Muhabbat Shamayeva and Galeet Dardashti will perform at The World Music Institute's Global Salon series titled “Echoes of the Divine: Jewish Women’s Voices,” at Symphony Space’s Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater.
Shamayeva, who will perform the first half of the program, is a Bukharian Jewish singer and one of Uzbekistan's leading vocalists. Dardashti is a Middle Eastern singer and composer, heir to a family tradition of distinguished Persian and Jewish musicians, including her grandfather, the renowned classical singer Yona Dardashti.
According to a press release, Shamayeva will show off her diverse repertoire in the first half, including Central Asian classical shashmaqam, folk songs and popular estrada music. She has participated in Yo-Yo Ma’s The Silk Road Project and is the subject of two documentaries. Shamayeva is accompanied by Iosif Abramov on tar, a long-necked, plucked string instrument, and Osher Baraev on doire, a frame drum.
Dardashti's innovative style will be showcased in the second half of the production. Dardashti is known for her multi-disciplinary projects like The Naming and her edgy, all-female powerhouse Mizrahi ensemble Divahn, who will perform with her.
Divahn has gained an international following with its fresh and fiery take on Jewish music: eclectic Indian, Middle Eastern and Latin percussion, lush string arrangements and vocals spanning Hebrew, Judeo-Spanish, Persian, Arabic and Aramaic.
Global Salon started as a way to present esoteric and ancient traditional music in an intimate setting. Now, the series is in its third year and continues to present artists who present their cultural history and personal stories through artistic practices.
“Echoes of the Divine: Jewish Women's Voices” will be Feb. 25 in the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater at Symphony Space at 7 p.m. Tickets for the show can be purchased here.
