Songs of Rumi: Souls Ablaze, A Benefit Concert for the Children of Nepal; Sunset Center Theater, Carmel, December 7

The upcoming Sunday, December 7 Benefit Concert dubbed Songs of Rumi: Souls Ablaze looms as a unique cultural experience -- a synergy of literary and musical performers celebrating the 13th century Sufi poet's mystical and ecstatic exhortations in words, song and dance. The event is held in support of the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation. The 6pm concert at Carmel's new Sunset Center Theater will feature the recitations of Coleman Barks, author and translator of The Essential Rumi and The Illuminated Rumi.

Carmel, California (PRWEB) November 6, 2003 -- The upcoming Sunday, December 7 Benefit Concert dubbed Songs of Rumi: Souls Ablaze looms as a unique cultural experience -- a synergy of literary and musical performers celebrating the 13th century Sufi poet's mystical and ecstatic exhortations in words, song and dance.

The evening's proceeds will be donated for relief efforts on behalf of children across the Pacific. The concert supports the work of the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation (http://www.nyof.org) -- a U.S.-based charity directly responsive for the urgently needed relief of homeless and orphaned children in the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal.

The 6pm concert at Carmel's new Sunset Center Theater will feature the recitations of Coleman Barks, author and translator of The Essential Rumi and The Illuminated Rumi. In conjunction with Jelaluddin Rumi's illuminations on the divinity of humanity, the humanity of divinity and the ever-present gift of love, the evening's musical performers will bring to life the sounds and celebrations depicted in his mystical poems.

Scheduled musical performers are:
-- Nejad, the multi-instrumentalist Persian virtuoso of the ney, daf and rabab, instruments played at the time of Rumi
-- Aqnazar of Tajikistan, world-class vocalist and strings instrumentalist who has just released the CD-album, Rumi
-- Ballet Afsaneh, colorful traditional dance ensemble recreating the dances of Rumi's era, including euphoric Dervish-derived rhythms.

The evening is produced by Peterson Conway with special thanks to Leslie Dunton Downer for her gracious artistic guidance.

Songs of Rumi: Souls Ablaze returns Coleman Barks to the Monterey Bay area at the behest of Peterson Conway. Immediately after the war in Afghanistan, he similarly responded to Mr. Conway's invitation to present a Rumi event dedicated to helping the children there. A former Peace Corps volunteer and proprietor of Conway of Asia, Carmel-by-the-Sea's antiques and artifacts gallery, Mr. Conway has been intimately involved with Asian cultures for over 30 years and particularly with the plight of children in "lost" regions of the world. Two years ago, Mr. Conway personally saw to it that the proceeds of the concert would reach their destination. He drove a truck loaded with clothing, medicine and food inside post-Taliban Afghanistan to make sure that the much-needed relief reached the children.

This year the December 7 Songs of Rumi: Souls Ablaze Benefit Concert is in support of the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation in an effort to help the neediest children of Nepal. These children are street kids, orphaned or abandoned, begging at temples and sleeping alone in doorways or under bridges, rain or shine. Others live in jail with an incarcerated parent because there is no place else for them to go. Some -- girls as young as six -- have been sold by their families to work as bonded laborers. Many children are so malnourished that they cannot talk or walk.

Event Listing:
Songs of Rumi: Souls Ablaze
Date: Sunday, December 7, 2003
Time: 6pm
Where: Sunset Center Theatre in Carmel, San Carlos & 9th

Tickets:
$50 Preferred Seating
$30 General Admission

For more information or to order tickets online:
http://www.siteskins.net/songsofrumi

To Order Tickets By Phone Call:
1-800-595-4TIX (1-800-595-4849)

Tickets available at these fine locations:
- Conway of Asia (Carmel-by-the-Sea)
- Bay Books (Monterey)
- Borders (Sand City)
- Rhythm Fusion (Santa Cruz)
- Thunderbird Bookstore (The Barnyard, Carmel)

Additional Background Information:

Coleman Barks
http://www.colemanbarks.com/photo.htm

Aquazar is Badakhshan's greatest vocalist. The 26 year old has been singing since he was a boy when his vocal gift was noted by music master Sultanaza, who trained him and encouraged him to sing at weddings and concerts. He is also a multi-instrumentalist. Aqnazar (lit. 'he who sees the truth') is an exceptional vocalist from the Mountains of Badakhshan (Pamir) in Tajikistan, where he is acknowledged as the region's greatest singer of both the folk-pop repertoire and erudite music. He sings and plays the rubob (lute), accordion and percussionist (daf, tabla) instruments.

Nejad is a Persian-born master multi-instrumentalist. He lives in the San Francisco Bay area. Nejad plays a large number of instruments, including ney, zurna, Western flute, santur, kanun, oud, setar, dotar, tar, kemanche, violin, daf, dumbek, zarb, accordion and keyboards. He effectively uses Persian instruments to add a Persian influence to Western classical, jazz, blues, new age, and flamenco. He also performs traditional Persian classical music.

Afsaneh Ballet, a professional nonprofit performing arts company based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California performs the dance, music and poetry of the historic Silk Road regions of Central Asia along with contemporary work based on classical themes. Since 1986 the company has performed at major theaters, museums, universities and festivals throughout the U.S.
http://www.dancesilkroad.org/
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CONTACTS:

Jessica Solomon Bluestein
Special Projects Coordinator
The Cultural Council for Monterey County
PO Box 7495, Carmel, CA 93921
Phone: 831.622.9060 Fax: 831.622.9061
http://www.culturalmonterey.org
sparts@culturalmonterey.org

Peterson Conway
Producer
Conway of Asia
831-624-3643

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