An Evening with Farah Siraj & Ensemble

Join us for an unforgettable evening of music with internationally acclaimed Jordanian vocalist Farah Siraj and her ensemble. This special performance will bring together music, community, and solidarity in support of humanitarian work in Gaza and Palestine.

After expenses, all proceeds will be donated to:

• Playgrounds for Palestine (currently focused on humanitarian work in Gaza)

• Palestine Children’s Relief Fund

• We Are Not Numbers

Special Guest:
We are honored to welcome Susan Abulhawa, founder of Playgrounds for Palestine, who will join us for the evening.

Additional Offerings:

• Books for Sale: Mavey Books will have titles available for purchase on-site, including We Are Not Numbers (available for preorder here). Mavey Books is generously donating 15% of all sales—both at the concert and from preorders—to the evening’s beneficiaries.

• Olive Oil: Purchase high-quality Palestinian olive oil from Playgrounds for Palestine.

Co-Sponsors:
CAIR, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, and Jewish Voice for Peace – Philadelphia.

Questions? Email voicesfromtheheart@aol.com

About Farah Siraj

Named Jordan’s Musical Ambassadress, Jordanian virtuoso Farah Siraj balances a career that spans the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Farah has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious platforms, including the United Nations, Nobel Prize Hall, the World Economic Forum, The John F. Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Lincoln Center in New York, MTV, Coke Studio, the TV show Good Morning Live in the USA and MBC TV in the Middle East. Additionally, Farah represents Jordan annually at the United Nations’ World Peace Day.

As a humanitarian, Farah focuses on raising awareness about the consequences of war and violence, and advocates for women’s rights, refugee rights, and animal rights. In recognition of her humanitarian efforts, Farah was invited to perform at the United Nations Humanitarian Awards, and her music was played before the United Nations Security Council before passing legislation regarding the genocide in Darfur. Farah approaches music as a medium for peace and a way to amplify the voices of people around the world who need to be heard.

To this date, Farah has toured the Middle East, Europe, India, South America, and the United States, spreading the message of peace through her music. In 2011, Farah internationally released her album entitled NOMAD, performing her original compositions, fusing influences of Arabic music, flamenco, jazz, bossa, and pop, with lyrics in Arabic, Spanish, and English. The recordings took place in the Middle East, Spain, and the USA, including more than 30 internationally acclaimed musicians from five different continents. After the success of NOMAD, Farah presented the world premiere of her new work, entitled The Arabian Jazz Project, featuring original compositions and traditional Middle Eastern tunes set in a jazz context. As a result of the success of The Arabian Jazz Project, Farah was chosen as one of New York’s “Summer Stars of Jazz” and named “the Norah Jones of the Middle East” by New York Time Out.

In June 2014, Farah released her album, Dunya, meaning “world” in Arabic and Hindi. Farah currently leads an ethnically diverse quintet of world-class musicians from the Middle East, Europe, the United States and South America, including music from all four regions. Farah and her band have toured the Middle East, India, Europe, the United States, and South America with sold-out concerts in all four regions. During her tour of India, Farah shared the stage with India’s most renowned composer, A.R. Rahman, performing Zariya live on MTV. The song hit #1 on the music charts in India and the Middle East.

This year, Farah has performed in communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois as part of a special project organized by Arts Midwest to promote cultural understanding through music. This November, she will be releasing her next album, Alam Majnoon, which means “Crazy World.” Farah is pleased to support Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Playgrounds for Palestine, and We Are Not Numbers through this special event.