Simon Shaheen & Qantara in "A Concert for Lebanon's Children"

Friday October 20, the Boston Chapter of the World Lebanese Cultural Union (WLCU) is presenting Simon Shaheen and Qantara in "A Concert for Lebanon's Children".

Friday October 20, 2006 at 8PM
Shaw Auditorium at Watertown High School
50 Columbia Street Watertown, MA

All proceeds to benefit
The Chronic Care Center (Lebanon)
For the treatment of chronic childhood diseases &
The Lebanese Association of SOS Children's Villages

Tickets available in advance go to <http://www.wlcu.us>www.wlcu.us or call 617.816.1388 for details
$40 Adult / $25 Students (must present student id) / $15 Children (12 and under)

About Qantara
Qantara was formed in 1995 by composer and musician Simon Shaheen. Fascinated and moved by his musician alliances with diverse musical cultures, he was inspired to develop new works that would bridge the two musical worlds and a group that could evoke the musical emotion of these culturally crossed exotic and rhythmically charged sounds. Shaheen's compositions for this ensemble fuse his Arabic musical heritage with the contemporary sensibilities of postmodern jazz. His works encompass strong classical Arabic and Spanish musical elements that are crafted to integrate with jazz musical components, which provide the harmonic and formal structure for this ensemble's musical repertoire.

Qantara is comprised of world-renowned musicians whose diverse and uniquely versatile musical styles lend to this rare blend of traditional world music infused with jazz concepts. The instrumentation for the group is comprised of Shaheen on the 'oud and violin, complimented by artists performing on nay, flute, saxophone, classical guitar, double bass, and world percussion instruments. Qantara is the Arabic word for arch. Hence, the name Qantara reveals the gateway to a new musical expression. After much collaboration with Shaheen, the musicians of Qantara have acquired the requisite knowledge of Arabic music, and each adds their own distinctive sounds to Shaheen's compositions creating an exciting mix of intricate melodies and counter rhythms.

The music of Qantara allows different styles of performance and improvisation to stand out while providing a musical structure that goes beyond the stylistic boundaries. This has resulted in multinational and global musical exchange, which is both electrifying and enriching. The ensemble is a remarkable and distinctive example of world acoustic jazz.

SIMON SHAHEEN
"...full of dignified passion. On violin, his playing was throaty and sensual. His phrases sighed and lingered over the tune, then spun off trills and filigree like sparks. On oud, his crisply picked lines took on tension and drama, each measured phrase holding suspense.
Jon Pareles, The New York Times