A Persian group that is one of the world's best percussion ensembles.
A Sufi master and UNESCO Artist for World Peace who blends Turkish melodies with folk and flamenco.
These are the stars of a music festival organized by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra (臺北市立國樂團) that includes 33 concerts and theatrical shows.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF TCO
The 2008 Taipei City Traditional Arts Festival (2008臺北市傳統藝術季) - which runs through June 7 - features Mongolian singer Urna Chahar-Tugchi, already a recognized name in Taiwan, as well as lesser-known but equally influential artists.
Tomorrow, in the festival's second concert, TCO assistant conductor Li Ying (李英) will conduct the orchestra, which will be joined by three Uighur musicians.
This year's program will provide the first chance for many to hear top-tier musicians of Middle Eastern and Central Asian extraction, such as Chemirani Trio, a Persian classical ensemble, and Turkish Sufi master Omar Faruk Tekbilek.
Nominated for a BBC World Music Award in 2003, Faruk is revered as a World Music guru. Among the instruments he plays: the zurna, a double-reed wind instrument, the ney, a kind of bamboo flute, the baglama, or long-necked flute, and the oud.
Chemirani Trio uses the zarb, a single-headed goatskin drum that is similar to the West African tama or Indian tabla. The instrument, since it is played with the fingers and not the palms, is both melodic and percussive, with as many notes as a piano and limitless combinations of rhythm and melody.
Taking its cue from Yo-yo Ma (馬友友) and his Silk Road Project, the festival showcases the music of the ancient trade route crossing the Central Asian steppe that has traditionally spanned the divide between Europe and East Asia.
On May 2, Man Wu (吳蠻), the pipa (琵琶) virtuoso who plays with Yo-yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, will perform as a soloist with the TCO in a program that includes works by Chinese and Central Asian composers. On May 6, the Chemirani Trio will perform with Urna Chahar-Tugchi, among others.
A full list of the concerts can be found at www.tcomusic.tw/home/en/index.asp. Click on the banners below the calendar to access details on each program. All concerts take place at Zhongshan Hall (中山堂) in Taipei City.
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