The Qadim Ensemble

Saturday Feb 1, 2014

Sacred and Folkloric Music of the Near East

• Qadim is a word found in both Arabic and Hebrew meaning 'ancient' as well as 'that which will come.' The ensemble's repertoire includes Arabic, Jewish, Turkish Sufi, Hebrew-Yemenite, Armenian, Greek, Ladino and Moroccan music, celebrating the common musical and spiritual heritage of the region's cultures, while honoring the great diversity found within them. Acclaimed for their passionate performances, The Qadim Ensemble is comprised of accomplished and acclaimed musicians. The San Francisco based band has attracted a growing global audience who are responding to their authentic musicianship and timely message of peace and cross-cultural appreciation.
• Named after a word found in both Arabic and Hebrew meaning "Eastern Wind," Qadim specializes in recording and performing modern interpretations of ancient mystical music of the Near East. Since first forming in 2006, the group has quickly built a standing room only following throughout the Bay Area and beyond by bringing together Indian, Iranian, Jewish, Moroccan and Syrian musicians to celebrate the common musical and spiritual heritage of the now troubled region's ancient cultures.
• "Beautifully presented, the players bring superb musicianship and palpable enthusiasm to each performance. Eliyahu's ney flute along with Rachel's succulent vocals are stars . . . creating a sense of human communication with the divine." -All Things Considered, NPR
• Led by Eliyahu Sills on the ney, The Qadim Ensemble consists of Rachel Valfer Sills on oud and lead vocals, Faisal Zedan on Arabic percussion such as the darbukkah, riqq & daf, and Geri Hegedus on Turkish baglama saz, divan saz, persian setar, and oud.
• Eliyahu Sills-Eliyahu studied for over ten years with the Hindaustani bansuri flute master G.S.Sachdev, one of the worlds most highly esteemed musicians in that ancient tradition. In Istanbul, Turkey, he studied with Neyzen Omer Erdogdular and Neyzen Ahmet Kaya, in Morocco with Akdii Abdelsalaam, and in Israel with Itamar Shachar.
• Rachel Valfer is a passionate singer and oud (Arabic lute) player who brings depth of feeling to every song. She studied Maqam and Persian dastgah modal systems in Israel and Palestine for six years at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, and sings with several ensembles in the Bay Area. Gifted in the art of language, Rachel sings in Hebrew, Arabic, Farsi,Greek, Turkish, Ladino, and Armenian.
• Faisal Zedan -Syrian-born Faisal Zedan was divinely inspired to play Arabic percussion at the age of 15. He received instruction from a distant relative, the only drummer in his village of Oum Dbaid. Since moving to the United States, he has played with many of the greatest Arabic musicians, such as Ali Jihad Racy, Julien Jâlal Eddine Weiss, and the band Kanzaman. Through team work and daily practice, Faisal is dedicated to keeping Arabic music alive, and inspiring fellow musicians to have a selfless approach to playing music.
• Gari Hegedus plays variety of stringed instruments from Greece and Turkey including lauoto, oud, saz and hand drums as well as violin and viola. In addition to playing in the duo Teslim with violinist Kaila Flexer, he performs with world music group Stellamara and Persian vocalist Hamed Nikpay. He has studied with oud master Naseer Shamma and has recorded and performed with Ross Daly. He has toured with the Mevlevi Dervish (Sufi) Order of America and continues to participate in Turkish ceremonial and devotional gatherings around the country.
• Their most recent CD, Eastern Wind, received rave reviews world wide, reaching #7 on Billboard's World Music charts.

The Qadim Ensemble

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