New Andalusia at Bronx Music Heritage Center
Bronx Music Heritage Center, 1303 Louis Niñé Blvd., Bronx, NY 10459
In 711 A.D., Arabs crossed Gibraltar into Iberia and for the next eight centuries a tremendous exchange took place. Great minds, ideas and art crossed the strait of Gibraltar (Jabal Tariq) back and forth and created a rich mix that transcended the boundaries of religion, ethnicity and language. It is in this esthemus, this land in between, that giants such as Averroes, Maimonides, Alfonso El Sabio and Zyriab emerged. Thirteen centuries later, six musicians and dancers, who have been working together for a decade, strive to recreate this era through their music as immigrants in New York City. Both the time and the place of this encounter are significant as New York becomes the New Andalucia with an evening of convivencia.
Olyda La Ola, dancer singer
Arturo Martínez, guitar
Alfonso Cid, Flamenco vocals and flute
Taoufik Ben Amor, vocals and percussion
Zafer Tawil, oud and violin
Ramzi El-Edlibi, percussion and dancer