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Artist-composer Firas Zreik and multi-instrumentalist, producer, and educator Ronnie Malley engaged in a dynamic discussion about music, identity, and cultural exchange. Firas, a Palestinian-born kanun player based in NYC, shared insights on the instrument's history, microtonal aspects, and composition. They discussed the maqam system, cross-cultural collaborations, and the evolution of Palestinian music, emphasizing how artists can preserve cultural heritage while integrating modern influences to create music that transcends borders and generations.

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Sunny Jain, a Brooklyn-based drummer, dhol player, bandleader, and composer, speaks with artist Samita Sinha in the first WMI Plus At Home session of WMI’s 40th Season. The two friends discussed Sunny’s upcoming WMI Season opening performance at Bryant Park along with Gamelan Dharma Swara, and Sunny’s project Wild Wild East, which explores themes of immigration and identity through a fusion of jazz and Indian music. The conversation highlighted the power of music to bridge cultural divides and build community, as well as Sunny’s collaborations with diverse musicians, and the joy of shared laughter.

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Adam Robinson and Ralph Samuelson joined us for this WMI Plus At Home session, where they introduced the Japanese flute (shakuhachi). Adam and Ralph spoke about the history of the instrument and the different contexts it was used in as it developed. They discussed how traditional music is taught and how the shakuhachi has grown into a modern, globally connected instrument. During their talk, Ralph and Adam played musical examples of shakuhachi music, performed a traditional duet, “Shika no Tōne” (the distant cry of the deer), and answered questions from attendees.

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Sardinian guitarist, composer, vocalist, and instrument innovator Paolo Angeli recently joined us for a WMI Plus At Home conversation with fellow guitarist and founder and director of the Alternative Guitar Summit Joel Harrison. Paolo treated us to some traditional music and took us through the decades-long process of crafting his unique instrument based on a prepared Sardinian guitar with levers and pedals designed to add percussion and additional instrumentation to his repertoire, transforming him into a one-man band.

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Jen Shyu is a versatile composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. Born in Peoria, Illinois to Taiwanese and East Timorese immigrant parents, her instruments include piano, violin, Taiwanese moon lute, Chinese erhu, Japanese biwa, and Korean gayageum. For this WMI Plus At Home, she was joined by Rachel Cooper, Director of Performing Arts and Culture as Diplomacy Initiatives at the Asia Society, as the two mapped Jen’s journey through music.

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Jen's Journey Through Music - Related Links

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Ariel Ninas has been playing the hurdy-gurdy since 2001, incorporating a unique style based on traditional Galician music. His work blends elements of contemporary avant-garde aesthetics, including electronic, droning, and free improvisation. Here he demonstrates the medieval instrument, shares music, and chats with journalist and fellow hurdy-gurdy enthusiast Devon Léger.

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Thandiswa Mazwai sits down with Farima Kone Kito to discuss her upbringing in Apartheid South Africa and shares insights on her latest album Sankofa, created in Soweto, Dakar, and NYC, in which she brings traditional music from across the African continent and archival Xsosa samples into the present in a collection that Songlines magazine praises as "eleven incredibly unique songs". Additionally, she reflects on the encouragement and inspiration she has received from fellow artists including Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, and Salif Keita throughout her career.

See Thandiswa in NYC on Nov 14, 2024 at (le) poison rouge

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Pura Fé, an Indigenous activist, singer-songwriter, and storyteller of Tuscarora/Taino descent, is known for her soulful voice. She founded the Native Women’s a cappella trio, Ulali, empowering Native women’s music. Pura Fé explores Native Blues, where she is known for her lap-steel slide guitar recordings. Her music has been featured in many films including the award-winning documentary “RUMBLE: The Indians that Rocked the World” and she engages in social justice events as a speaker and musician. Gwendolen Cates is an award-winning independent documentary filmmaker, photographer, and author.

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