Greetings! I hope this finds you well.
The Arab American National Museum (AANM) is pleased to welcome leading Syrian American performers for concerts on Friday, Oct. 20 and Monday, Oct. 23.
Below you’ll find a press release for the Oct. 20 Global Fridays appearance by Hello Psychaleppo; attached are photo of the artist, whose given name is Samer Saem Eldahr, nickname Zimo. A 6:30 p.m. artist talk is followed by the 8 p.m. concert (concert is standing only; disabled seating available).
Also attached is a press kit for AMPLIFY PEACE, a national tour presented by the Syrian American Medical Society to highlight and raise funds for Syrian relief efforts. The lineup for the Oct. 23 concert at AANM is comprised of rapper/poet Omar Offendum along with Bassel & The Supernaturals, Kayem, Ronnie Malley & Turath Ensemble and DJ Bella Loki. It begins at 7 p.m.
We hope you’ll be intrigued by these Syria-themed musical presentations by some of the most highly regarded artists of Syrian heritage! Both Samer Saem Eldahr and Omar Offendum are available for interview. Reply to this email or call 313.624.0206 to request an interview.
Thanks!
kim
| Contact: | Kim Silarski | Kathryn Grabowski |
| 313.624.0206 | 313.624.0208 | |
| ksilarski | kgrabowski |
HELLO PSYCHALEPPO FUSES ARAB HERITAGE MUSIC AND ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC INTO NEW GENRE
Syrian artist makes Michigan premiere, celebrates new release
Dearborn, Mich. (Oct. 4, 2017) – What do you get when you combine classic Arabic music samples, melodies and arrangements with dubstep, drum & bass, electro and trip hop? The Arab American National Museum’s Global Fridays series presents the answer – a groundbreaking performance by Hello Psychaleppo in its Michigan premiere at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20.
Samer Saem Eldahr, the mastermind behind Hello Psychaleppo, is a producer and visual artist who grew up in Aleppo, Syria, and lived briefly in Beirut before moving to Minnesota to escape the war in his homeland. In response to the surreal nature of everyday life in Syria, Eldahr created a new musical genre called electro-tarab, which takes wing on his new release Toyour (Birds). Listen to it at https://soundcloud.com/hellopsychaleppo/sets/toyour.
Hailing from one of the most mystical and musically rich cities in the Levant, Hello Psychaleppo is deeply rooted in Arab Bedouin mawwāls (a traditional genre of vocal music that is usually presented before the actual song begins) and the captivating strains of tarab (a state of musical ecstasy experienced by the listener and/or the live performer). He threads them through convoluted industrial structures made from dubstep, drum & bass, electro and trip hop. It’s a journey away from boundaries of style, engaging souls into letting go while experiencing a new dimension of sonic blends.
Among the Arab artists Eldahr samples in his work are legendary 20th-century Egyptian vocalists Umm Kulthum and Abdel Halim Hafez. Among his musical influences are ‘90s trip-hop heavyweights Portishead and Massive Attack. Fellow Syrian American Omar Offendum’s summer 2017 EP Eye Know Faces is on Eldahr’s essential Arab music list, while the pioneering Japanese electronica band Yellow Magic Orchestra is his current musical go-to.
Eldahr studied painting in art school and Hello Psychaleppo’s compelling visual presentation is integral to the live performance. Photos, prints, drawings, animation and video sourced from friends are among the elements employed. “I always try to combine these two mediums together because I love both sides of these creative practices,” Eldahr told shubbak.co.uk. “I want both the visuals and the sound to go hand in hand…For me the details are very important!”
Toyour is a concept album inspired by the 12th century Sufi poet Farid ud-Din Attar’s seminal poem The Conference of the Birds. “As a Syrian, birds symbolize many things for me – immigration, peace and the freedom of movement,” Eldahr recently said to Alaraby.co.uk. “Even the freedom of expression – so you can just chirp out loud.”
Eldahr left his native Syria and his family in 2012. “I thought I’d be back within a month, because I thought things were going to get better,” he told Alaraby.co.uk. “I had a gig in Lebanon a couple of months later, but I didn’t have anything with me – the files, the sounds – nothing. I’m like a Palestinian who left with the keys to their home – expecting to use them again.”
Despite holding a U.S. Green Card (indicating permanent residency), Eldahr felt compelled to cancel a sold-out gig in Hamburg, Germany, last spring due to the federal travel ban affecting Syrians and other Arabs, amid concerns he’d be unable to reenter the U.S.
Prior to the show at 6:30 p.m., guests will have an opportunity to engage with Eldahr, when he gives a talk about Arab artists & the Diaspora.
Tickets are $10 AANM Members and $15 for the general public. The concert will be standing room only (disabled seating available) and will take place in The Annex @ AANM.
Tickets are available for purchase online at http://arabamericanmuseum.org/GF-Fall-17 and at the door.
Global Fridays: Hello Psychaleppo
Friday, Oct 20, 2017
6:30 p.m. Artist talk
8 p.m. Concert (standing room only; disabled seating available)
The Annex @ AANM
13624 Michigan Ave., Dearborn
********
The Arab American National Museum (AANM) documents, preserves and presents Arab American history, culture and contributions.
AANM is an institution of Dearborn, Mich.-based human-services agency ACCESS, the largest Arab American community nonprofit in the U.S. AANM is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums; an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution; and a founding member of the Immigration and Civil Rights Network of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.
The Museum is located at 13624 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI, 48126. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday; Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission is $8 for adults; $4 for students, seniors and children 6-12; ages 5 and under and Museum Members, free.
Visit www.arabamericanmuseum.org or call 313.582.2266 for further information.
###
Kim Silarski | Communications Manager | Arab American National Museum
13624 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI 48126 | Office 313.624.0206 | Cell 313.670.1300
Connect with us | ACCESS |Arab American National Museum |
National Network for Arab American Communities | Center for Arab American Philanthropy
Ampify-Peace-SAMS-Oct 2017 Omar Offendum.pdf
Dearborn Blog 