List of Persian/Iranian Events for 2004-11-20

Speaker: Soheila Vahdaty

Soheila is a human rights activist with a special interest in women’s issues. She is a freelance writer and journalist working with other Iranian women journalists at www.womeniniran.org. Her contributions to the site include articles on women’s issues as well as “womanly experiences” (tajrobeh-haye zananeh) illustrating scenes of a woman’s daily life in a patriarchal society (e.g.,
http://www.womeniniran.org/archives/FMO/000475.php ).

She also contributes to zanan.iran-emrooz.de (e.g.,
http://zanan.iran-emrooz.de/more.php?id=6576_0_10_0_C )

Believing in building cultural bridges through translation, she translates
international human rights documents from English to Farsi (e.g.,
http://zanan.iran-emrooz.de/more.php?id=1506_0_10_0_M) and is currently translating a book about a Persian folk story, Sange-Sabour (The Patient Stone), from an American feminist anthropologist view, written by Karen Miller. This book is expected to be published by Sazmane Mirase Farhangi by the end of this year.

Her “womanly experiences” and interviews with prominent Iranian women are to be published as books.

Soheila is an engineer by profession and holds a PhD in Electrical
Engineering and Computer Sciences from the University of California at Berkeley. She will talk about her articles "womanly experiences" and her experience working with different Iranian women web sites.

WHEN: Saturday November 20

TIME: 12:30 - 3:30 PM

LOCATION: Meeting Room
Claremont Branch Library
2940 Benvenue Ave
Berkeley, CA 94705

Ustad Mahmoud Zoulfonoun, one of today's most widely respected masters of traditional Persian music, is joined by his four sons to perform as the Zoufonoun Ensemble. Under the artistic guidance of Ustad Zoufonoun, this ensemble redefines musical boundaries by bridging a rich tradition with modern innovation. Ancient instruments such as the tar, setar (cousins of the lute), and tombak (Persian hand drum) are delicately balanced with violin and cello to create a sound world that honors a timeless musical inheritance while boldly exploring new sonic pallets.

When: Saturday, November 20 at 7:30pm
Where: Musuem of Fine Arts
Concert tickets are $20 MFA members, students, and seniors; $24 general

admission.

This performance is supported by the ILEX Foundation.

SACRED KURDISH TANBUR MUSIC OF IRAN

ALI AKBAR MORADI

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2004 8:00 PM
Symphony Space, Broadway at 95th Street, NYC

$30; students $15 with college ID
Box office (212) 864-5400
Info/charges (212) 545-7536
worldmusicinstitute.org

The music of Kurdistan, little known in the US, will be performed by Ali Akbar Moradi, the greatest living master of the tanbur. Known for his work as a soloist and with Shahram Nazeri and Kayhan Kalhor, he has created new interest for the tanbur - an ancient lute traditionally used in religious ceremonies. His program features meditative improvisations based on the repertoire of the Yarsan people, the followers of a mystical faith associated with Sufism, who live in western Iran. Accompaniment will be provided on tombak (goblet drum) by his son, Kourosh Moradi. The program is part of The Cultural World of Islam concert series curated by World Music Institute.

From: Yuko Yamamoto (yuko@worldmusicinstitute.org)