Playing For The Planet - A Benefit Concert of World Music

An evening of music and dance from multiple continents and countries, including India, Japan, West Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  There will be a photo opportunity for all artists and audience members to crowd into a picture with a giant "350."

All proceeds from the concert will be donated to 350.org.

Featured artists include:

Members of Libana

Beth Bahia Cohen

Ayakano Cathleen Reade & Elizabeth Reian Bennet

Warren Senders and the Raga Ensemble

The Aparna Sindhoor Dance Theater

The Agbekor Drum and Dance Society

About the artists:

Members of the acclaimed women's ensemble Libana:

"...an exhilarating cross-cultural performance that opens windows into diverse, rarely heard, women’s musical expressions from around the world, from exquisite Balkan harmonies to the rooted pulses of Latin American rhythms, from hauntingly beautiful sounds of Hungarian Slav music to a riveting ritual exorcism dance with percussion from Egypt, all woven into a collage of shifting colors and rhythms."

The Agbekor Drum and Dance Society:

"The vibrant and kinetic rhythms of the Ghanaian Ewe people find powerful expression in the performances of this group of long-time drummers.  Under the direction of master drummer David Locke, Agbekor will charge the entire audience with unforgettable rhythmic intensity. 

Ayakano Cathleen Reade and Elizabeth Reian Bennett:

Traditional Japanese classical music for koto and shakuhachi; meditative, intense, and exquisitely beautiful.

The Aparna Sindhoor Dance Theater:

Critics have hailed Aparna Sindhoor as a powerful new voice for creating contemporary works of extraordinary artistry that challenge the boundaries of traditional Indian dance and yet contribute to strengthen the tradition. Aparna Sindhoor has trained in Bharatanatyam for twenty eight years and has trained as a vocalist and an actor for more than a decade.  Her current work has amalgamated all these distinct art forms into a unified whole. One critic succinctly sums up Ms. Sindhoor's artistry: "Aparna Sindhoor does not just dance. She becomes one with the stage."

Middle Eastern Music with Beth Bahia Cohen:

Inspired at a young age by the sounds she heard at family gatherings, Cohen later studied with master musicians from Hungary, Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East. She currently performs with several groups including Ziyiá and Orkestra Keyif. Beth has been performing solo concerts called “The Art of the Bow” and has a new solo CD called “Weaving the Worlds”.

Hindustani Vocal Music with Warren Senders and the Raga Ensemble:

Warren Senders is an American master of the hypnotic and lyrical art of khyal singing, the predominant form of classical vocal music in North India.  Accompanied by Akshay Navaladi on tabla, George Ruckert on harmonium, and Vijaya Sundaram on tamboura and supporting vocals, he will weave a melodic spell with his rendition of a traditional "raga."