The UCSB Middle East Ensemble
Saturday, May 31st, 8 pm
Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall
Tickets: AS Ticket Office (893-2064) and at the door

The UCSB Middle East Ensemble will present its formal Spring Quarter Concert on Saturday, May 31st.   The concert will feature two songs of the superstar Egyptian singer `Abd al-Halim Hafiz (d.1976), one sung by Radka Varimezova, two sets of songs of Israeli/Yemenite origin (a set of 3 songs by the famed singer Ofra Haza, sung by Marysia Kosowski, and a song of Margalit Tsan'ani sung by Julie Huniu), a famed Iraqi/Assyrian song led by Pete Khoosabeh, a Sephardic song by Andrea Fishman, a nay (reed flute) duet by Kristen Tucker and Malia Wiecorek, and a Turkish song performed by Radka Varimezova.  

As a special feature, members of the Thavma dance troupe from the Greek Orthodox Church of Santa Barbara, directed by Helen Ioannidis, will perform three Greek dances.

As usual the Ensemble's Dance Troupe will present a wonderful variety of dances from Arab and Turkish cultures.  To conclude the concert, Sandra Sarrouf, a former long-time member of our Ensemble Dance Troupe, now based in San Luis Obispo, will present a special solo dance finale.