Al-Andalus Ensemble "The Bridge" Concert Performance in Port Townsend, WA

PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. - April 10, 2017 - PRLog -- "A delightful proposition of exquisite music" (El Pais, Madrid, Spain)

EVENT DATE May 11,2017 at 7:00 pm

LOCATION: Quimper Unitarian Hall 2333 San Juan Ave, Port Townsend,WA

TICKETS: $15.00  1-800-838-3006 at Brown Paper Tickets

Join the international Al Andalus Ensemble for a poignant evening of music & dance. The work of the Al Andalus Ensemble stands as a premiere bridge between the worlds music & dance cultures, connecting the East and West as well as Classical, Jazz and World music & dance genres.  What a unique and novel way to celebrate Mothers Day!

Al Andalus Ensemble founders Tarik & Julia Banzi (oud, ney, darbuka & flamenco guitar) join with Barcelona born Contemporary Flamenco dancer Verónica Medina Cano, multi-lingual vocalist Emily Miles and Classical-Jazz pianist Joe Heinemann.

Al Andalus was a time when Christians, Jews & Muslims lived in peaceful co-existence (Spain 711-1492). Awards include the VOX Pop Award for "Best Contemporary Classical Album" and the Peoples Grammy Award for "Best World Music Song" selected from 560,000 entries from 163 countries.

The evening is a timely and emotive music and dance celebration exploring our connectedness and exploring and creating bridges which override religious, cultural and linguistic divisions. Audiences can expect a program with rich and unusual instrumentation such as the oud (pre Renaissance lute), ney (arabic reed flute), flamenco guitar, kamanja (arabic violin) and darbuka (goblet drum), songs sung in many languages including Arabic, Ladino (Sephardic Jewish) and Spanish, stirring renditions of American Spirituals all punctuated by Contemporary Flamenco dance to create a "unique and deeply moving concert experience."  The event promises to meld the past with the present in what has been hailed as "a new musical language that unites the East & West" (Aramco World Magazine).

The "Bridge" performance is a timely and emotive musical tribute to the 1,300 years of interaction between the East and the West. Acceptance, coexistence and sharing are all focal points for an evening that serves to herald Spring and prepare for the coming Summer.

The artists of the Al-Andalus Ensemble build a new artistic language that unifies Eastern & Western cultures and generates a work that is rich, layered and socially conscious, expanding the artistic horizons of both experts and novices alike. Further the advancement of international understanding, goodwill & peace by supporting a group that reflects a place and time where Christians, Jews & Muslims lived together for a cultural flourishing: Al-Andalus.

The concert promises to be a fascinating evening where parallels and contrasts will be drawn between the old and the new. Highlights of the program include contemporary works as well as traditional pieces from Al Andalus, Afghanistan and Iraq. Proud emblems, suspended within sound, each infused with its own poignant expression of nostalgia. The flow of these works, tugs at our heartstrings and inspires affection. The longing for an idealistic time permeates the works and functions as a center of gravity for the program.

The Al Andalus Ensemble takes its name from medieval southern Spain, during a time when Jews, Muslims and Christians lived together in peace and cooperatively made great advances in the arts and sciences.

Al Andalus Ensemble (http://www.Andalus.com)

Brown Paper Tickets:  http://andalus.brownpapertickets.com

Tarik Banzi (Oud, percussion, composer) "a superbly gifted player" (All Music Guide) is from one of the founding families of Tetouan, Morocco and traces his roots back to medieval Al Andalus, Spain. A preserver and innovator of Andalusian music, Tarik has collaborated with Flamenco, jazz and contemporary masters such as Paco de Lucia, Manolo Sanlucar and Enrique Morente. He introduced the darbuka and udu drums to modern flamenco music; they are now cornerstones of the movement.

Verónica Medina Cano (Contemporary Flamenco Dance) of Barcelona, Spain is an artist whose dance is characterized by injecting bold theatrical flair into traditional flamenco. This highly accomplished Spanish dancer brings flamenco thrillingly up to date. Verónica holds a degree in Spanish & Flamenco Dance from the Conservatory of Barcelona with further training at Amor de Dios studios in Madrid with María Magdalena, Adrián Galia, Cristóbal Reyes, Tomás de Madrid, Rafaela Carrasco, Antonio Canales, Merche Esmeralda, Belén Fernández, David Paniagua & Rafael Amargo. She has danced professionally in the companies of Javier Latorre, Antonio Márquez, Manolo Nuñez and Sabor de Gracia and taught at the Centro Cultural Estrellas Altas and in Amsterdam with FlamencoAmsterdam.

Julia Banzi (Flamenco guitar, viola, Ph.D. Ethnomusicology) is one of a very few female flamenco guitarists worldwide and a pioneer in researching women's Andalusian music. Her work reflects her over twenty years of living, studying and performing in North Africa and Spain , studying flamenco with some of Spain's finest guitarists such as Manolo Sanlucar and Isidro Munoz. Julia holds a Doctorate degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and is a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar who teaches at Reed College and Lewis & Clark College.

Joe Heinemann (Classical/Jazz Piano):  Joe's Joie de Vivre with piano began at the early age of seven studying classical music. He went on to perform and record with such musical giants such as Steve Miller, Archie Shepp, John Fahey, Charlie Musselwhite, Robert Cray, Eddie Harris, Curtis Salgado, James Ingram and Patti Austin (under the direction of Quincy Jones).  Joe's album "Straight Ahead" won top ten honors in Jazzizz Magazine's national contest and his newest album"Gratitude"  was produced by Will Ackerman of Windham Hill Records 2016.

Emily Miles (Voice) is a multi-lingual vocalist with roots in American gospel, folk rock and jazz. David Stabler of the Oregonian describes her voice as full of "duende." With Al Andalus, Emily sings a wide range of music, from medieval Ladino and Arabic love songs to American spirituals and Garcia Lorca poetry.