Spirit of Andalusia press release

Spirit of Andalusia Festival Set for Tarrytown November 1 – 13, 2005

Medieval Spain comes alive again on the banks of the Hudson River for two weeks in November, when Tarrytown and its environs play host to a variety of cultural events aimed at building bridges between Jews, Muslims, and Christians. From poetry readings, lectures, and art exhibits to a grand musical extravaganza, the events will reflect what life was like around the year 1000 in southern Spain, when Muslims, Christians, and Jews not only managed to live together in harmony but created a magnificent flowering of the arts and sciences. As the organizers of the festival—called the Spirit of Andalusia-- point out, Andalusia was a high point in civilization, and they are hoping that it may serve as a model for us today.

The festival is the brainchild of the Center for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding, Inc., a not-for-profit institution based in Irvington, New York, that was founded four years ago, shortly after September 11. The two-week series of events has been given major support by the Rotary Club of the Tarrytowns, which has been active in not only funding local community needs but also pursuing ways to broaden tolerance and cultural understanding.

The Spirit of Andalusia will run from November 1 through November 13, 2005. On Saturday, November 5 at 3 pm., in the gemlike sanctuary of the Union Church of Pocantico Hills (555 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills), two noted authors will speak about their works in a program called Andalusia and the Power of the Pen. Professor Maria Rosa Menocal of Yale University will explain how Andalusia became the “Ornament of the World,” and Professor Ross Brann of Cornell University will present “He Said, She Said: The Andalusi Arabic Love Lyric,” a discussion of the ingenious way in which an Andalusi woman poet responds in verse to her paramour. Admission is free.

The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center (300 Riverside Drive) in Sleepy Hollow will host a diverse group of poets and storytellers in its award-winning site along the river on Sunday, November 6, at 4:30 p.m. Matthew Shenoda , an Arab-American poet and educator with roots in the Coptic community of Egypt, and Sholeh Wolpe, an Iranian- American poet, will read from their works. Essayist Herbert Hadad, an American whose Jewish roots go back to Syria, will offer his unique perspective on “living together” in today’s world. And Mansour Ajami, a Christian Arab from Lebanon, will provide samplings of the extraordinary poetry of Andalusia, while accompanying himself on the oud (a form of the guitar). Admission is free.

At the Warner Public Library (121 North Broadway) in Tarrytown, on Monday, November 7, at 7:30 p.m., noted educator Audrey Shabbas will provide a background to the festival with a lecture about the history and people of the Middle East. Audrey Shabbas is founder and director of AWAIR (Arab World And Islamic Resources) and is one of the most prominent instructors in the United States on the Arab World. Admission is free.

Islamic Art: A Hands-On Workshop is the title of Ms. Shabbas’s program scheduled for Saturday, November 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Sleepy Hollow High School Cafeteria (210 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow). There, participants will create their own wall hangings on fabric, using stencils and fabric paint, while learning about the fundamentals of Islamic art. Admission is free but reservations are required.

At the Rockefeller State Park Preserve in Pocantico Hills, artists who rarely get the opportunity to meet will display their works side by side. Entitled Israeli and Palestinian: Artists’ Impressions, the show will feature Renate Ghannam’s impressions in oil of traditional women of Palestine and Tamar Drucker’s creations in fabric of Jewish-Israeli themes. The exhibit will run the entire length of the festival, from November 1 to 13, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. There will be a reception on Sunday, November 6, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and all are welcome. Admission is free.

Capping the two-week-long celebration will be the Andalusian Music Festival, set for Sunday, November 13, at 3 p.m. at the Tarrytown Music Hall (13 Main Street, Tarrytown). Four musical groups will bring their diverse sounds to the stage. Jonathan “Juanito” Pascual, the well-known flamenco guitarist, will perform the passionate music of traditional Spain, accompanied by a flamenco dancer, a singer, and a percussionist. Judith R. Cohen, the noted Canadian singer and ethnomusicologist, will offer traditional Sephardic music, accompanied by her daughter Tamar Cohen Adams, who also sings and plays percussion. The Sharq Arabic Music Ensemble, led by Karim Nagi Mohammed, will perform traditional Arab-Andalusian music, as it was heard for hundreds of years in royal courts and concert halls. Sharq is known for its authentic high-energy sound. Finally, Boston Camerata soloists Joel Cohen and Anne Azema will bring the group’s richly colored palette of sound to the music hall stage, accompanied by Karim of the Sharq Ensemble. The internationally famous Boston Camerata is noted for its alchemic blend of medieval Jewish-Christian-Muslim music. Tickets are $25 (orchestra) and $20 (balcony). A $12 student discount rate is also offered for balcony seats. The tickets are available at www.tarrytownmusichall.org or call TicketForce, (877) 840-0457. Or go to the box office at ‘Lil Rascal next door to the music hall; open Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

The Spirit of Andalusia is made possible by the Center for Jewish-Christian-Muslim Understanding with additional support from the Rotary Club of the Tarrytowns. For more information, contact J. Stanton or S. Mikdadi at (914) 591-8194, or go to their Web site www.cjcmu.org, or e-mail them at alandalus@verizon.net .