The SHARQ Arabic Music Ensemble

The SHARQ Arabic Music Ensemble is composed of Arab Americans. The group
specializes in traditional Arabic music, as it was performed for hundreds of
years in the royal courts, art houses and concert halls of past Arabic
kingdoms. SHARQ maintains this lost tradition and renews it with the vitality
of modern musical acumen, perspective and expertise. SHARQ perform on the
original and authentic acoustic instruments. Those instruments include the
"Qanun" plucked zither, the "Oud" fretless lute, the "Nay" bamboo flute, the
"Keman" Oriental violin and the "Riqq" fish skin tambourine. SHARQ also wears
custom traditional outfits with a 21st century adaptation. The musical
repertoire consists of suites and songs from the Andalusian period, up until
modern Egyptian classical music of the mid 1900's. Although it is classical
music, the energy level is high due to aggressive percussion and imaginative
instrumental improvisation.

http://www.kmplimited.com/sharq/

Karim Nagi Mohammed

Karim Nagi Mohammed (Cairo) is the founding member, manager and director of
Sharq. Karim teaches Arabic Music at the New England Conservatory. Karim also
produces events including the famous Arabesque Mondays at Club Passim, where
Karim promotes virtuosi Arab and Eastern artists. Karim is also a traveling
lecturer and workshopist with his Arabic Music, Dance and Culture
presentations. Karim performs primarily Arabic, Turkish and Andalusian hand
percussion, including the Egyptian Tabla (goblet drum), Riqq (tambourine) and
Segat (brass castanets).

Kareem Roustom

Kareem Roustom (Damascus) is the musical director of Sharq. Kareem is a
composer who has composed film, television and concert music. Currently, Kareem
is an adjunct faculty member at Northeastern University. Kareem's studies took
place at the Berklee College of Music and the University of Massachusetts at
Lowell, where he received a B.A. in Music Business and Performance. He is
currently pursuing a Masters in Ethnomusicology at Tufts University. Kareem
plays both the Guitar and the Oud, a fretless lute with 5 sets of double
strings and a single bass string.

Boujemaa Razgui

Boujemaa Razgui (Marrakesh) is a multi-instrumentalist. Boujemaa performs all
Arabic music styles, from Andalusi, N. African, Oriental to Folk. Boujemaa was
a very well known performer in both Paris and Montreal before moving to
America. With Sharq Boujemaa plays the Nay, a reedless baboo flute with large
finger holes. He is also fluent in percussion, upright violin, and many
indigenous Moroccan Instruments.

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