wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Evening Music

Saturday, December 22, 2007
  • Amir Elsaffar (PI Recordings)
    Amir Elsaffar (PI Recordings)

    Ear to Ear: Amir Elsaffar

    Some five years ago, jazz trumpeter/vocalist Amir Elsaffar embarked on a personal quest to master the centuries-old musical style of his Iraqi ancestry. Fusing modern jazz with the traditional Iraqi Maqam repertoire, Elsaffar continues to serve as a cultural ambassador, breathing new life into a rich — and nearly extinct — musical heritage.

Amir Elsaffar

Trumpeter, composer, singer, and santoor player, Amir Elsaffar currently leads the only ensemble in the US performing Iraqi Maqam. Being of mixed Iraqi and American heritage, and an expert in Iraqi Maqam and jazz, Amir has been able to organically join both musical styles in a way that preserves the characteristics of each without compromising either. In addition to his work in the traditional realm, Amir also leads a Sextet of Jazz and Arabic musicians that performs his suite, "Two Rivers," which invokes elements of the Iraqi Maqam in a modern Jazz setting.

visit Amir Elsaffar's official website
buy Two Rivers (CD/MP3) at amazon.com

Leave a Comment

Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. WNYC reserves the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the WNYC.org Comment Guidelines before posting.

Your comment


* required
The information entered into this form will not be used to send unsolicited email and will not be sold to a third party.
 

69th American Music Festival: American Blend

May 21-22, at 7pm; May 23-24 at 8pm; May 25-27 at 7pm

Hosts Terrance McKnight and David Garland will curate and host a weeklong festival with special guests and rare recordings, concluding with live performances in WNYC's Jerome L. Greene Performance Space by Dafnis Prieto, Paola Prestini, Ezequiel Vinao and Yungchen Lhamo May 27.

globalFEST 2009

Listen on Demand

On January 11th, WNYC and NPR Music presented a live webcast of globalFEST 2009, the annual showcase that provides a "sneak peek" of global musicians on the verge of international fame.

Wordless Music

Concerts on Demand

WNYC presents web-exclusive concerts from the Wordless Music Series, hosted by Radio Lab's Jad Abumrad. Devoted to the desegregation of musical boundaries, Wordless Music pairs rock and electronic musicians with more traditional chamber and new music performers, to create an entirely new concert experience.

Deerhoof/Metropolis Ensemble

Live Webcast

WNYC and NPR Music team up to bring you this live webcast from the Prospect Park Bandshell, which pairs indie rock sensation Deerhoof with the progressive Metropolis Ensemble. Presented by Celebrate Brooklyn! and Wordless Music, and hosted by David Garland, the program features an ambitious re-imagining of Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, The Rite: Remixed.