KlezCalendar

Monajat, A commissioned multimedia work by Galeet Dardashti
Grand Performances
350 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
September 25, 2011, 8 pm

Further venue info/tix: www.grandperformances.org/en/gp/

Monajat is inspired by Selihot, the poetic prayers of forgiveness recited during the month preceding the Jewish High Holidays according to Middle Eastern tradition. This period of deep reflection and spiritual preparation serves as a backdrop for Dardashti’s time-specific concert and program. The first-time U.S. presentation of Monajat combines participatory workshops, talks, prayer services, and other educational programs to enhance the spiritual and cultural experience. Dardashti, a performer and anthropologist of Iranian descent, re-imagines the Selihot ritual in collaboration with an acclaimed ensemble of Jewish and Muslim musicians, an electronic soundscape, and dynamic video projections by video artist and designer Dmitry Kmelnitsky.

Dardashti’s acclaimed ensemble of musicians includes Omer Avital (oud, bass, vocals), Amir ElSaffar (santour, vocals), Tal Ronen (bass, vocals) and Dafer Tawil (percussion, violin, ney, oud, vocals).

The Foundation for Jewish Culture and its league of performing arts presenters have commissioned Monajat (Fervent Prayer), a multimedia concert by composer, singer, and scholar Galeet Dardashti which will tour the United States in September 2011. Monajat, an evening of Middle Eastern musical poetry, inaugurates the New Jewish Culture Network, an initiative to create and deliver outstanding Jewish music and other art forms to audiences in the U.S. and beyond.

For further info: jewishculture.org/music-touring-network/