featuring

May Nasr - Vocals and Guitar
Lourdes Pérez - Vocals and Guitar

in

Written in Water - A Collaboration in Spirit

Alwan, in conjunction with "Womens Voices: A Festival Across Genres and Traditions," is pleased to welcome back Lebanese singer May Nasr to her New York "home" and to introduce acclaimed singer-songwriter Lourdes Pérez in their first ever joint appearance in New York, performing (in both Arabic and Spanish) each other's songs of justice, freedom and love.

Tickets: $20, available at the door and online here (an online fee applies; use printout as your ticket).

$15.00 student rush tickets available (with I.D.) at the door only.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Background on the Collaboration:

May Nasr and Lourdes Pérez are considered musical icons in their respective lands, oceans apart: May, from Lebanon, Lourdes, from Puerto Rico. Both have a global following in their respective Arab and Latino communities. Yet a single event can connect two individuals from different worlds in an instant. During the Israeli bombing of Lebanon in July of 2006, May was listening to a version of "Unadeekum" (I Call To You All) by Ahmad Kabour that Lourdes had recorded. A song about resilience against war and survival, translated and sung by Lourdes in Spanish and Arabic, sparked the connection between them.

After a year of exchanging letters and ideas across the sea, the two singer-songwriters agreed to meet in person, with Lourdes offering May the rights to translate one of her songs and perform it. They met for the first time in New York in 2007 and recorded Lourdes' song "Caminaré," which appeared in May's debut CD, Lil Ghaly. They met again in May 2009, in San Antonio, Texas, this time to sing together in a bilingual duo, uniting that city's Latino and Arab communities in songs about love and freedom. The songs performed tonight will be recorded in their upcoming CD, Written in Water.

Listen to "Caminaré" ( معكن بمشي - I Will Walk) in Arabic and in Spanish, sung by May Nasr and Lourdes Pérez: Caminaré

About May Nasr:

A native Lebanese, May Nasr has been influenced by the songs of the great Fayrouz, Zaki Nassif, Ahmad Kaabour, Marcel Khalife, Julia Boutros. In her early singing career, May was mentored by the renowned sound engineer Farid Abul Kheir, and trained by the great Zaki Nassif as well as Badia Sabra Haddad, former voice teacher or Fairouz. May has performed to ecstatic audiences throughout the Middle East and world. Her first CD, Lil Ghaly, was released in November 2008. She last performed at Alwan in April of this year.

About Lourdes Pérez:

Born into the improvisational musical traditions of Moca, Puerto Rico, chanteuse and composer Lourdes Perez is marked for combining both power and fragility within the same voice. She has performed throughout the United States, Latin America, and Palestine, paying soulful tribute to the passion and hope at very heart of human struggle. In 2006, she was awarded an United States Artists fellowship for excellence. She is the recipient of numerous awards, and has recorded seven CD’s, and written several scores for theater, dance, and film.

Last updated: 2009-12-14 16:55:24