#RevelsConnects: Musical Connections

Born and raised in war-torn Beirut, Lebanon, Christiane’s unique vocal style stems from her love for different musical traditions. She is the leader and founder of the award-winning ZilZALA Ensemble, which blends classical, traditional, and folk music from different regions of the Middle East and the Balkans with contemporary jazz. She is also the leader of the acclaimed Pletenitsa Balkan Choir. Christiane is a staunch activist for cultural understanding, tolerance, and non-violent conflict resolution, and works to bring awareness and Positive Social Change through music and the arts. Don't miss this new #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections episode as Christiane discusses her musical inspiration and how her upbringing inspires her work. Hosted by Maggie Holtzberg, Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager at the Mass Cultural Council.Each #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast is a follow-up to a 45-minute salon-style performance with the featured musician, premiering on Facebook Live and available on the Revels YouTube channel. Visit Revels Inc. on YouTube to learn more!The #RevelsConnects Musical Connections series is sponsored in part by a grant from The Ithaka Foundation and produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. Audio engineered by Dave Jamrog Audio/Video.

Suzannah Park comes from a family of three generations of traditional singers, storytellers, and dancers. She has been touring and teaching for the past 20+ years, both in the US and abroad. A native of Asheville, NC, she is delighted to call the Appalachian mountains her home, where she sings, teaches, and works for social and environmental justice. Don't miss this new #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections journey as Suzannah discusses folk music traditions and her family background in musical storytelling. Hosted by Maggie Holtzberg, Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager at the Mass Cultural Council.Each #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast is a follow-up to a 45-minute salon-style performance with the featured musician, premiering on Facebook Live and available on the Revels YouTube channel. Visit Revels Inc. on YouTube to learn more!The #RevelsConnects Musical Connections series is sponsored in part by a grant from The Ithaka Foundation and produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. Audio engineered by Dave Jamrog Audio/Video.

A traditional flute player and flute craftsman, Hawk Henries shares songs and traditions of the Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck and other stories of the people indigenous to what is now New England. He has been composing original flute music and making flutes using only hand tools and fire for over twenty-five years. Hawk is committed to music as a traditional art form and as a vehicle for building bridges of communication and mutual respect. He teaches and performs in a wide variety of settings: indigenous and international art festivals, museums, concert venues, powwows, educational settings from kindergarten through university level, flute-making workshops, and private family gatherings. Join us for a new #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections journey as Hawk discusses his journey as a musician, educator, and artisan flute maker. Hosted by Maggie Holtzberg, Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager at the Mass Cultural Council.Each #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast is a follow-up to a 45-minute salon-style performance with the featured musician, premiering on Facebook Live and available on the Revels YouTube channel. Visit Revels Inc. on YouTube to learn more!The #RevelsConnects Musical Connections series is sponsored in part by a grant from The Ithaka Foundation and produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. Audio engineered by Dave Jamrog Audio/Video.

Neena Gulati was born in New Delhi, India, and began dancing at only four years old. She performed her arangetram, a graduation recital, at the Fine Arts Theater, New Delhi in 1961 to rave reviews, and was called "one of the leading young Bharatanatyam dancers in the capital." A master of the Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam, Neena Gulati has received high critical acclaim for her performances throughout India and the United States. An energetic and loving teacher, and founder of the Triveni School of Dance, Neena has been described as a "pioneer in bringing classical Indian dance in all its nuance to New England" (The Boston Globe). Come along on a new #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections journey as Neena discusses her history as a dancer and educator, and how she has connected with others through Indian classical dance. Hosted by Maggie Holtzberg, Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager at the Mass Cultural Council.Each #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast is a follow-up to a 45-minute salon-style performance with the featured musician, premiering on Facebook Live and available on the Revels YouTube channel. Visit Revels Inc. on YouTube to learn more!The #RevelsConnects Musical Connections series is sponsored in part by a grant from The Ithaka Foundation and produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. Audio engineered by Dave Jamrog Audio/Video.

Beth Bahia Cohen is a violinist of Syrian Jewish and Russian Jewish heritage. Inspired at a young age by the sounds she heard at family gatherings, she went on to study with master musicians from Hungary, Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East. She plays the violin, viola, Greek lyras, Turkish bowed tanbur and kabak kemane, Norwegian hardingfele, and Egyptian rababa. Beth is a founding member of the Greek ensemble Ziyiá, a frequent teacher with the Eastern European Folklife Center, and an Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music, where she leads the Berklee Greek Ensemble and the Berklee Global Strings Ensemble. Come along on a new #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections journey as Beth tells the story of her life through the music that has accompanied it.  Hosted by Maggie Holtzberg, Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager at the Mass Cultural Council.Each #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast is a follow-up to a 45-minute salon-style performance with the featured musician, premiering on Facebook Live and available on the Revels YouTube channel. Visit Revels Inc. on YouTube to learn more!The #RevelsConnects Musical Connections series is sponsored in part by a grant from The Ithaka Foundation and produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. This program is also supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Audio engineered by Dave Jamrog Audio/Video.

Tom has been active in a variety of traditional music scenes for more than 30 years. He is a dear friend of Revels and has been a regular Revels performer since 1997, appearing on stage and working behind the scenes as an accordionist, arranger, singer, and bandleader. He's worked closely as a dance musician and musical leader for organizations such as the Pinewoods Band, the Folk Arts Center of New England, and the Boston Branch of the Royal Scottish Dance Society. Tom is an accomplished recording artist and also publishes the Pinewoods International Collection, a 400-page book of folk dance tunes and songs from around the world. In this installment of the #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast, Tom walks us through the history of accordion music and the intricacies of the accordion itself! Hosted by Maggie Holtzberg, Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager at the Mass Cultural Council.Each #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast is a follow-up to a 45-minute salon-style performance with the featured musician, premiering on Facebook Live and available on the Revels YouTube channel. Visit Revels Inc. on YouTube to learn more!The #RevelsConnects Musical Connections series is sponsored in part by a grant from The Ithaka Foundation and produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. This program is also supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Audio engineered by Dave Jamrog Audio/Video.

Musician, dancer & speaker Karim Nagi preserves traditions while taking adventures into contemporary hybrid expressions. A native Egyptian, Muslim, and US naturalized citizen, Nagi has taught over 400 Arabiqa school assemblies, produced 17 Arab Dance Seminars, recorded 15 CDs, and performed on 5 continents. He has created a hybrid style of music and dance done simultaneously. His works retain the traditional Arab melodies and rhythms while employing English oratory delivery. His simultaneous goals are to preserve tradition while attracting new audiences through outreach. In our newest #RevelsConnects episode, Karim teaches us a little more about the traditions of Arab instruments and songs! Hosted by Maggie Holtzberg, Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager at the Mass Cultural Council.Each #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast is a follow-up to a 45-minute salon-style performance with the featured musician, premiering on Facebook Live and available on the Revels YouTube channel. Visit Revels Inc. on YouTube to learn more!The #RevelsConnects Musical Connections series is sponsored in part by a grant from The Ithaka Foundation and produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. This program is also supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Audio engineered by Dave Jamrog Audio/Video.

Josée Vachon has performed throughout New England, eastern Canada, and France for over 35 years, representing Franco-American culture and music. She has 12 solo recordings and 2 with her band, Chanterelle, has an original song on a Smithsonian Folkways CD, and has received several honors and awards from Franco-American organizations, cultural and educational groups. She hosted over 500 episodes of "Bonjour!", a French variety cable TV show from Manchester, NH, and was a guest singer/actress for the 2016 Acadian-Cajun Christmas Revels at Sanders Theater in Cambridge. Josée also recently received a fellowship from Mass. Cultural Council for her work in traditional arts. Listen in to our third #RevelsConnects episode as Josée explores the musical traditions of Quebec and Acadia! Hosted by Maggie Holtzberg, Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager at the Mass Cultural Council.Each #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast is a follow-up to a 45-minute salon-style performance with the featured musician, premiering on Facebook Live and available on the Revels YouTube channel. Visit Revels Inc. on YouTube to learn more!The #RevelsConnects Musical Connections series is sponsored in part by a grant from The Ithaka Foundation and produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. This program is also supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Audio engineered by Dave Jamrog Audio/Video.

Born in Mali, Balla Kouyaté was raised in the Djeli tradition. His knowledge of his traditional repertoire is unparalleled. Today, the first balafon, over 1000 years old, is considered a UNESCO Artifact of Oral and Intangible History and remains in Balla's family, guarded by his father, El Hadji Sekou Kouyaté. Balla has toured extensively through Europe, Africa, and North America and has been featured on over 45 albums including Silkroad’s "Sing Me Home", Yo-Yo Ma’s "Songs of Joy and Peace", Angelique Kidjo’s "Oyo", and Vusi Mahlasela’s "Say Africa". Join us as Balla takes us on a journey through the rich tradition of the balafon.  Hosted by Maggie Holtzberg, Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager at the Mass Cultural Council.Each #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast is a follow-up to a 45-minute salon-style performance with the featured musician, premiering on Facebook Live and available on the Revels YouTube channel. Visit Revels Inc. on YouTube to watch more!The #RevelsConnects Musical Connections series is sponsored in part by a grant from The Ithaka Foundation and produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. This program is also supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Audio engineered by Dave Jamrog Audio/Video.

Dating as far back as the early 1600's, spirituals are said to be one of America's original folk songs. Spirituals now have a legitimate place under the umbrella of classical music and are celebrated fron instrumental and vocal ensembles to solo and piano pieces - no matter the ethnic or racial background of the musicians.  Join us for our first #RevelsConnects podcast as Revels Director of Education Johnny Nichols, Jr. shares stories that connect these songs to his family and experiences growing up in rural Louisiana.  Hosted by Maggie Holtzberg, Folk Arts & Heritage Program Manager at the Mass Cultural Council.Each #RevelsConnects: Musical Connections podcast is a follow-up to a 45-minute salon-style performance with the featured musician, premiering on Facebook live and available on the Revels YouTube channel. Visit Revels Inc. on YouTube to watch more!The #RevelsConnects Musical Connections series is sponsored in part by a grant from The Ithaka Foundation and produced in collaboration with the Mass Cultural Council. This program is also supported in part by a grant from the Watertown Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Audio engineered by Dave Jamrog Audio/Video.