Marcel Khalife concert in San Francisco!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marcel Khalife is coming to the San Francisco Bay Area for a concert one night only!!!!!

Marcel Khalife is coming to the San Francisco Bay Area for one night only!

Marcel Khalifé was born in 1950 in Amchit, Mount-Lebanon. He studied the oud (the Arabic lute) at the Beirut National conservatory, and, ever since, has been injecting a new life into the oud. From 1970 to 1975, Marcel Khalifé taught at the conservatory and other local institutions. During that same period, he toured the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the United States giving solo performances on the oud.

Oud playing was traditionally constrained by the strict techniques that governed its playing. Highly talented and skillful musicians such as Marcel Khalifé were, however, able to free the instrument from those constraints and thus greatly expanding its possibilities.

In 1972, Marcel Khalifé created a musical group in his native village with the goal of reviving its musical heritage and the Arabic chorale. The first performances took place in Lebanon. 1976 saw the birth of Al Mayadeen Ensemble. Enriched by the previous ensemble’s musical experiences, Al Mayadeen’s notoriety went well beyond Lebanon. Accompanied by his musical ensemble, Marcel Khalifé began a lifelong far-reaching musical journey, performing in Arab countries, Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, Australia, and Japan.

Marcel Khalifé has been invited several times to festivals of international fame such as: Baalbeck, Beit Eddine (Lebanon), Carthage, El Hammamat (Tunisia), Timgad (Algeria), Jarash (Jordan), Arles (France), Krems, Linz (Austria), Bremen (Germany), ReOrient (Sweden), Pavia (Italy), World Music Festival in San Francisco, New York, Cleveland (the USA).

He has performed in such prestigious halls as the "Palace of Arts" in Montreal, "Symphony Space" and "Merkin Concert" in New York, "Berklee Theatre" and "New England Conservatory" in Boston, "Royal Festival Hall", and "Queen Elizabeth Hall" in London,"UNESCO Palace" of Beirut, Cairo Opera House (Egypt), "Reciprocity","House of the Cultures of the World" and "UNESCO Hall" in Paris, "Central Dionysia" in Rome, "Yerba Buena" in San Francisco,"Sõdra Teatern" in Stokholm.

Since 1974, Marcel Khalifé has been composing music for dance which gave rise to a new genre of dance, the popular Eastern ballet (Caracalla, Sarab Ensemble, Rimah, Popular Art Ensemble)

Marcel Khalifé has also been composing soundracks for film, documentary and fiction, produced by Maroun Baghdadi and Oussama Mouhamad among others.

Marcel Khalifé has also composed several purely instrumental works like The Symphony of Return, Chants of the East, Concerto Al Andalus "Suite for Oud and Orchestra" "Mouda'aba" (Caress), Diwan Al Oud, "Jadal" Oud duo, Oud Quartet, "Al Samaa" in the traditional Arabic forms andTaqasim, duo for oud and double bass.

Marcel Khalifé’s compositions has been performed by several orchestras, notably the Kiev Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of Boulogne Billancourt Orchestra, The San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of the city of Tunis, and the "Absolute Ensemble".

Since 1982, Marcel Khalifé has been writing books on music that reflect his avant garde compositions and the maturity of his experience.

His challenges, however, are not only musical in character. Interpreter of music and oud performer, he is also a composer who is deeply attached to the text on which he relies. In his association with great contemporary Arab poets, particularly Palestinian poet par excellence, Mahmoud Darwish, he seeks to renew the character of the Arabic song, to break its stereotypes, and to advance the culture of the society that surrounds it.

His lyrical recordings adds up to about 20 albums, the likes Promises of the storm, Ahmad Al Arabi, Weddings, Peace Be With you, Ode To A Homeland, Arabic Coffeepot, The Children and Body(Al Jassad,) to name a few.

On his journey, Marcel Khalifé invents and creates original music, a novel world of sounds, freed of all pre-established rules. This language elevates him to the level of an ambassador of his own culture and to the vanguard of Near Eastern music in search of innovators.

-Taken from Notes on a performer on http://www.marcelkhalife.com/

Marcel Khalifé named UNESCO Artist for Peace

07-06-2005 1:00 pm Marcel Khalifé, the Lebanese musician and writer, was named UNESCO Artist for Peace on June 7 by UNESCO Director-General, Koïchiro Matsuura, at a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters. Born in 1950 in Amchit, Mount Lebanon, Mr Khalife first studied, then taught, the oud, or Arabic lute, at the Beirut National Conservatory. He began his career as a soloist and went on, in 1972, to create a group in his home village, to preserve the Arabic musical heritage with the oud.
The “Al Mayadine” ensemble became an instant success in Lebanon and its reputation soon spread abroad. They went on to tour other Arab countries as well Africa, Europe, the United States, Canada, South America, Australia and Japan. The group is regularly invited to perform in internationally renowned festivals.
Mr Khalifé is also a composer of Oriental dance and film music, inspired by major, contemporary Arab poets. At the vanguard of innovative Middle-Eastern music, Khalifé’s original music makes him an ambassador of his culture. He has written several books on music.
Mr Khalifé was named UNESCO Artist for Peace in “recognition of his fervent and generous commitment in favour of musical heritage”.
Mr Khalifé joins other UNESCO Artists for Peace, which includes Russian conductor, Valery Gergiev, the Gypsy composer and singer Chico Bouchikhi, Japanese ballet dancer Miyako Yoshida, U.S. writer and painter N. Scott Momaday, Brazilian singer Gilberto Gil and Nigerian painter and sculptor Prince Twins Seven-Seven.
UNESCO Artists for Peace are internationally-renowned personalities who use their influence, charisma and prestige to help promote UNESCO’s message and programmes.

-Taken from recent articles http://www.marcelkhalife.com/