Percussionist Karim Nagi Mohammed will return
to NYC for more workshops and performances!
UPDATE
4/17/04: the workshop weekend of May 19-21 that had been planned will be *rescheduled*
due to Ranya's traveling schedule. We'll have info up here as soon as another
weekend is decided upon. We'll offer
workshops and shows (Karim and Ranya will co-teach the dance and percussion
workshops). More details to come soon! Send an e-mail to ranya@aya.yale.edu
if you'd like to be on the e-mail list to receive more info when we have it.
Recent workshops with Karim...
Saturday
Jan. 31, 2004 Two Intermediate-level Egyptian Percussion Workshops with Karim
LOCATION:
Alwan for the Arts, 16 Beaver St., 4th floor, in the Financial District btwn
Broadway & Broad not far from the bull sculpture on B'way
Subway:
4,5 Bowling Green; N,R Whitehall; 2,3 Wall Street; J,M,Z Broad Street; 1,9 South
Ferry; Free street parking should be easy Saturday during the day for those
who drive
or http://www.alwan.org
for more about Alwan
FEES: $30 for one workshop, $55 for both.
Contact
Ranya to register and for more info, at ranya@aya.yale.edu or 718-706-0037;
cell 646-932-3332
Descriptions
from Karim for 1/31 workshops:
Intermediate
Riqq.
Learn the most effective techniques for playing closed, cymbal and shaking
styles. Learn how to smoothly transition between them. Learn some advanced
muwashshahat rhythms and ornaments (a muwashshah is a type of classical Arabic
song-- "Lamma Bada Yatathanna" is probably the best known muwashshah
here, in 10/8 semai rhythm).
Intermediate
Arabic Tabla.
Learn how to link long and short rhythms together like Wahda Kabira/Saidi/Fellahi.
Learn how to do do the various pitch controls with the left and right hands.
Learn how to do triplets and runs within the rhythm.
About Karim...
Truly
a dancer's drummer, Karim Nagi Mohammed is one of the most dynamic
players I've met. His enthusiasm is contagious, and he is a clear, knowledgeable
and generous teacher to boot. Born in Cairo, raised in Boston, Karim has a bicultural
awareness and a gift for making Arabic music accessible to Americans. Hope you
can participate! (See Karim's bio and photo below)
---Ranya
KARIM
NAGI MOHAMMED is a native Egyptian who has lived in the Boston area for
over 20 years. Karim performs primarily Arabic, Turkish and Andalusian hand
percussion, including the Egyptian tabla, riqq and segat/zills (finger cymbals).
He is a faculty member of the New England Conservatory of Music, and leads the
Sharq Arabic Music Ensemble, performing the classical Arabic repertoire and
lecturing on Arabic music and culture. Karim also performs Turbo Tabla, an Arabic
and Turkish techno show. He teaches zills at the Middle Eastern Music and Dance
Camp in Mendocino.
On
Karim's background and influences:
Karim came to the USA with his parents in the late 1970's; his father
brought him back to Egypt every year to visit his family. After graduating from
Skidmore College with a degree in Psychology, Karim traveled to India, Turkey,
Eastern Europe and back to Egypt for an extended time. After returning to America
in 1995, he began performing exclusively Arabic music. His first teachers were
Nabil Ata and Midhat al-Rashidi (Midhat had performed extensively with Abdel
Halim Hafez and Firqat al-Massaya.) Karim later studied with Simon Shaheen at
the Arabic Music Retreat and learned advanced Riqq from Michel Baqlouq Merhej
(Fairuz ensemble). He formed the Sharq Arabic Music Ensemble and began performing
throughout the United States. Karim began producing the "Arabesque Mondays"
series at Club Passim in Cambridge, Mass., and has brought Arabic performers
from all over the USA to perform at this famous folk club in Harvard Square.
Karim resumed studying Arabic Music, this time in Cairo with Dr. Alfred Gamil
(Cairo Conservatory of Music) and Mohammed Al-Araby (percussionist for Umm Koulthoum
and The National Orchestra of Egypt.)
For
more about Karim and his work, check out his websites:
http://www.turbotabla.com/
http://www.kmplimited.com/amc/
