Music of the Banned – Chapter One: Borders Without Bans (Sudan • Iran • Venezuela) – TWO SHOWS

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. During this concert series, audiences will hear different cultural and artistic linkages across and between the banned nations and the West. The March 16th event features Sudanese musician Tarawa with Seoulstice, Iranian musician Emad Bonakdar with flamenco dancer Mizuho Sato, and Venezuelan-flamenco group Trio Caminos.

 
MARCH 16TH PROGRAM:
SUDAN: Tarawa ft. Seoulstice
Sudanese Roots, Global Expressions
Tarawa – ukelele, calabash drum, ngoni, Sudanese bongos
Seoulstice – guitar, loop and effect pedal

IRAN: Emad Bonakdar & Mizuho Sato
Persian Music Meets Flamenco
Emad Bonakdar – tar, tanbur, guitar
Mizuho Sato – flamenco dance

VENEZUELA: Trio Caminos
Venezuelan Grooves in California
Carlos Caminos – acoustic guitar
Marlon Aldana – cajón flamenco, bongo
Angelo Tomandl – harmonicas
 
*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).

 

 
Tarawa ft. Seoulstice
Sudanese Roots, Global Expressions

Tarawa shares with you his journey back home through the themes of love, grief, migration, and revolution that weave through his heritage. In three languages and through the styles and instruments of four countries, we will also see how the waters of the Nile River, which runs through his ancestral land, splash and swirl with the cultures of West Africa, Latin America, Black America, and the Middle East. Accompanied by his best friend, music partner, and “accountability buddy,” Seoulstice, aka Jordon Jo, come sing along and take a deep breath!

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Tarawa (Lead Artist), aka Mazin Jamal, is a community organizer, dancer, leadership trainer, and coach dedicated to social and environmental impact — in the hours between banging out beats, plucking his harp, or channeling his ancestors’ melodies. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Dubai, and Sudan—his family’s place of origin—and currently immersed in the rich Latino cultural heritage of the Mission District, Tarawa’s music pulls in the influences of all the love he’s found on his journey. He is the founder of Holistic Underground.
 
 
When not strumming his guitar and singing soulful tunes, Seoulstice, aka Jordon Jo, is an entrepreneur, men’s work and consent workshop facilitator, and hopeful romantic. Born in Arizona and raised in Southern California, he is the co-founder of Wild SF Walking Tours, a company that employs artists and activists to tell the radical history of San Francisco’s diverse communities and social movements.
 
 
 
 

 
Emad Bonakdar & Mizuho Sato
Persian Music Meets Flamenco

Where East meets West, musician Emad Bonakdar and dancer Mizuho Sato combine Iranian traditional tunes with flamenco music.

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Emad Bonakdar (Lead Artist) is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and performer who initially started his training in jazz and pop. Eventually, he found a home in flamenco, a style that touched his heart and allowed him to express his deep emotions and passion in a way that no other music could. His love of traditional Persian music, coupled with expressive and soulful flamenco music, created a style that is distinctively his. His first concert in crossover music was in Tehran, Iran, in 1991, and his first album, ARG (iTunes), was inspired by the immense culture of the ancient Persian Empire. Bonakdar composed a full film score for Momâs Guest in Iran. In 2004, he was nominated for the best fusion album at World Music Festival in New York. Since moving to the U.S. in 2006, he has performed at SF Yoshi’s, Red Poppy Art House, and many house concerts.
 
Born in Iwate, Japan, Mizuho Sato started classical ballet at the age of three. As she performed on stage and attained years of experience in winning balletic competitions, she pursued her career as a dancer and took summer school in the Royal Ballet Academy of England. Entering Sophia (Jochi) University in Tokyo brought her a strong encounter with flamenco, and she decided to shift her career. The following year she was in Seville, Spain, taking classes from prestigious instructors like Manolo Marin, Maria del Mar Verranga, Javier Cruz, and Alicia Marquez. After her studies, Sato returned to Tokyo and started performing in several well-known tablaos. In 2000, she received awards from the Japanese Flamenco Association and the Ambassador of Spain. Shortly afterwards, Sato started teaching in Tokyo and in her hometown, Iwate. She developed classes of flamenco history and music for further appreciation and comprehension on the tour of Manuel Reyes Company, of which she was a participant. Two years later, she returned to Spain to further develop her skills under Cristobal Reyes, la China, and Manuel Liñan, as well as studied the Spanish language.
 
 
 

 
Trio Caminos
Venezuelan Grooves in California

Featuring Venezuelan guitarist Carlos Caminos, Mexican drummer Marlon Aldana, and Peruvian harmonica funk player Angelo Tomandl, Trio Caminos’ repertoire is a distinct expression of Venezuelan music and flamenco combined with Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Venezuelan, jazz, and Latin influences. Venezuelan music is very diverse and is the result of European, African, and indigenous cultures that found their home in the South American country. This project intends to show elements found in Venezuelan songs and melodies—including the characteristic 6/8, 3/4, and 5/8 rhythms—while incorporating them in the trio’s own style.

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Carlos Caminos (Lead Artist) is a Venezuelan musician who began playing guitar at age nine and had his first performances at age 14. A long career has taken him on a journey of very diverse projects and collaborations. The Caminos Music Project is the result of years of developing a passion for learning various musical styles including flamenco (bulerías, soleá por bulería, alegrías, fandangos de huelava), Venezuelan music (joropo, vals, merengue), Latin music (bolero, son, tangos, cumbia), and Latin jazz. Caminos has co-founded several projects such as Raíz de Agua, Latifonía, A Tono Acústico, New Caminos Duo, and Trio Caminos. He has also collaborated with groups such as David Byrd and Byrds of a Feather, Mirada Interna, and Café Pa’ Tres.
 
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Marlon Aldana has explored many genres under several great mentors, learning about solid, sensitive, simple drumming with dynamics and unique sound. He has been part of a variety of projects across genres, including jazz, Afro-Cuban, funk, rock, cumbia, reggae, electronic, folk, and many others. He has worked with outstanding musicians such as Jason McGuire “El Rubio,” Antonio Rey, Terceto Kali, T-Sisters, Alex Conde Quartet, La Gente, The Astronauts, Nuvo Chamber Quartet, Caminos Flamencos, Agua Clara, SF Flamenco Dance Company, Rebecca Kleinmann Quartet, ShimShai, Tina Malia, J.A.B, and Trio Caminos. Aldana’s most recent work is with drummer and producer Juan Manuel Caipo as a session musician in a variety of styles. With J.M. Caipo as a mentor, Aldana is now learning about the music production world, along with better ways to communicate and express clearer as a drummer. He currently lives in Oakland, CA, where he works as a graphic designer, photographer, and musician.
 
Angelo Tomandl is a Latin American harmonica player from Peru. He is known for his energetic solos, musical ingenuity, and passion for music. He has played with a broad variety of projects and musical genres such as Nika Rejto, Victoria Theodore, Janice Maxie Raid, D. Edward, Fantastic Negrito, Adley Penner, and Omega Rae among others. Tomandl has recently performed with Bicicletas Por La Paz, Sang Matiz, and Trio Caminos. He is currently working on a new project called Spondylus in collaboration with different musicians and artists that blend various styles of music like jazz, funk, Latin, rock, and more.
 
 
 

 
Nima Dehghani
Video Installation: “WE ARE STILL LIVING HERE”

What “media” shows us, what “media” doesn’t show us. In the world of mainstreams, we–people–are lost in the news that media wants us to see.

Regarding the banned countries, what do we see on the internet? Who decides what we should see? Journalists or politicians? “They” decide for us. “People” are usually excluded.

This multichannel curatorial video installation shows the contradiction between what the media presents about BANNED countries in comparison to what ordinary people capture from the same countries (collected by artists of BANNED countries in this project). Which one should we look at? Sometimes we just need to see that people are still living, existing, and dancing in those countries; then we can decide about the news…

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Nima Dehghani is a San Francisco-based multi-disciplinary artist whose work explores the relationships between society, politics, and audience interactions in public spaces. Born in Tehran, Iran, Dehghani works predominantly in the mediums of visual art, theater, performance art, and new media, where he focuses on issues such as social discrimination, political ideology, and notions of displacement and diaspora. He has been working directly with immigrant communities since 2013, creating a number of different art projects that have worked to raise awareness about the global refugee crisis. Dehghani’s work has been showcased worldwide, appearing in Iran, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, and the United States. As a playwright and director, he has been the recipient of multiple awards and fellowships, including being named “Best Young Director of the Year” by the Iranian Theater Directors’ Center in 2012 and receiving the Konrad and Gisela Weis Fellowship from the Carnegie Mellon School of Art in 2014.

 
Dina Zarif is a performer, vocalist, designer, and art manager whose sound combines Western classical singing with Middle Eastern styles inspired from her Persian roots. She has performed in various festivals, venues, and productions such as SF Palace of Fine Arts, the chamber opera The Passion of Leyla in San Jose, the theatrical dance performance Home, and Golden Thread Theater Company’s staged reading of Layla and Majnun at BAMPFA. Zarif was also a featured singer in Syria Mon Amour, Golden Thread’s 2017 celebration of International Women’s Day that was dedicated to Syria.

As an actress, she performed in three of 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. Additionally, Zarif is 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, Harvard University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wallis Annenberg Hall, and has internationally toured in Poland, Taiwan, and Canada between 2015 and 2018.

As a working artist in the community, Zarif is the program director and a lead performance host at the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco. She most recently curated the project Music of the Banned in response to the travel ban, highlighting the music of eight countries—the majority Muslim nations—Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela, and North Korea. The project has been performed at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival in June 2018 and Red Poppy Art House in August 2017. Zarif received her MA in Landscape Architecture from the University of Tehran, College of Fine Arts.

 
Time: (First Show) 4:30pm doors / 5:00-6:45pm show
(Second Show) 7:30pm doors / 8:00-10:00pm show
Admission: $20-25 sliding scale. A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door for both shows. *No late seating.
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