ShowcaseTraditional / Culturally Specific
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Born in Nador, Morroco, to a family that practices music traditions, Hisham began playing percussion at age 13. His first lessons in music came from his cousin and a close friend, both of whom played ... more
Folk Feet on Fifth’s kick-off event brought together more than 30 local traditional dancers to sample each others' dances, food and discuss the role of traditional dance in the neighborhood. The histo... more
How to Organize a Dance Workshop
Learn about the workshop teachers and dance forms.Our roster of traditional dancers who teach through Folk Feet Dance Workshops have been selected from BAC’s ongoing Folk Feet project for their commit... more
Canadian-born Gutwilik’s interest in music began at a young age when his aunt gave him a Perez Prado album and his own transistor radio. School offered him an immersion into the world of traditional J... more
Lebbos comes from Beirut, Lebanon and learned debkah – the celebrated social line dance of the Levant- in the rural areas where it has been danced into the earth for generations. Lebbos’ debkah pract... more
From Casablanca, Morocco, Bohsina bought his first keyboard at age 12, and – as he recounts – it grew with him. Today he is one of NYC vocalists’ most requested and respected keyboardists. By 16, Bo... more
By the age of 3 Jehan was already dreaming of becoming a bellydancer, having been introduced to the art form via the star dancers of Egyptian golden-age cinema. Pursuing the study of raqs sharqi or... more
Johnny Farraj has studied riq (Egyptian tambourine) and frame drum with Karim Nagi and Fairuz's percussionist Michel Merhej, both featured in Brooklyn Maqam. He also studied oud with Simon Shaheen and... more
Nagi, a native Egyptian, is an expert in Arab, Turkish and Andalusian hand percussion. He holds a Psychology degree from Skidmore College. Nagi has studied with Nabil Ata, Midhat al-Rashidi, Simon Sha... more
Kay Turner, Folk Arts Director
Dr. Kay Turner became the Director of BAC Folk Arts in October 2000. Kay works with Brooklyn traditional artists working in a range of disciplines—music, dance, material arts, narrative and foodways. ... more
Ladies Night: Solo Stars of Pop and Folk
Presented by BAC Folk Arts, Brooklyn Maqam Arab Music Festival is a rare opportunity to experience the remarkable variety of Arab music traditions that flourish throughout the metro area! WHEN: Wed... more
LaUra was born in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and comes from a family of traditional artists. Her mother, a professional dancer, was the granddaughter of one of the greatest Uzbeki poets of all time, Hamza ... more
Layla began studying Middle Eastern dance at the age of 19 at Serena Studios in New York City. Her passion for Middle Eastern dance led her to study with such masters of the form as Yousry Sharif, Ram... more
This dynamic, multigenerational ensemble of musicians and dancers presents Afro-Cuban folklore and Hispanic traditions through the tantalizing rhythms, choruses, and movements of the Rumba, the Mambo ... more
Malika Zarra was born in Morocco and raised in France, where she studied clarinet and voice. In 2004 she moved to New York City to develop her rich and eclectic style, drawing on gospel, funk and Sub... more
To view images, sound, and video excerpts from Brooklyn Maqam programs click on an event title. Sunday, March 2 Brooklyn Maqam Begins Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College ... more
Maurice Chedid honed his oud playing at the Lebanese Conservatory of Middle Eastern Music, but comes from a family of musicians. His father was a highly esteemed cantor in the Maronite Church in Leba... more
Darrah Carr - Irish dance Tamara Chernyakhovska - Ukrainian folk dance Don Coy - American square dance Yasser Darwish - Egyptian folk dances Nadia Dieudonné - Haitian folklore Leonardo Ivan Domin... more
Baklouk, a Lebanese riqq player and teacher in the Lebanese Conservatory, has worked with numerous pioneers of Arab music over the course of his long and successful career. Among the notable musicians... more
Abdullah graduated from the Institute of Classical Music, with a specialization in both Western and Arab violin, from his native city of Aleppo, Syria. Known for its listening community with scrupulo... more
Born in Marrakesh, Morocco, Bechar moved to Brooklyn with his wife and children in 1997. He first learned Gnawa traditions as a young boy from his mother’s family; his cousin was ma’alem or master Gna... more
Nabawy grew up immersed in the Egyptian popular and classical music emanating from Mohamed Ali street, the Cairo neighborhood celebrated for its professional musicians, dancers and music stores. As t... more
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Yhya started playing the tabla at age 5. His uncle performed at local celebrations and would bring Yhya along, sit him on a chair, and prop a drum on his knees. Soon Yhya w... more
Multicultural Workshops: Greek Dance
Join dancer Chrisafo Madimenos at this free workshop presented by Young Dancers in Repertory, organized through BAC's Folk Feet Dance Workshops program. Salam Arabic Lutheran Church 345 Ovington A... more
Raised near Haifa, Najeeb Shaheen was trained on the oud by his father, the late Hikmat Shaheen. As a child, he and his brother Simon Shaheen were deeply influenced by the weekly regional broadcasts ... more
The Lebanese-American tenor Naji Youssef was born in the El-Shouf region of Lebanon and immigrated in 1988 to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where he is cantor for the Catholic Melkite Church of the Virgin Mary... more
Nicole Macotsis, Folk Arts Associate
As Folk Arts Associate, Nicole primarily manages the expansion and development of Folk Feet, a fieldwork driven documentation and presentation project on traditional dance in Brooklyn. Project manager... more
Ruskin is a composer and multi-instrumentalist with expertise in Arab, Turkish, and Persian music. Specializing in percussion, oud, and nay, Ruskin also performs and records on qanun, violin, rababa, ... more
Nourredine grew up in Casablanca, Morocco and began playing percussion as a teenager. Surrounded by Moroccan music traditions that are integral to Moroccan social celebrations, and greatly influenced ... more
