastern European Folklife Center’s Balkan Music and Dance Workshops, Berkeley’s JazzSchool, UC Berkeley, University of Oregon, and more.
 
Nariman Assadi (daf, tombak, bendir, frame drum) was born in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 1992. Raised in Tehran, he always felt drawn to percussion instruments. At the age of 13, he began studying tombak under Master Amir Mogharab Samadi. From 2008 to 2013, Assadi performed at Vahdat Hall as a soloist and with the Persian Percussion Ensemble at Pars Academy, the premier music academy for children. After mastering tombak, he then began learning daf under the great Master Bijan Kamkar. With a strong understanding of the daf and tombak, Assadi started learning barbat (oud) under Master Mohammad Firouzi. In 2015, he immigrated to the U.S. and immediately began his professional music career by performing and attending festivals. In 2017, he started learning percussion performance and global music with Professor Daniel Kennedy at Sacramento State University. Along with being a member of various ensembles, Assadi also teaches daf, tombak, and music for children.

 
 
 

Dina Zarif Ensemble
Iranian Classical & Folk Music, Soundscape of Tragedy & Triumph
 
Dina Zarif (vocals) – see full bio in ABOUT THE CURATOR
 
 
 
 
 
Amelia Romano (harp) takes what is known about conventional harp and surpasses every time through an eclectic blend of austere serenity and kinetic vibrancy. Pulling from first-hand experiences in South Africa and from her roots in a cultural hotbed in San Francisco, she not only plays music from the repertoire but reprises them and creates originals. Latin, gypsy, and jazz are all genres that she touches, but her music defines its own path. Romano earned a BA in interdisciplinary studies at UC Berkeley in 2010 while continuing her music education. She spent the following year working in a township music school outside Cape Town, South Africa, sponsored by the Playing for Change Foundation. South Africa deeply shaped her musical creativity and desire to re-conceive her sound. With her return to the Bay Area in 2011, she took up the electric harp and formed StringQuake in 2012 and Luminance Ensemble in the fall of 2016. Romano has been performing in the Bay Area for over 15 years, and has toured in Mexico, the U.S., and Europe.
 
Josh Mellinger (frame drum, cajón, tabla) graduated with a BFA in percussion performance at the California Institute of the Arts and has been studying percussion for over 20 years. He currently performs with multiple groups in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as studies tabla with Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael. Learn more at jmpercussion.com.
 
 
 
Asaf Ophir (clarinet), the son of an Israeli film composer, was exposed to many styles of music from an early age—his father’s love for jazz, the Jewish music of his heritage, a classical upbringing, and the Middle Eastern backdrop of his childhood. From the very beginning, he was drawn to many different sources and genres, as well as to different musical instruments. Ophir began to play woodwinds in Israeli musicals while studying at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music and later at the Jerusalem Academy. Arriving in the U.S. in 2014, he began to perform in musicals around the Bay Area, such as the award-winning Love Sick in 2017 and The People in the Picture in 2018. Finding a home away from home, Ophir can most often be seen in global music projects on Jewish, Arabic, and Balkan stages. He has performed on such distinguished stages as Habima, HaCameri, and Jerusalem Theaters in Israel, as well as on many Bay Area stages including the Palace of Fine Arts and the Paramount Theater. Throughout his career, he has shared the stage with artists such as Miri Mesika, Avi Kushnir, David De’or, Rana Farhan, and Barbara Streisand.
 
Sascha Jacobsen (bass) has performed with The Kronos Quartet, Rita Moreno, Hugh Jackman, Martin Short, Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman, Josh Groban, Kristin Chenoweth, Eddie Duran, Tommy Igoe, Dave MacNab, Tim Weed, Adam Theis and the Jazz Mafia; tango masters Raul Jaurena, Pepe Motta, Pablo Estigarribia, and Maria Volonte; flamenco greats Chuscales, Jose Luis Rodriguez, Juanito Pascual; and many others. He is the founder of the Musical Art Quintet, which performs his original works. Strad Magazine describes his music as “…stylish and vigorous…beautifully arranged,” and the East Bay Express declared “classical music is sexy again.” Jacobsen also performs with Argentine tango group Trio Garufa and can be found dancing tango when not performing music. Learn more at saschajacobsen.com.

 
 
 

The VNote Ensemble
Venezuelan Folk Music with Adventurous Jazz Explorations
 
Jackeline Rago (cuatro, bandola, vocals, percussion) is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator who specializes in Venezuelan folk music, as well as music from other Latin American and Caribbean countries. She was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and began playing Venezuelan music at the age of four. Before coming to the U.S., she spent years studying the cuatro—the national stringed instrument of Venezuela—and classical mandolin at the Caracas Philarmonic Orchestra Conservatory. Her Afro-Venezuelan percussion studies took place with master percussionist Alexander Livinalli and Hector Pacheco from the Fundacion Bigott, Venezuela’s Folkloric Institute. Rago graduated with a BA in classical mandolin from the Music & Arts Institute of San Francisco. She has toured extensively within the U.S. and internationally for over 20 years, showcasing the music of Latin America with an emphasis in Venezuelan folk music.
 
Donna Viscuso (flute, alto saxophone) is an experienced performer, composer, and educator, having worked in numerous schools, educational programs, and grant-sponsored touring ensembles. She has performed, recorded, and toured with groups such as the Blazing Redheads, Venezuelan Music Project, Altazor, Wild Mango, the KTO project, Chelle and Friends, Chilean singer/songwriter Lichi Fuentes, and international storyteller Diane Ferlatte. A talented composer, Viscuso has written music for several award-winning documentaries and educational CDs. She has traveled to Venezuela to further her musical studies, and while there, she performed and recorded with many renowned musicians including percussionist Alexander Livinalli and members of the Fundacion Bigott. Additionally, Viscuso has recorded with Venezuelan musicians such as Aquiles Baez, Gonzalo Grau, Marco Granados, and Leo Blanco.
 
Michaelle Goerlitz (percussion) Michaelle is a versatile percussionist specializing in Brazilian and other Latin and Caribbean music styles. In 2007, she was named a rising star under the percussion category in DownBeat Magazine. She has played, recorded, and toured with a variety of artists including Mark Levine, Soul Sauce, the Pickpocket Ensemble, Rhiannon, Wayne Wallace, Val Pettiford, Jami Sieber, Barbara Higbie, Samba Rio, and Maria Volonte. Goerlitz was a founding member of the Bay Area musical ensembles Wild Mango and the Blazing Redheads.
 
 
Saúl Sierra (bass) was born and raised in Mexico City, where he started playing professionally in 1990. He moved to Boston, MA, in 1995 and attended the Berklee College of Music where he majored in performance. Some of his teachers included Oscar Stagnaro, Rich Appleman, Daniel Morris, and Jim Stinnet. As a resident of the Bay Area since 1999, Sierra has performed, toured, or recorded with Nestor Torres, Jimmy Bosh, Eddie Montalvo, Johny Rodríguez, Orestes Vilató, Bobi Céspedes, Antonio Sánchez, Miles Peña, John Santos, Jesús Díaz, Rebeca Mauleón, Mark Levine, Greg Landau, Mike Spiro, Jackeline Rago, Chuchito Valdez, Alexander Livinali, Wayne Wallace, Aquiles Baez, Marco Granados, Anthony Blea, Doug Beavers, and María Márquez among others. For the past 10 years, he has been a member of some of the leading bands in the Bay Area, including the John Santos Quintet/Sextet, Bobi Cespedes’ band, Dr. Loco’s Rocking Jalapeño Band, El Tren Trío, Anthony Blea y su Charanga, the Snake Trío, Jesús Díaz y su QBA, the Bay Area Afro-Cuban All Stars, The Venezuelan Music Project, Corazón Sur, and Sababa. Sierra is also a founding member of Vission Latina, the band that he co-leads with percussionist extraordinaire Carlos Caro and virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Marco Díaz. He keeps himself busy performing, composing, arranging, and teaching in the global class musical community of the Bay Area.

 
 
 

Salma El Assal & Sudan Music Ensemble
Folk & Contemporary Sudanese Music
 
Salma El Assal (vocals), originally from El Obain in western Sudan, is one of the leading Sudanese voices today who presents a suite of traditional Sudanese songs. With her birth name literally meaning “Honey Sweet Salma,” she was born to sing and spread love through her music. Some describe her sound as a blend of reggae based in African origins, and her dynamic and powerful voice has been compared by her fans to that of the legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Salma started to sing when she was a little girl, and as her talent increased and was noticed, she began to perform at weddings. As her popularity increased, she moved to Cairo, where she performs widely and now lives during part of the year. Salma’s joyous and charismatic style has been welcomed with open arms as she introduced her culture to the Middle East and to the rest of the world. She has performed with numerous musicians and groups, including Sandaleya, Mahmoud Fadl, and Ali Hassan Kuban. Salma has also performed in many European cities, including Berlin and Paris. While she has lived most of her life in Egypt, her pride and love for her culture have kept her close to her Sudanese roots.
 
Khalid El Mahi (oud) comes from a lineage of esteemed Sudanese musicians and culture keepers. He is an accomplished oud player, vocalist, and teacher of the various traditional Sudanese styles. He is also a talented multi-instrumentalist and composer of Sudanese music, as well as a scholar of the musical history of the region. As a father of three brilliant daughters who love to carry on their cultural heritage, he is always learning how to innovate and grow to bring these traditions to the new generation. His passion of reflecting Sudanese folk music is what drove him to be part of Aswat Ensemble. With Aswat Ensemble since 2016, Khalid has performed in several concerts throughout the Bay Area. His aim is to work with different multi-ethnic and multiracial music ensembles to introduce the Bay Area communities to Sudanese art and music, as well as to create a distinct musical harmony between Sudanese music and the music from other cultures.
 
Mazin Jamal, aka Tarawa (bongoz), is a first-generation Bay Area native whose family comes from Sudan. Growing up in a musical household where banging on pots and pans was encouraged and singalongs were always happening, his love for the music of his heritage deepened when he moved to Sudan as a young child. Since then, he has learned 12 other instruments and eight other musical styles, and gracefully weaves Sudanese rhythms, melodies, and sensibility into global styles like R&B, Afro-Latin, and hip-hop.
 
 
Hafiz Bushra (jambia) is a rhythm keeper and percussionist who has traveled around Africa and the globe bringing Sudanese traditional rhythms to many communities and musical groups. Believing music as medicine, Bushra has studied many musical traditions of the world which place joy, celebration, and community-building at the center.
 
 
 
Lee Dynes (guitar) is a multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, oud player, composer, improviser, and educator located in the Bay Area. He has been playing professionally as a jazz guitarist since he was a teenager growing up in Dayton, OH, and has become a fixture in the Bay Area jazz scene. He has also broken into the realm of Middle Eastern music on the oud, a fretless lute found in the Middle East and North Africa. Dynes specializes in Arabic and Turkish music but also dabbles in Persian, Sudanese, and various North African genres. He recorded his debut album as a leader, Pathways, in 2015 which features all original music. Dynes also teaches daily in Novato at Marin Music Center, specializing in the instruction of guitar, bass, oud, ukulele, and mandolin.

The Confident
Visual Art Exhibition
 
Samaneh Salehi began her career in Iran after studying graphic design at Tehran Noor Conservatory. Since then, she chose painting as her favorite form of art to express her artistic vision. Her work has been exhibited in Iran, Dubai, and Malaysia, and continues to be exhibited both in the U.S. and abroad. Salehi is known for her watercolor and acrylic miniature paintings, inspired by ancient Persian art and combined with contemporary techniques.
 
 
 
ARTIST STATEMENT:
“The Confident” started with my interest in old restored photos of the women of my homeland from the early age of photography in Iran. Common in most of the photos was a unique feeling that these women had when they faced the cameras. These photos are of ordinary people, but there is a mysterious feeling on their faces which makes them special. I can call it “the confident.”

The Seen and the Unseen
Visual Art Exhibition
 
Mobina Nouri is an Iranian artist currently living and working in San Francisco. She grew up in Iran where she pursued a variety of her interests in art by completing a BA in theatre at Fine Art Tehran University, and an MA in art and design at Art University Tehran. Upon moving to London, she earned a Ph.D. in art and creativity in City, University of London. Nouri’s artwork is deeply rooted in traditional calligraphy and poetry. Her pieces are often created in collaboration with international poets and photographers. Her works blend calligraphy, poetry, and photography. These richly emotive and layered compositions explore her cross-cultural identity as a female immigrant moving and living between Iran, the UK, and the U.S.
 
ARTIST STATEMENT:
“The journey of the mind cannot be limited. Forbidden poems, forbidden words, forbidden lines, forbidden art, forbidden artists! What is the boundary between forbidden and permitted, what is the boundary between seen and unseen? Things that we cannot see might hold the answers to our questions.”

Mobina began using ink and bamboo pen when she was six years old to write poems. Growing up as a child in a fearful environment of the Iran-Iraq war, poems were a magical escape from reality. As a young woman coming from Iran to the West, she experiences the different pressures, cultural expectations, and demands for conformity of both societies. Moving to London and immersing herself in the creative and intellectual milieu, she developed a new way to explore her evolving identity as a woman in a totally new culture, using powerful photos of women and veiling them over and over with calligraphic fragments of poems—creating mysterious, transcendent layers—as a medium of expression: full of words, sensuality, and layers of meaning.
 
ARTIST GUIDANCE:
I invite you to soften the gaze, quiet the mind, allow yourself to enter a receptive state and let these artworks speak directly to your subconscious. These poems are not written to be read; they are here to be felt. This is not a normal poetry book that you can open and read. The mystery of the words is part of my works and these words connect to a higher conscious level beyond reading and understanding the poem. Poetry acts like the notes of music and creates a visual melody. I use Rumi, Hafiz, Khayyam, Forough, and other great Persian poets to transfer that collective consciousness. It is important that the viewer connects with the vibration and energy of the poems embedded in each piece.

 
Dina Zarif
Curator, Program Director & Project Manager
 
Dina Zarif is a performer, vocalist, designer, and art manager who combines Western classical singing with Middle Eastern styles inspired from her Persian roots. Some of her credits include SF International Arts Festival (May 2016 & 2018), Palace of Fine Arts (Sept 2018), the chamber opera The Passion of Leyla in San Jose, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival (June 2018), and the staged reading of Layla & Majnun at BAMPFA as part of the symposium with Mark Morris Dance Group and the Silk Road Ensemble. She was the featured singer in Syria Mon Amour, Golden Thread’s 2017 celebration of International Women’s Day at Brava Theater.

As an actress, Zarif performed in three of influential Iranian playwright and director Bahram Beyzai’s plays: Ardaviraf’s Report (2015), Tarabnameh (2015-2016) as the role of Dancer/Singer, and Crossroads (2018) in the Stanford Iranian Studies department. She is also a costume designer and performer in the shadow production Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic. As the character Princess Roudabeh, she has performed at SF Cowell Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, UCLA, Harvard University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wallis Annenberg Hall, and has internationally toured in Poland, Canada, Taiwan, China, and France between 2015 and 2018.

Zarif serves as Program Director at Red Poppy Art House. She received her MA in landscape architecture from the University of Tehran, College of Fine Arts.

 
Time: 5:30pm exhibition / 6:30pm doors / 7:00pm performances
Admission: $25-45 sliding scale
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