Brooklyn Maqam Hang: Sami Sings Umm Kulthum

7:30pm doors, 8pm music

Brooklyn Maqam presents live in the back room

Sami Sings Umm Kulthum

Multi-instrumentalist Sami Abu Shumays returns to Sisters to perform the music of Umm Kulthum.  For this special performance, Sami puts down his violin to sing several classic, full-length compositions that were written for and made famous by the one and only Umm Kulthum.

Featuring:
Sami Abu Shumays, vocals
Insia Malek, violin
Sarah Mueller, violin
Gideon Forbes, nay
Gabriel Lavin, oud
Johnny Farraj, riqq
Alber Baseel, tabla

About Sami Abu Shumays: One of the leading Arab violinists in the U.S., Sami Abu Shumays is internationally known as a master of the maqam system. He is co-author of the acclaimed book Inside Arabic Music (Oxford University Press 2019), He has a passion for Maqam – teaching; oral tradition – that include a YouTube series “Maqam Lessons,” and his contributions to Maqam World.  Co-founder and director of the NYC-based Arabic music and dance ensemble Zikrayat, Sami has also recently released his first solo album Circles.

A second-generation Palestinian-American, Sami originally studied Western music before traveling to the Arab World to reconnect with his roots. He studied with Alfred Gamil in Cairo; Mohamed Qasas, Abdel-Basit Bakkar, and Abdel-Minaim Senkary in Aleppo; and Simon Shaheen and Yusuf Kassab in New York.

Stick around for the Arabic music jam after the set!

$20 at the door