What do a West African griot, a Mexican flamenco dancer and an Arab vocalist have in common?
They're all on the bill for the fall season of the Arab American National Museum's popular Ford Comerica Global Thursdays world music concert series.
Contemporary Irish acoustic supergroup Lunasa opens the series Sept. 20; a return of 2006's colorful International Holiday Marketplace and Fashion Show concludes the season Dec. 13.
The annual fall concert series offers a wide variety of music Thursday evenings for $12 per person at the door.
Tickets purchased in advance are just $10 or $8 for museum members and students.
L×nasa
Irish Acoustic
7:30 p.m. • Sept. 20
Ireland's great 1970s group The Bothy Band inspired this gathering of Ireland's top contemporary players.
L×nasa uses melodic interweaving of wind and string instruments, pairing flutes, fiddle, whistle and pipes in breathtaking configurations. The group's inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves are steering Irish acoustic music into new territory.
Scott Feiner and Pandeiro Jazz
Brazil/NYC Jazz
7:30 p.m. • Sept. 27
Combine the rich rhythmic texture of the Brazilian pandeiro — a tunable, sophisticated cousin of the tambourine — with the intensity of New York City jazz, and you get Pandeiro Jazz. The sound produced by this percussion, guitar and saxophone trio impresses audiences with its high energy, musical interaction, and intense grooves.
Eastern Blok
Eastern European Fusion
7:30 p.m. • Oct. 4
Alluring and complex, Chicago-based Eastern Blok transcends borders. Formerly known as the Goran Ivanovic Group, it effortlessly blend classical and jazz music with the rich folkloric traditions of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Serbia. Middle Eastern motifs merge gracefully with the evocative sounds of Eastern European klezmer music.
SHUSMO
Middle Eastern Jazz
7:30 p.m. • Oct. 11
New York City-based SHUSMO was originally formed by Tareq Abboushi to mix various elements of jazz and Middle Eastern music, and to present them through powerful grooves. Since then the melodic melange has seen other elements come into play, including Latin rhythms, counterpoint and spoken word.
Betty Shamieh
One-Woman Show
7:30 p.m. • Oct. 18
This award-winning Palestinian-American playwright has two plays making their New York and world premieres this season. Shamieh's off-Broadway debut, "Roar," was selected as a New York Times Critics Pick for 2004. As an actor, Shamieh performed her play of monologues, "Choco-late in Heat," at its sold-out premiere at the New York International Fringe Festival in 2001.
Yuri Yunakov and his Romani Wedding Band
Bulgarian Wedding Music
7:30 p.m. • Oct. 25
In Bulgaria, some of the best, most innovative music is generated by that country's colorful, competitive wedding music scene, with many musicians emanating from the Roma or Gypsy tradition. Saxophone virtuoso Yuri Yunakov and his band of rising stars, featuring clarinetist Sal Mamudoski and electric guitarist Vasil Angelov, create a lyrical, exuberant Eastern European weave of vibrant sounds, beautiful melodies and frenetic improvisations that impresses even seasoned jazz players.
Gaida
Arab Songstress
7:30 p.m. • Nov. 1
A leading New York City Arab vocalist, Gaida has the "most beautiful, expressive voice, the sort of voice that violins and clarinets try to imitate." Damascus-raised Gaida learned from the recordings of Sabah Fakhri, Umm Kulthoum, and Fairouz. With her passionate voice and innate style, Gaida and her band deliver a powerful and heart-moving performance.
Stratospheerius
Psychojazz Funk
7:30 pm • Nov. 8
The group's live performances are filled with funky dance grooves, rip-roaring guitar/violin jams, and hooks that mix jazz, funk, and world beat. Featured in Relix Magazine's "On The Verge" section, they're also "Best Jam Band" in the Musician's Atlas Independent Music Awards and a winner of the BMI John Lennon Songwriting contest.
Edmar CastaŅeda
Columbian Folk/Jazz
7:30 p.m. • Nov. 15
Combining Latin jazz with traditional Colombian music, CastaŅeda has carved a firm place in the international jazz scene. A jazz harpist of imposing talent, he transforms the harp into a lead instrument to phenomenal effect.
CastaŅeda produces crossrhythms like a drummer, and smashes chordal flourishes like a flamenco guitarist.
La Chispa and Company Flamenco
7:30 p.m. • Nov. 29
La Chispa ("The Spark") and Company explores all aspects of flamenco to create a powerful mixture of complex rhythms and haunting melodies. Led by Mexican-born Valeria Montes, aka La Chispa, this Detroit-based troupe offers a breathtaking performance, with live accompaniment, that transports passionate Spanish dance and music to the stage with trademark vibrancy and intensity.
Mady Kouyate
West African Griot
7:30 p.m. • Dec. 6
Born in Dakar, Senegal, Mady is a descendent of the Kouyate family of Dialolu, oral historians and musicians of Manding traditions, recording the history of West African societies through music and verse.
Performing on the 21-string kora, he is a master of the traditional and ancestral heritage of griot.
International Holiday Marketplace & Fashion Show
Free admission
6 p.m. • Dec. 13
The popular holiday bazaar returns with fashion, art, crafts and food from around the world. Don't miss the opportunity to shop, explore and enjoy live music and complimentary refreshments.
The Arab American National Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Ave., across from Dearborn City Hall. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 1-313-582-AANM or visit the Web site www.arabamericanmuseum.org.
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