Vivid Soul - Banafsheh Sayyad
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Vivid Soul - Banafsheh Sayyad
Available to Tour 2016-2017 Vivid Soul is a music and dance collaboration between four artists, each at the forefront of their genre. Banafsheh, pioneering sacred dancer Hamed Nikpay, Iranian master vocalist Pejman Hadadi, virtuoso percussionist Alfredo Caceres, versatile Flamenco guitarist Vivid Soul is now touring! Contact Managing Director Heidi Brewer: 360.903.7071 [email protected] See live footage of the world premiere of Vivid Soul! Vivid Soul Banafsheh Sayyad, Persian dance artist and internationally acclaimed performer joins famed vocalist, song-writer and instrumentalist Hamed Nikpay, virtuoso Pejman Hadadi, a revolutionary in the sound of percussion in Persian music, and sought-after Flamenco guitarist Alfredo Caceres for a collaboration like no other. This high-powered alliance brings you Vivid Soul: a fresh fusion of contemporary Persian music and dance, Flamenco and Sufi ritual designed to uplift, renew and revitalize all the senses with the theme of gradually expanding light, regeneration, and vividness that symbolize the ever vital nature of the Soul. Initially commissioned by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the world premiere of Vivid Soul was on March 21, 2015; proclaimed as “magnificent” (YAS Foundation) and “mesmerizing” (MFA, Boston). Vivid Soul was immediately invited back to MFA, Boston for performances on March 19, 2016, which will be an anchor show for future bookings. Banafsheh’s high-level of technique and innovative movement vocabulary, together with Hamed, Pejman and Alfredo, renowned in world music for their individual ground-breaking artistry, continue to push the boundaries of collaboration and performance and captivate audiences worldwide. Biographies Banafsheh, Dancer and Choreographer Internationally acclaimed Persian dance artist and transformational teacher, Banafsheh communicates mysticism in a passionate yet meditative way, invoking the ancient roots of dance as devotion, celebration and prayer while blazing an unique trail in contemporary dance with a masterly fusion of high level dance technique and spiritual embodiment. She is one of the few bearers of authentic Persian dance in the world, an innovator of Sufi dance previously only performed by men and a pioneer in contemporary Persian dance. She holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from UCLA and an MA in Chinese Medicine. Banafsheh’s healing, Spirit-based technique, Dance of Oneness®, blends Flamenco, Tai Chi, Modern dance, Gurdjieff Movements and the sensuous ecstasy of Persian Dance with the austere rigor of Dervish whirling, "fusing ancient forms with a postmodern punch" (LA Times). She teaches worldwide, guiding people to find inner bliss through dance, enabling them to transform themselves and live the sacred in everyday life. With an MFA in Dance and an MA in Chinese Medicine, she is dedicated to healing through movement. Banafsheh's award-winning work has been presented in North America, Europe and Australia. Her dance film In the Fire of Grace traces Rumi’s journey of the Soul in dance. Based in Los Angeles, she performs and teaches worldwide. Website Facebook Watch Banafsheh “Banafsheh is one of the greatest sacred dancers I have seen” Deepak Chopra “Part whirling dervish, part flamenco femme fatale, sensuous and audacious, Banafsheh’s dance is a mesmerizing foray into the body as trance mechanism; a DNA strand, supple, fluid and noble, come to life.” Los Angeles Times "The perfect way to open ritual aspects of Persian dance to a wider audience while preserving the sense of participating in something sacred.” LA Weekly Hamed Nikpay, Vocalist, Setar At the forefront of experimental music, Hamed Nikpay’s passion for his innovative genre is embedded in his solid knowledge of fundamentals of Persian music, his ability to perform numerous Persian instruments masterfully, and his incisive interpretation and selection of Persian poetry for his songs. These artistic proclivities have enabled him to create musical paragons, which are gripping and much admired by enthusiasts of Persian and world music alike. He learned to sing at a very young age, studying under the tutorship of some of the Masters of classical Persian music. His love of Persian Music motivated him to learn and play many musical instruments revered in the Persian culture -- Tar & Setar, Tanbour, Oud, and Daf, which he plays expertly and soulfully. He has recorded two albums in Iran, performing as a fusion vocalist, and has produced two albums” Solo Passage”, and “All Is Calm” in US. Hamed has performed in numerous concerts before enthusiastic audiences throughout Iran, Asia, Europe and U.S. His mesmerizing voice has earned him the reputation of being 'One of Iran's Best Young Vocalists' among both American and Iranian audiences. He was one of the first and few artists who showed his solidarity with the Iranian men and women who have put their lives in the harms way for freedom and democracy. The song entitled “The Owner of this Land—Maaleke een Khaak” written and performed by him for this occasion, has received much popularity for its originality and its soulful rendition. Hamed is based in LA. Website Facebook Press Listen to Hamed and Alfredo Pejman Hadadi, Percussion Considered one of the most innovative Iranian percussionists, Pejman is a two-time recipient of the prestigious Durfee Foundation Master Musician Award. The pioneer of some of the most original sounds on the Tombak, he has performed worldwide. Pejman has been a member of the DASTAN Ensemble, the highly celebrated and “mostforward looking Persian music ensemble” (LA Weekly) for more than ten years. He has recorded countless critically acclaimed pioneering works with DASTAN, and continues to perform with the ensemble in some of the world’s most noted concert halls. In the year 2000, along with Behnam Samani, Reza Samani, Hakim Ludin, Javid Afsari Rad and Morshed Mehregan he revolutionized the first Iranian percussion ensemble, ZARBANG with whom he has performed extensively in major international festivals and prestigious concert halls in Europe, North America and Hong Kong. His ground-breaking recordings with this ensemble include Rengineh, Middle Eastern and World Percussion and Call to Love. Banafsheh and ZARBANG’s collaborations have been called ““Entertaining and revolutionary, both” (Vancouver Sun). Concurrent with his activities with Dastan Ensemble and ZARBANG, Pejman began performing and recording with a variety of musicians, both Iranian and from other cultures. The impressive list of these musicians include Hossein Alizadeh, Shahram Nazeri, Homayoun Shajarian, Kayhon Kalhor, Parissa, Shujaat Khan, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Hossein Omoumi, Sima Bina, Salar Aghili, Ali Akbar Moradi, Hafez Nazeri, Ardeshir Kamkar, Matthaious Tsahourides, Nejati Celik, Halil Karadoumon, Yair Dalal, Imamyar Hasanov, Rajeeb Chakraborti, Adam Rudolph, Brad Dutz, Gregg Ellis and Yuval Ron among others. Pejman has also been active in film music. His recordings include Prince of Egypt and Prince of Persia. He was commissioned by the Los Angeles Master Choral and performed at Disney Hall with the Choral in 2007. Pejman is based in Los Angeles. Website Facebook Watch Pejman “Pejman Hadadi is the finest Iranian percussionist in America.” Rhythm Magazine Alfredo Cáceres, Guitar Born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Cáceres, a complete guitarist and composer, has been involved in a wide variety of projects and bands in styles ranging from World music, Flamenco, Jazz, Brazilian, Salsa, Pop and Latin. He has collaborated on several recordings in local and international productions, as well as in different festivals in the United States and in Europe. Alfredo has been living in the United States since 2009 and has played alongside many different artists in the World Music arena such as Persian singer Hamed Nikpay, guitarist Russ Hewitt, the Gypsy All Stars (of the Gipsy Kings family), Mario Reyes, and Marcus Nand (Ziroq), just to name a few. In 2012, Cáceres released his first solo album in the U.S., one that involves a variety of his original compositions within the last ten years, recorded in his hometown of Guatemala and in Los Angeles, California. Alfredo’s musical education started in this homeland of Guatemala with his first teacher, his father, Alfredo Cáceres Sr. He would later continue to study with different guitarists such as with spanish guitarist Paco Galiano in flamenco and with German Giordano in jazz. He also learned sight reading with William Orbaugh, as well as with drummers Byron Campo and Fernando Martin at the Poliritmos Academy. Alfredo traveled to Seville, Spain on a three year scholarship from the Fundación Cristina Heeren de Arte Flamenco. While there, he trained extensively under different well known Flamenco guitarists such as Miguel Ángel Cortés, Niño de Pura, Eduardo Rebollar, Paco Serrano, Paco Cortés, Juan Manuel Canizares, Manolo Sanlúcar, and Rafael Canizares, among others. At the Fundación, he received instruction for two years in flamenco compás (Flamenco rhythms) from Paco de Lucía’s dancer & cajón player, the late Manolo Soler. After being in Spain, Cáceres attended the U.S. at Brookhaven College in Dallas, Texas on a two year scholarship, giving him the opportunity to play jazz guitar and go on tour in the U.S. and in Mexico with the award-winning Brookhaven Vocal Jazz Ensemble. In Brookhaven College, he pursued jazz guitar with guitarist Paul Metzger. Subsequently, Alfredo came to live in California where he occasionally studies with world renowned guitarist Jorge Strunz from the guitar duet Strunz & Farah. Website Facebook Listen to Alfredo Praise for Vivid Soul “Banafsheh’s performance of Vivid Soul at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on Saturday, March 21, 2015 was nothing short of mesmerizing! Over 600 visitors filled our Remis Auditorium between two performances, part of the MFA’s annual Nowruz Celebration. Even from the last row in the auditorium, Banafsheh’s incredible skill, her poise, and her passion were abundantly clear. She successfully commanded and engaged her audiences and her ability to fill the stage with her presence and fluid movements was truly wonderful.” Jennifer Leclerc Community Events Manager, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston “Magnificent!” Rouzbeh Yassini Presenter of Nowruz Celebration at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Outreach The artists of Vivid Soul are committed to providing dynamic education opportunities worldwide. As highly sought-after teachers and educators, they bring diverse backgrounds, years of experience and training and a breadth of knowledge that richly informs the techniques they have to offer. Vivid Soul is available for educational programs in various formats, including but not limited to: • • • • • Dance and Music Workshops Residencies Masterclasses Lecture-Demonstrations Pre- and Post-Performance Q&A Vivid Soul is a great fit for collaborations between Dance, Music and Near Eastern Studies Departments in any educational setting. Vivid Soul offers a ride range of topics for outreach and education programs, such as: • Persian Dance and Music • Dance and Music in Sufi Mysticism • Performing Arts in Contemporary Iran Contact [email protected] to inquire about bringing Vivid Soul educational opportunities to you!
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Vivid Soul - Banafsheh Sayyad
collaborations have been called ““Entertaining and revolutionary, both” (Vancouver Sun). Concurrent with his activities with Dastan Ensemble and ZARBANG, Pejman began performing and recording with ...
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