Souhail Kaspar Near East Ensemble  Middle Eastern Band from Los Angeles, CA

Grammy®-nominated percussionist Souhail Kaspar can perform for your event as part of a small group or a large ensemble with or without a singer, performing modern and classical Middle Eastern and North African music. Music can be performed with or without dancers in the Raqs Al-Sharqi (belly dance) or folkloric Egyptian style. To learn more about Mr. Kaspar, go to The Ensemble The SK Near East Music Ensemble is a group of culturally diverse musicians dedicated to delivering captivating performances while preserving the cultural integrity and historical richness of Middle Eastern music and dance. Founded and led by Grammy®-nominated percussionist Souhail Kaspar, this ensemble has been delighting audiences in Southern California and beyond since 2007 at music festivals, concerts, and university events. Mr. Kaspar has been performing in the United States and around the world since 1976. The Music The group performs the classical, modern, and folkloric music of the Middle East and North Africa, bringing exacting artistry to authentic, traditional performances. Dancers join the ensemble to accentuate the music with a bodily interpretation of the melodies and rhythms in the traditional dance styles of Egyptian raqs al-sharqi, Turkish style belly dance, Lebanese debke and Arabian Khaliji. The Instruments The musicians perform primarily on traditional instruments of the Middle East, with additional accents from European instruments.The traditional instruments include: oud (lute), nay (reed flute), qanun (lap harp), darabuka (Egyptian tablah), dohulah (Egyptian bass tablah), riqq (Egyptian tambourine), and frame drum. Other instruments may include: violin, viola, cello, upright bass.