Tarik & Julia Banzi: Al-Andalus: Home
Oud and Flamenco Guitar
World Chamber Music
“A delightful proposition of exquisite music” (El Pais, Madrid, Spain)
New CD "21 Strings" http://www.andalus.com/21_strings.html
This work stands as a premiere bridge between the world’s music cultures, bridging East and West as well as Classical and World music genres. In a marriage of East & West, Tarik & Julia Banzi embody the new vision of America as a modern society that embraces its cosmopolitan, cultural heritage. Steeped in tradition, beautifully and soulfully merging classical, jazz and contemporary music with the music from the Middle East, North Africa and Spain, performing to universal acclaim throughout the world. Highlights of the program include contemporary works as well as traditional pieces from Al Andalus, Afghanistan and Iraq. Proud emblems, suspended within sound, each is infused with its own poignant expression of nostalgia. The flow of these works, tugs at our heartstrings and inspires affection. The longing for an idealistic time permeates the works and functions as a center of gravity for the program. This trio of twenty-one strings pushes the boundaries of sonority and of texture to bring out performances of wonderful commitment.
Further the advancement of international understanding, goodwill & peace by supporting a group that reflects a place and time where Christians, Jews & Muslims lived together for a cultural flourishing: Al-Andalus
Click below to view some live videos:
The oud (pronounced like "wooed" without the "w") is the quintessential classical Arabic musical instrument. It elicits a warm response even from Western musical ears unaccustomed to the intricacy and subtlety of this ten or eleven-stringed Middle Eastern forerunner of the European lute (the word "lute" is actually derived from the Arabic "al-'ud"). It is particularly appropriate for Tarik to showcase the oud because he, like the instrument before him, passed from North Africa to the West via Spain.
The flamenco guitar is a modern descendant of the oud. Flamenco is a gitano-Andalúz art form belonging to the gitanos (gypsies) of southern Spain (Andalusia). Flamenco is found in three primary expressions: cante (song), baile (dance), and guitarra (guitar). While conflicting histories abound, much of what is known about flamenco dates mainly from the 18th century. Over the centuries, flamenco has evolved to signify both a way of life and a folk music of a highly organized and tightly structured nature. It has matured into an art form that combines tradition with improvisation resulting in a genre in which creativity is valued and encouraged; at the same time, strict guidelines to “tradition” must be followed. As a folk-art, the complexity and sophistication of flamenco have been passed down from generation to generation by direct imitation for most of its history.
Tarik & Julia are both scholars, musician/composers and artists. Multi-instrumentalists, they perform traditional and original music on a a myriad of acoustic instruments in addition to the oud and flamenco guitar.
