New York Folklore presents: Arabic American Heritage Month Concert

New York Folklore presents a multi-part showcase of New York’s diverse folk music traditions.

The concert will feature a short bilingual presentation by New York Folklore Fieldworker Nada Odeh, about Arab art and culture. The concert will kick of with two performances, by the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble at Cornell, and Paul Hage and Hicham Mihab.

The Middle Eastern Music Ensemble at Cornell performs traditional music from the Arab World, Turkey, and Iran, as well as related music from neighboring cultures.

Majd Aldaye is the president and Qanun player, Originally from Tartus, Syria. With seven years of experience playing the Qanun in Syria, Majd joined MEME@C in 2021 to share and celebrate his culture through music he is currently studying Computer Science at Cornell University.

Mohammad Labadi is the Vice President and Tablah (darbuka) player. Originally from Madaba, Jordan. Currently a third-year undergraduate student majoring in Computer Science. Mohammad joined MEME during his first year after meeting Majd and the band at Club Fest. He took up playing the Tablah, an instrument commonly used in social gatherings, weddings, and celebrations.

Nikolai Ruskin is the Music Director of the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble at Cornell, which he co-founded in 2002 with Professor Martin Hatch. Nikolai performs and teaches on numerous instruments from traditional Arabic, Turkish, and Persian music

Paul Joseph Hage and Hicham Mihab

Paul Joseph Hage is an American Lebanese composer, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer. He performs multiple instruments at live shows and recordings playing Oud, Guitar, Darbuka, Accordion, and Arabic Keyboard. He incorporates traditional and modern music of the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, as well as other musical elements. Paul’s main influence was his father Antoine Hage, a virtuoso Oud player, violinist, and singer from Lebanon. Antoine worked with legendary artists of the Middle East, Wadih Al Safi and Fairouz, as well as Danny Thomas in the US from the 1950s-1960’s.

Hicham Mihab from Morocco is a talented multi-percussionist who plays the Tam-Tam, Darbuka, Cajon, and Djembe. He is influenced by music of the Middle/Near East, North Africa, and Spain.

New York Folklore is a membership organization, open to all, concerned with furthering cultural equity and strengthening the understanding of the role of folk and traditional arts in our lives. We support folk and traditional artists, community cultural experts, community-based cultural organizations, and academic and public sector folklorists. Learn more about them at www.nyfolklore.org

This programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Host or Publisher The Linda WAMC's Performing Arts Studio