Axis Of Love Amir Elsaffar Two Rivers Ensemble
Saturday, 03/03/2018 – 08:10 pm – 10:00 pm
North Beach Bandshell
7275 Collins Ave,
Miami Beach, Florida 33141
Website
Cost:

A master trumpeter “uniquely poised to reconcile jazz and Arabic music without doing either harm” –the Wire

Iraqi- American musician Amir ElSaffar has created techniques to play on the trumpet the microtones and ornaments found in Arabic music but not typically heard on brass. As a composer, he uses this to create an innovative approach to harmony and melody, seen in his commissions for jazz ensembles, Chamber Orchestras, and Middle Eastern Ensembles alike.

In 2018, this annual series returns in collaboration with Miami Dade College’s MDC Live Arts. It invites audiences into a meditative space through instrumental, traditional and innovative sounds from the Middle East. With support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s Knight Arts Challenge and the Doris Duke Foundation, The Rhythm Foundation and MDC Live Arts create an opportunity to build a connection with cultures primarily in the public eye for conflict zones. Victoria Rogers, Vice President of Arts for Knight Foundation, said: “Few things can bring people together like the arts. Events like this series are a great prism for exploring our and other cultures, and for finding the threads that unite us all.”

In an immersive environment, the audience surrounds performers in an in-the-round stage setup. The evening also features culture-specific, traditional snacks and sweets to engage the audience in a multi-sensory experience.