Category Archives: Concert/Tour

NY’s Castillo Theatre Presents a multi-media production: “Even Under Bitterness,” w. Sohrab on sax

Concert/Tour, News, ,

Otto Rene CastilloNY’s Castillo Theatre presents the American premiere of Even Under Bitterness being directed by the Munich-based theatre artist, Hans Melzer. Even Under Bitterness is an avant-garde, multi-media performance made up of poems written by our namesake, the Guatemalan poet and activist, Otto René Castillo.

Even Under Bitterness will be performed in English and German featuring German actress, Gabi Heller, and two Castillo actresses: Madelyn Chapman and Olivia Luna. The poems will be accompanied by improvised live music along with video projections.

The musicians are: Michael Armann (music director, piano), David Belmont (dobro and percussion) & Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi (sax, percussion & voice)

Even Under Bitterness opens at the Castillo Theatre on May 6 and runs through May 15 – only six shows of this American premiere! Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM. Sunday, May 8 at 2:00 PM. Sunday, May 15 at 4:30 PM after the Otto René Castillo Awards for Political Theatre.

Tickets are $35, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students. Group rates are available. Tickets can be purchased through the Castillo Box Office at 212-941-1234 or online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/2912/1462075200000.

Forthcoming SoSaLa concert: Oct. 18th, 2015 in NY!

Anouncement, Concert/Tour, , , ,

SoSaLa & Kamran HooshmandDate: Sunday, October 18, 2015
(Door open @ 7:00 pm.)
Line up/show times: 
SoSaLa from 8pm – 8:45pm and 
Kamran Hooshmand from 9pm – 9:45pm
Venue: CA Music Room (218 E. 25th Street, NY, NY 10010, Tel#: 212-686-4220 or 845-758-5919)
Ticket price: $20 (including wine & snacks)
PLease call 212-686-4220 or 845-758-5919 for advanced reservations as space is limited.

* About the artists

– SoSaLa. For this event Sohrab invited his colleagues Baba Donn Eaton (LAST POETS) on percussion, harmonica and vocals and Kaveh Haghtalab on kamancheh. SoSaLa is opening up for Kamran Hooshmand.

– Kamran Hooshmand ( https://www.facebook.com/kamranhooshmandmusic ) is an Iranian-American musician, ethnomusicologist and scholar residing in Austin, Texas. He performs regularly with his bands the 1001 Nights Orchestra and Ojalá as well as frequently featured in Texas Early Music Projects’ concerts of Medieval, Sephardic and Renaissance music. His self-produced CDs have been on the top-10 lists of the Austin Chronicle. He has contributed to award-winning film and tv soundtracks from scoring silent films to IMAX and PBS documentaries. His most recent collaboration on the oud and santur is on the 2015 Grammy-nominated album Nocturne Diaries by American roots singer-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson.

In this concert, unlike big ensemble productions that he is normally associated with, Kamran will perform a mix of Middle Eastern/Balkan traditional & early music pieces and original contemporary Persian songs based on the poetry of some of Iran’s prominent poets on the barbat (Persian oud) and the guitar in an intimate, acoustic setting. 

Kamran will be joined by master oboe player Jeff Kahan, the wonderful Mizrahi chanteuse Galeet Dardashti and the percussionist extraordinaire and frame drum specialist Alby Roblejo.

1001 Nights Orchestra YouTube videos:

https://youtu.be/LnbuLVggdw8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3i_Nv5vI7g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg8EsFPg8sg