Second Annual Maqam Fest January 11, 2013

Maqam Fest is Alwan’s biggest annual music event, showcasing six of the most exciting ensembles from New York and around the U.S., each bringing its own unique approach and variation on maqam music. Developed more than a millennium ago, maqam is a complex system of musical modes and represents one of the great legacies of the Arab-Islamic world. Maqam pervades the musical cultures from the Maghreb (Northwest Africa) to Western China, from the Balkans to the Sudan. Maqam Fest 2013 celebrates a line-up that pays tribute to this long-honored tradition and alluring geographic spectrum, featuring ancient traditions, explorations of historic ties between musical styles, and contemporary compositions and improvisations.

This year's Maqam Fest line-up includes:

SALAAM: Original compositions in Arab and Middle Eastern style
EVA SALINA: Re-imagined songs of Balkan Romani legends of the 60s, 70s, and 80s
NEW ANDALUCIA: Flamenco and Arab intersections
Amino Belyamani’s SSAHHA: Compositions and improvisations over Moroccan grooves with a re-tuned piano
ALWAN ARAB MUSIC ENSEMBLE: Traditional music of Cairo, Aleppo, and Baghdad
AHMET ERDOGDULAR: Sufi and Ottoman Classical music from Turkey