Chicago folks shouldn't miss this powerful musical performance on May 12 & 13 at the Old Town School of Folk Music. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit this LINK.
Little Syria, the latest work by Omar Offendum, takes place in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood formerly known as Little Syria between 1880 and 1940. This neighborhood was a vibrant cultural center for Arab immigrants in New York and home to notable artists and intellectuals such as Ameen Rihani and Kahlil Gibran. Offendum's performance combines hip-hop, Arabic instrumentation, and ḥakawātī oral storytelling traditions of the Levant to recreate life in the early 20th-century within a bustling urban community.
Offendum, originally from Syria but based in Los Angeles, is accompanied by oud virtuoso Ronnie Malley and DJ/Beatmaker Thanks Joey who is based in Brooklyn. Together, they offer a creative retelling of a historically underrepresented narrative through their music.
Below is video featuring highlights from Omar Offendum's January 2023 performance at Stanford University in which he highlighted parts of his Little Syria show. The concert took place at Bing Concert Hall and was introduced by Stanford Lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti (click on video below):
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit this LINK.