Musikah Mizrahit: Music of the Near East - Rachel Valfer witih Faisal Zedan

Rachel Valfer and Faisal Zeidan play secular and liturgical music from the Jewish communities of the Middle East and Balkans, ancient melodies as well as new! The musicians will demonstrate the art of improvisation and describe the workings of maqam (middle eastern music theory). The history of the development of music from those regions will also be discussed, along with an exploration of the question 'what makes music Jewish'?

Rachel Valfer is an oud (Arabic lute) player and vocalist skilled in different languages and styles from the Near East. She studied Maqam and Persian dastgah modal systems in Israel for years at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and currently sings with the Qadim Ensemble.

Syrian-born Faisal Zedan was inspired to play Arabic percussion at the age of 15, and received instruction from the only drummer in his Druze village of Oum Dbaid. Faisal has played with many great Arabic musicians, such as Ali Jihad Racy, Julien Jâlal Eddine Weiss, and the band Kanzaman, and is devoted to keeping traditional Arabic music alive.

Dessert reception follows