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About Kan Zaman
An independent non-profit
organization in Southern California, Kan Zaman is comprised of volunteer
musicians, singers and staff from
diverse backgrounds. Kan Zaman's mission
is to preserve, educate and entertain the general public by performing a
unique, pure and
quality traditional Arabic music. Since its formation in
1994 Kan Zaman has performed in various cultural events including major
universities in the area, the Los Angeles convention center, public
television and cable recordings, as well as various museums and
international festivals. Recently performed at the J. P. Getty museum,
UCLA's Royce Hall, Town Hall Seattle and finally the World
Sacred Music
Festival of the Americas.
Kan Zaman has often collaborated or been
sponsored by other organizations, artists, colleges and student
associations.
The ensemble has been given high praise in the press and
several of its musicians have been featured in local Arabic and American
newspaper and magazine articles. The ensemble is very proud to have
received several awards for its outstanding contribution to the
diversity
of art and culture in Southern California.
About the music
Kan Zaman Community Ensemble performs
classical and traditional folk songs from various Arab countries. The
group plays traditional
musical instruments such as the qanun
(zither), 'ud (lute), nay (reed flute),
kaman (violin), riqq (tambourine) and
darabukkah (goblet
drum). Our programs feature a number of
waslat (suites) using different maqamat (modes). The
wasla (suite) starts with an
instrumental introduction,
taqsim (instrumental improvisation), mawwal
(vocal improvisation) and a medley of songs performed by
the chorus
and solo vocalists. The performances include muwashshahat, a
form of poetic songs started around the ninth century in
Arab Spain. The
muwashshahat performed by the group are the ones encountered
in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. This form of
muwashshahat is
different from the Nuba and the Maluf of North Africa. The
ones encountered in the Middle East evolve from a
certain form of poetry
that has three to four lines. In addition to muwashshahat,
the group performs songs of major artists of the
nineteenth and twentieth
centuries such as Muhammad 'Uthman, Sayyid Darwish, M. Abdel Wahab, Umm
Kalthum, Farid Al
Atrash, Asmahan, Fairuz and many others. The group also
performs traditional folk songs from Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine,
Egypt, Iraq, and the Arabian Gulf.
Awards
Received
- Western Justice
Foundation Center, 2005
- NEXUX Forums /
Celebrating Cultural Diversity 2004
- New Horizon
School in Pasadena 2002
- AAPG Achievement
Award 1999
- Los Angeles
County Office of Education 1999
- International
Children Choir 1998
- International
Friendship Festival 1998
- Arab American
Syrian Association 1997
- Arab American
Council 1997
- Arab American
Press Guild (Achievement award) 1997
- American Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC, First Art and Culture Award) 1997
Kan Zaman
P.O. Box 661551
Arcadia, CA 91066-1551
(626) 432-8235
Copyright 1997-2008 Kan Zaman Community Ensemble
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