Series 3: Brooklyn Maqam Arab Music Festival
Scope and Contents
Program Files include research materials, interviews, event documentation, publicity materials, documentation of funding efforts, and budgets for the project. The Audiovisual sub-series includes audio and video tapes of artists considered and accepted for participation in the events and digital photographs.
Featured artists:
Simon Shaheen (Palestinian oud and violin)
Tareq Abboushi (Palestinian buzuq player)
Ahmed Alrodini (Yemeni singer, percussionist and oud player)
Yoel Ben-Simhon (composer, vocalist and instrumentalist of Israeli and Moroccan descent)
Amir ElSaffar (Iraqi-American santoor player specializing in Iraqi Maqam)
Gaida Hinnawi (Syrian vocalist)
Eddie "The Sheik" Kochak (Brooklyn's Syrian-American band leader)
Naji Youssef (Lebanese Cantor for the Catholic Melkite Church)
Shoshana Tubi (specialist in Yemeni wedding songs)
Historical Note
The Brooklyn Maqam Arab Music Festival was a celebration of Arab music traditions in Brooklyn held March 2-30, 2008. The Arabic word "maqam" refers to a group of musical notes and patterns of notes that form the building blocks of traditional Arab music. There are dozens of different maqamat, each of which creates its own characteristic sound and mood. BAC's Brooklyn Maqam included of a series of concerts, symposia, and workshops featuring nearly 100 New York-based musicians and groups representing musical traditions from Egypt, Yemen, Palestine, Iraq, Morocco, Syria and Lebanon. Musical programs included popular contemporary arrangements, folk traditions (both well-known and rare) and fusion pieces that integrate old and new styles. All events were open to the public free of charge. Brooklyn Arts Council staff involved in this project were Kay Turner, Folk Arts Director and Nicole Macotsis, Folk Arts Associate.
Conditions Governing Access
Due to sensitive personal information, materials in box 100, folder 4 are not open for research.
Sub-series 3.1: Program Files
Research, Arab Culture, Web Sources, 2008
Research, Arab Music, Articles and Liner Notes, 2008
Research, Arab Music, Web Sources, 2008
Research, Consultants, 2008
Research, Contacts, 2008
Research, Partners and Venues, Printed Matter, 2008
Press Clippings, 2008
Related Events and Organizations, 2008
Similar Events, 2008
Correspondence, Kay Turner, 2008
Correspondence, Nicole Macotsis, 2008
Correspondence, Nicole Macotsis, 2008
Letters of Intent, Artists, 2008
Letters of Intent, Venues, 2008
Interviews, 2008
Events, BAM Cafe, 2008
Roundtable: Arab Music Traditions and Their History in Brooklyn, 2008
Voice of the Women, Kingsborough Community College, 2008
Timeless Traditions from Egypt and Iraq, Joe's Pub, 2008
Cultural Walking Tours, 2008
Flyers, Programs, 2008
Oversize Posters, BAC Newsletter Promotional, 2008
Insurance, 2008
Program Drafts and Notes, 2008
Programming and Scheduling Notes, 2008
Fact Sheet, Schedule, Talking Points, 2008
Banners, 2008
Brooklyn Arabs in the Press/Media, 2008
Arab Media, 2008
General Media, 2008
Notes, Nicole Macotsis, 2008
Sheet Flyer, Arabic, 2008
Street Flyer, English, 2008
Correspondence, 2008
Budgets, FY 2008, 2008
Funders Credits, 2008
Funding, American Express, 2008
Funding, Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, 2008
Funding, Elebash Fund, JP Morgan Chase, 2008
Funding, National Endowment for the Arts, 2008
Funding, New York State Music Fund Application, 2008
Funding, New York State Music Fund, Reports, 2008
Budget, General, 2008
Budget, Artist Fees and Receipts, 2008
Check Requests and Contracts, 2008
Contracts and Receipts, 2008
Contracts, RESTRICTED, 2008
Conditions Governing Access
Due to sensitive personal information, these materials are not open for research.
Budget, Design and Film Editing, 2008
Photographs, Correspondence, 2008
Performers, 2008
Performers, Eddie "The Shick" Kochack, 2008
Sub-series 3.2: Audiovisual
Scope and Contents
Interviews and events represented in the Audiovisual sub-series:
Cassettes:
Yasser Khalifa interviewed by Kay Turner and Nicole Macotsis, May 24, 2005
Mohamed Bechar, part 2 of 2, interviewed by Nicole Macotsis, August 23, 2005
Tareq Abboushi interviewed by Kate Turner and Nicole Macotsis, May 10, 2006
Gaida Hinnawi interviewed by Kay Turner, July 30, 2007
Galeet Dardashti interviewed by Kay Turner and Nicole Macotsis, August 28, 2007
Malika Zarra interviewed by Kay Turner and Nicole Macotsis, September 12, 2007
CDs:
Track 1: Eddie "The Sheik" Kochak, interviewed by Nicole Macotsis, August 23, 2006; Track 2, Gamal Shafik interviwed by Kay Turner and Nicole Macotsis, November 13, 2007
Track 3: Amir ElSaffar
Track 4: Youssef Kassab interviewed by Nicole Macotsis, November 19, 2007; Track 5: Youssef Kassab, part 2 of 2, interviewed by Nicole Macotsis, November 19, 2007
Events by location:
Alwan, March 29, 2008, (5 CDs total recording 3 sets; track lists; one CD is a rough cut video)
Brooklyn Public Library (2 CDs recording 3 sets, track list)
Kingsborough, March 16, 2008 (6 CDs recording 3 sets, track lists)
Lafayette Grill, Arab-o-Rama, March 14, 2008 (1 CD)
Najeeb's, March 14, 2008 (2 CDs, track lists)
The mini-DVDs document Brooklyn Maqam performances as follows:
Karim Nagi, March 6, 2008, 2 mini-DVDs
Arab-o-Rama, March 14, 2008, Cedars/IBIS
Arab-o-Rama, March 14, 2008, Eddie Kochak
Arab-o-Rama, March 14, 2008, Scott Wilso
