{"id":19924,"global_id":"jp.crsny.org?id=19924","global_id_lineage":["jp.crsny.org?id=19924"],"author":"8","status":"publish","date":"2020-03-01 12:48:39","date_utc":"2020-03-01 17:48:39","modified":"2020-03-01 12:48:39","modified_utc":"2020-03-01 17:48:39","url":"https:\/\/jp.crsny.org\/index.php\/event\/nowruz-persian-new-year-concert-celebration200321\/","rest_url":"https:\/\/jp.crsny.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/tribe\/events\/v1\/events\/19924","title":"Nowruz \u2014 Persian New Year \u2014 Concert & Celebration","description":"

Please join the CRS community in celebrating Nowruz, the Persian New Year, with Sufi and Persian music performed by D.C. based\u00a0Percussionist\/Vocalist KAMYAR ARSANI<\/strong>\u00a0and vocalist MINA OMIDI<\/strong>\u00a0and whirling by members of the CRS Sufi Dance community trained by Sufi Dance Artist L\u00e4le Sayoko<\/strong> in costumes by Thailand-\/Japan-based natural clothing label USAATO<\/strong><\/a>. A pop-up exhibition of Usaato clothing and accessories for men and women will be on display, and a reception with wonderful Persian food provided by Taste of Persia\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0SAEED POURKAY<\/strong>\u00a0will follow the performance.<\/p>\n

The program will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2020 from 5:30 \u2013 8 pm<\/strong>. Tickets are $30 at the door and $25 in advance (food and drink included).<\/p>\n

Persians celebrate the new year (Nowruz) at the time of the Spring Equinox. For them, the holiday is an opportunity to celebrate\u00a0the spiritual rebirth that can happen when one remembers that we are actually immaterial spirit and only seem to be having a (seemingly very real) experience of the physical. We invite you to discover and enjoy traditional Persian & Sufi music, dance, and food as a means of sharing this universal message of love and unity with everyone.<\/p>\n

\"\"Taste of Persia recently lost its store front and we are supporting a community fundraiser<\/a> now underway to help Saeed re-open his beloved restaurant:
\nhttps:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/taste-of-persia.<\/a> Saeed came to the U.S. from Iran in 1978 and for a time ran a successful graphic design company with his brothers, with clients such as David Bowie, before going into business for himself, which left him briefly homeless, before he decided to try his true passion: \u00a0cooking! Since then he has gained a huge following, having catered the Nowruz celebration at the U.N. in 2015 and become the favorite of the local Iranian community. We are honored to share his delicious dishes with you.
\nhttps:\/\/observer.com\/2019\/06\/taste-of-persia-nyc-saeed-pourkay-interview\/<\/a><\/p>\n

KAMYAR ARSANI<\/strong> is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter born and raised in Tehran, Iran. At age 7, Arsani began studying the daf (Persian frame drum) with Master Bijan Kamkar. He also spent time playing meditative rhythms for hours at a time for Sufis. In 2009 the Green Revolution in Iran brought Kamyar and his family to Washington, D.C., where he has been based ever since. He travels up and won the east coast playing daf and other instruments and singing and performing Sufi and Persian folk songs as well as his own compositions and contemporary music of all kinds.<\/p>\n

Every month Kamyar Arsani<\/strong> travels to NYC to offer Persian Daf lessons at CRS. The Daf is a\u00a0frame drum with lots of rings inside that you can shake when you play for added effect. It is an integral part of Sufi and Persian music because of the variety of sounds it can produce and its ability to induce trance. Kamyar learned\u00a0from masters in Iran and has been playing and singing for decades. Learn more about the next daf classes on January 11 from 1 pm here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"MinaMINA OMIDI<\/strong> is an Iranian immigrant, multidisciplinary artist, musician and singer. After receiving her BFA in Graphic Design from Tehran Art University in 2013, she began studying music and unfold her abilities as a singer in Iran. Mahsa Vahdat is the artist who played the most significant role in her path and helped her open up her heart and voice in deeper levels. Mina has always been obsessed with spirituality; Singing poems of classical Persian poets like Rumi and Hafez is a healing remedy to her. \u201cIt is my meditation and healing remedy to get through pain of loss and wounds that Ego shapes!\u201d she says. The songs Mina performs at CRS embody her passion for sharing the universal message of love, unity and freedom.<\/p>\n

USAATO<\/strong> shares beautiful traditional clothes made in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The clothing is designed by Japanese haute couture designer Usaburo Sato with fabrics made by the caring hands of the Thai people. The fabrics are mostly made of hand-spun cotton, silk and hemp, picked in mountains and villages, naturally dyed from plants and fruits, then made into clothes with traditional weaving machines by women in local villages of north and northeast Thailand and Laos. The attention, time and passion put into the creation of these clothes give it a sense of energy that can be felt on your body and in your soul. Soft and warm, relaxing wears suitable for both outside and home. The products are mostly women\u2019s clothes but men\u2019s clothes, children\u2019s clothes, samue (monk\u2019s working clothes), and rakui (pajamas) are also available. Approximate prices for tops are from $70 to $180 while bottoms are from $90 to $180.<\/p>\n

\"Usaato\"<\/p>\n

\"L\u00e4le<\/a>CRS Resident Sufi Dance Artist L\u00c4LE SAYOKO<\/strong>\u00a0lives to embody and transmit the voice of spirit through music and dance. As CRS resident Sufi Dance instructor, choreographer, performing artist, and musical curator, she loves to welcome people into this holy practice to explore and share their own divinity. She intermittently tours internationally with BELLA GAIA, a\u00a0live concert blending music, dance, technology, and NASA satellite imagery inspired by the experience of astronauts viewing the earth from space.\u00a0\u201cSublime\u201d \u2014\u00a0Village Voice.<\/p>\n

One of the founding members\u00a0of Japan\u2019s famous SAMANYOLU professional\u00a0belly dance group in Tokyo, L\u00e4le went on to a long solo career performing throughout the northeastern USA and touring with\u00a0United Kingdom\u2019s Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers\u00a0on over a 100 city tour encompassing the U.K., as\u00a0well as Turkey\u2019s Baba Zula. About six years ago, she was forced to retire to support her young daughter through a life-threatening medical crisis. Several years later she discovered that she could whirl as a form of prayer to support her daughter and began studying Sufi Dance with Paris-based Sufi Artist\u00a0Rana Gorgani<\/a>. In April 2018 Gorgani awarded her the International Sufi Dance Certification Of Cid UNESCO, granting her authority to teach Gorgani\u2019s method of Sufi Dance training. She currently teaches Sufi Dance classes at CRS every first and second Thursday of the month from 7 \u2013 8:30 pm and leads the CRS Healing Circles + Whirling Prayer that take place every third Thursday of the month from 7 \u2013 9 pm.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/facebook.com\/lale.sayoko<\/a><\/div>\n
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https:\/\/youtu.be\/OHmAPDEXNDw<\/a><\/p>\n

MORE ABOUT KAMYAR ARSANI<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Kamyar Arsani is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter born and raised in Tehran, Iran. With his focus on Daf (Persian frame drum), through years he expanded circle of his instruments to Drums, Percussions, Guitar, Ukulele and Melodica. He currently resides in Washington D.C, teaching and performing around DMV area and working with individuals with Autism.<\/p>\n

Kamyar began Daf lessons with Master Bijan Kamkar. Kamyar has spent over a decade performing and researching the Daf and its roots. His second choice of instrument was the kamancheh (Persian string bow instrument) and he studied it with Masters Ardeshir Kamkar and Sohrab Pournazeri. Ten years ago, Kamyar and his family migrated to the United States around the same time that Iran\u2019s Green Revolution was occurring. Kamyar\u2019s songs and performances are very much inspired by the people of Iran and their history of struggle and protest.<\/p>\n