The Brothers of the Baladi, are performing on the downstairs stage of The Blue Monk on Belmont St. in a special evening of Middle Eastern, World Music and Dance. These guys have been at it a long time and play an amazing array of traditional instruments, sing in many languages and of course there will be bellydancing by some of the area’s best. Friday March 29 at 9 pm.
The legendary and ever-entertaining Brothers of the Baladi present a special concert evening of Middle Eastern World Music and Dance, March 29 at the Blue Monk, 3341 SE Belmont St. Bellydance will be presented with Sedona Soulfire, the exotic Henna, and Tribal Nouveau dancer, NagaSita. The music begins at 9 pm and tickets are $10 at the door.
The Brothers have been finishing up work on their twelfth CD, Gravity of Love. Their repertoire is extensive and rich featuring many traditional musics from Egypt, North Africa, Turkey, Lebanon, Armenia and Iran. Sung in several languages with a contemporary edge and American pop music influences, their musical synthesis is pure Baladi.
Bandleader Michael Beach has kept the band going since the mid 70s with energetic Middle Eastern drumming on doumbek, Arabic tabla (traditional Middle Eastern drum) riq, def, bendir (frame drums), davul (folkloric drum), mizmar and midjwiz (Middle Eastern reeded instruments). On their Just Do What’s Right album, Beach sang in Arabic, Farsi, Spanish, French, English and the old Anglo Saxon dialect of Northern England.
The current lineup is Beach, J. Michael Kearsey on electric bass, Clark Salisbury on acoustic and electric saz (Turkish strings), oud (Middle Eastern lute) and electric guitar and Ashbolt Stewart on drum kit, davul and doumbek. Body music to move with. Sample their recorded output at www.baladi.com.
The Blue Monk also hosts Trio Subtonic March 16.