Robert Browning Associates

World Views
A Concert Series presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with Robert Browning Associates
Concerts take place at Zankel Hall
2013/2014 Season
Friday, November 8, 2013
Parissa & Dastan Ensemble
Parissa, noted for her command of the classical and Sufi repertoires of Persian music, is acknowledged as Iran’s foremost female vocalist. She came to prominence as a  singer in her teens at concerts organized by the Iranian Ministry of Culture in the mid 1970s. While she has not performed publicly in Iran over the past 33 years she has built a considerable reputation abroad performing at prestigious festivals and concert halls throughout the world. 

The Dastan Ensemble. founded in 1991, is one of Iran's most important traditional music groups. It has toured the world, produced many award- winning recordings, and performed and recorded with many of Iran's finest vocalists. The ensemble features Hamid Motebassem (tar), Hossein Behroozinia (barbat), Saeed Farajpoury (kamancheh), Hamin Honari (tombak), Arjang Ataollahi (daf).
Picture
Bombino / photo: Chris Decato
Friday, December 6, 2013
Bombino
Omara “Bombino” Moktar is a guitarist and singer from the Sahara desert who has built a legendary reputation in his homeland as a musical harbinger of peace. Born and raised in Niger, Bombino is a member of the Tuareg Ifoghas tribe, a nomadic people descended from the Berbers of North Africa. For centuries the Tuareg tribes, scattered throughout Niger, northern Mali, southern Algeria and Libya, have fought against colonialism and the imposition of strict Islamic rule.  He is accompanied by Moussa Kildjate Albadi (bass, vocals), Mohamed Emoud Atchinguel (guitar, vocals) Corey Wilhelm (drums) and Avi Salloway (harmonica).

  
Picture
Antonio Zambujo / photo: João Peixoto
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Antonio Zambujo
Portugal’s new fado star António Zambujo has been a major voice in recent years in the resurrection of male fado singers in a genre dominated by females. Winner of the Amália Rodrigues Foundation prize for ‘Best Male Fado Singer,’ Zambujo merges traditional fado with cante alentejano (male chant form from southern Portugal with North African influences) and Brazilian popular music. Zambujo starred as Amalia Rodriguez's husband in the blockbuster musical Amália for four years in Lisbon and then toured Portugal. After recording his first album O mesmo fado in 2002, Zambujo won the prestigious ‘Radio Nova FM’ prize for the ‘Best New Fado Voice’. He has toured Europe, Brazil and North America.
Picture
Asif Ali Khan Qawwali / photo: Cynthia Sciberras
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Asif Ali Khan Qawwal
Asif Ali Khan, a premier disciple of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, has shot to the forefront of Pakistan's Qawwali musicians over the past few years.  He traces his musical ancestry back more than 350 years. His ensemble includes he father,  seven brothers and a nephew. In 1999, he was elected “Best Young Pakistani Qawwali” by Lok Versa (National Institute of Folk Heritage of Islamabad). While continuing to offer his singing at religious shrines throughout Pakistan, he has made numerous tours in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East performing at festivals and major concert halls.