Dearborn (Michigan), USA – Adventurous music lovers will find the hottest sounds in India and northern Africa, Palestinian rap, Gypsy music crossed with rock and roll and funk and much more in the 2008 Fall Season of Ford Comerica Global Thursdays, the weekly world music concert series at the Arab American National Museum, which is located at 13624 Michigan Avenue in Dearborn.
Global Thursdays is designed to spotlight musical styles from various cultures and nations around the world, presenting acts that might not otherwise perform for metro Detroit audiences. It remains one of the area’s most affordable nights out, with tickets at just $8, $10 and $12 and free parking.
The 2008 Fall Season begins and ends on the African continent. Launching the series on Thursday, September 25 is MC Rai, a leader of the new generation of Rai music artists. A native of Tunisia, MC Rai has performed alongside leading artists including Cheb i Sabbah, Bonnie Raitt and Michael Franti. The season closes December 18 with another African artist, vocalist Malika Zarra from Morocco, whose sleek stylings weave together various languages and musical traditions.
In October, rock and roll gets all shook up with traditional music originating from the region where Europe and Russia meet, with Hungary’s Little Cow (Oct. 2), the seven-piece band straight out of the the Balkans, Kal (Oct. 16) and the world-fusion guitar duo of Goran Ivanovic & Fareed Haque (Nov. 6).
The first-ever rap act from Palestine, DAM hits the stage with raw energy and hard-hitting lyrics October 23. DAM is one of the groups featured in the new film Slingshot Hip Hop, which will screen as part of the AANM’s 4th annual Arab Film Festival November 14-16. And Syrian folk music melds with classical Arab maqams (musical modes) and improvisation when New York City-based chanteuse Gaida takes the stage December 4 in a return Global Thursdays engagement.
From the rich musical traditions of India come Dya Singh (Oct. 9), Trio Tarana (Oct. 30) and Prasanna (Nov. 13), presenting everything from the deeply spiritual to the clearly contemporary.
Michigan-based artists proudly representing this fall are Ann Arbor’s slick post-Afro-Beat experts NOMO (Nov. 20) and the always sizzling hip hop-soul sounds of Black Bottom Collective (Dec. 11) led by Khary Kimani Turner.
Global Thursdays tickets are just $8 (students with ID and Museum Members), $10 (advance sales end at 5 p.m. each Wednesday) and $12 (at the door) with free, lighted parking available in the city lot north of the Museum (turn north onto Neckel Street from Michigan Avenue to enter lot).
Global Thursdays tickets are available online at www.arabamericanmuseum.org and by phone at 313.582.2266 or 313.624.0215. You’ll need a credit or debit card to purchase tickets online or by phone.
All performances begin at 7:30 P.M. in the museum auditorium
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
