World Music Series
The World Music Series presents musicians of international stature representing diverse cultures in a series of public concerts at Brandeis University. In the intimate setting of Slosberg Recital Hall, each concert invites the audience to experience the history, cultural memories - indeed, the heart and soul of a people through the autobiographical narrative of music.
Free pre concert talks before World Music Concerts at the Slosberg Music Center, 7 pm - 7:45 pm.
Tickets to the World Music Concerts at Brandeis Tickets: (781) 736-3400.
Bàkk to the Future: Lamine Touré and Group Saloum
Group Saloum is America’s hottest Afro-mbalax band. Founded by world-renowned griot percussionist Lamine Touré, Group Saloum fuses Senegalese mbalax- highlighted by the infectious rhythms of Toure’s sabar drums - with elements of jazz, funk, reggae, and Afrobeat. Lamine Toure is widely recognized as one of Senegal’s leading percussionists. Born into a griot family of sabar drummers, Lamine Toure has been drumming since the age of four, a skill that he inherited from his ancestors. Since the early 1990s, Toure has been a key figure in the Senegalese music scene, performing with the successful mbalax band Nder et le Setsima Group throughout Africa, Europe, and North America. Toure’s global experience inspired him to create a new style of Afro-mbalax music, incorporating the diverse musical influences he encountered during his travels. Upon settling in Boston in 2001, Toure began to search for musicians who would help realize his inspiration. The result was the creation of Group Saloum. |
Simon Shaheen “‘Ecstasy’ best describes the exquisite performance given by [this] virtuoso.” "Simon Shaheen's success in combining characteristics of Middle Eastern music, Western classical music, jazz and Latin rhythms into a gorgeous tapestry can be traced to his capacity to find their common threads." "Simon Shaheen's success in combining characteristics of Middle Eastern music, Western classical music, jazz and Latin rhythms into a gorgeous tapestry can be traced to his capacity to find their common threads." Simon Shaheen dazzles his listeners as he deftly leaps from traditional Arabic sounds to jazz and Western classical styles. His soaring technique, melodic ingenuity, and unparalleled grace have earned him international acclaim as a virtuoso on the ‘oud and violin. Shaheen is one of the most significant Arab musicians, performers, and composers of his generation. His work incorporates and reflects a legacy of Arabic music, while it forges ahead to new frontiers, embracing many different styles in the process. Simon Shaheen dazzles his listeners as he deftly leaps from traditional Arabic sounds to jazz and Western classical styles. His soaring technique, melodic ingenuity, and unparalleled grace have earned him international acclaim as a virtuoso on the ‘oud and violin. Shaheen is one of the most significant Arab musicians, performers, and composers of his generation. His work incorporates and reflects a legacy of Arabic music, while it forges ahead to new frontiers, embracing many different styles in the process. |




