9th Symposium of the Music and Gender Study Group of the International Council for Traditional Music held at Hunter College
TRANSCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS PRESENTATIONS PROGRAM
Thursday, May 14th, 6:00 PM EST
Andreas Arnold, flamenco guitar, presented by Lance Piebenga
Lou Russo, banjo, presented by Philip Garcia
Jahlani Roberts, trinidadian steel pan, presented by Timothy Matthews
Cesar Garabini, brazilian violão de sete cordas, presented by Maurice Restrepo
Mia Theodoratus, grecian harp, presented by Katharine Saxton
Thursday, May 21st, 6:00 PM EST
Joel Ogoli, drums from Guadaloupe, presented by Alyssa Regent
Everett Isidoro, samba reggae percussion from Brazil, presented by Andrew Hochler
Laura Nelson, alphorn, presented by Maureen Kelly
Sarah Reich, tap dance, presented by Dianne Wong
Thursday, May 14th
Musician Bios
As an artist in a globalized world, Andreas Arnold expresses himself through a musical kaleidoscope that reflects the classical traditions of his homeland Germany, jazz from the United States where he has been living for the last decade, and music from the Mediterranean, in particular the Spanish art form of flamenco. Through this unique fusion, Arnold proves that purity is not defined by any one culture or style, but transpires when one finds his voice to express his personal experience in society, art, and life.
While living between New York City and Andalusia, Spain, Arnold has participated in numerous productions as an instrumentalist, composer, improviser, and producer, touring on five continents. On his new album Ojos Cerrados he was accompanied among others by Carles Benavent, legendary and longtime bass player of Paco de Lucia.
Arnold grew up in a family of classical musicians in southern Germany. He fell in love with Paco de Lucia as a teenager but went on to study jazz guitar at the conservatory of Amsterdam and later in New York City with Mike Stern, John Abercrombie, and Wayne Krantz before entering a period of complete dedication to the art of flamenco guitar. He is currently the musical director for internationally renowned Jordanian singer Farah Siraj as well as for the New York Flamenco Jazz Project.
To date, Arnold has released three albums of original electric and acoustic music under his name. Because of his strong affinity with the Mediterranean, the Goethe Institut, Paris commissioned him in 2013 to bring the multimedia performance Suite Camus to the stage. The following year he produced Dunya, the second album of Jordanian vocalist Farah Siraj, as well as A Contraluz, flutist Maria Toro’s debut album that featured the rhythm section of Jean Michel-Pilc, Ben Street and Justin Brown. His latest work, Ojos Cerrados, on which he collaborated with vocalists Antonio Lizana, Carles Denia, and Alfonso Cid was recorded in Barcelona and is the vision of flamenco-jazz for an ever-evolving artist. Arnold performs Ojos Cerrados in various settings from solo guitar acts to a 6-piece ensemble featuring singers, dancers, and various instrumentalists, often providing unique encounters between artists from different cultures.
Lou Russo is a singer/songwriter/guitarist born and raised in Brooklyn and currently lives, teaches, and performs on Staten Island. He has fronted many bands, such as the ALIENZ, Tompkinsville Tumbleweeds, and the Staten Island Snugs. Since his childhood, he has studied Advanced Guitar Theory, Blues Lead, Finger Style, and Jazz Guitar. He used to do a cable TV show called An Evening with the Alienz. and has performed alongside Blondie, Squeeze, the Bongos, and the Plumbers. He has written and copyrighted over 200 songs and has studied with great professionals such as Danny Kalb, Barry Cornfeld, and Ron Carter.
Jahlani Roberts is the first of his Trinbagonian family to be born within the United States of America. Currently residing within the city of New York, his love for the Steel-Pan and the drum set landed him notable performance opportunities at places that include The Wendy Williams Show, Citi Field, and the Barclay Center. He currently works through Sesame Flyers Incorporated as a teaching artist of Steel-Pan and Drums within public schools, all while releasing musical content and maintaining his lifestyle as a regional and international performer. With his family being from Trinidad and Tobago, Jahlani Roberts carries the culture and teachings of the country, making a profound impact on the lives that his music reaches.
Cesar Garabini was born in Minas Gerais, Brazil in 1987 and was raised in Brazil, Italy, and the United States. Mr. Garabini plays the violão de sete cordas [seven-string Brazilian guitar], drawing influence from traditional Brazilian genres and techniques while employing a modern sensibility and expansive musicality. Mr. Garabini began his studies on the guitar at 13, but it wasn’t until he moved to Italy that he began to develop a passion for the music of his native Brazil. In 2009, he started organizing samba, bossa nova, and choroensembles, performing in Florence and other regions of Italy. Since moving to New York in 2011, Mr. Garabini has been a member of the New York City-based choro group Regional de New York and has played alongside artists such as Anat Cohen, Olli Soikkeli, and Tim Connell. Mr. Garabini has performed at a variety of New York City venues, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazz Standard, Birdland, Miller Theater at Columbia University, the Museum of Modern Art, Barbès, Beco and Mona’s Bar, and has appeared on National Public Radio and NBC.
Mia Theodoratus is a composer, improviser, educator, lyricist, and harpist. (BFA University of Texas, Austin and MFA California School of the Arts). She serves on the faculty at Sarah Lawrence College and also teaches at the Irish Arts Center (New York), the Mozartina Conservatory, and in her private studio. She currently performs with Adam Rudolf’s Go Organic Orchestra, The Opera Penelope, with Bradley Eros’ Optipus, Lary 7, and presents her own solo performances on electric Celtic and pedal harps as well as ancient Greek style lyres. Having formed a duo with Adam Dugas, they were featured in Chaos and Candy with Casey Spooner. She has also performed at the Shanghai Tang Fashion House in China, LifeBall in Vienna, the National Shakespeare’s Oedipus in Athens, Greece and at the Whitney Biennial, Metropolitan Museum, and United Nations in New York. Her recordings have been released by Sahko Records and Daptone Records.
Thursday, May 21st
Joel Ogoli was born on 14 July 1950, in Morne-a-l’Eau Guadeloupe. In 1978, he started his professional career as a drummer for the group Fabiano Orchestra and performed throughout Guadeloupe. In 1980 he became the drummer for the Ka-Jazz group Archipèl. In 1982 he joined the group Kafe Ka Leve where he stayed for four years while performing throughout Guadeloupe. He also recorded his first album with the group Batterie-Ka where he played the drum set. In 1983, he became the drummer for 4 tèt and met the infamous ka player master-ka Marcel Lollia aka Vélo, with whom he played several concerts and recordings. In 1990, he played at the Gwo Ka Festival in Saint-Anne, Guadeloupe directed by Yvan Juraver with Klod Kiavue. In 1995, he was a percussionist for the group +4 where his own compositions were performed in different clubs and hotels of the island with two other guitarists. In 1999, he played with the group UNI-SON. Since then, he has been performing on both drum-set and Ka and has been working towards developing the form by playing in Ka-jazz and Gospel- jazz groups. Since 2000, he has played as the main percussionist for the Jazz-ka group Uni-Ka.
Everton Isidoro is an established Brazilian samba-reggae musician. He was born and raised in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in percussion performance at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), a public university in the city of Salvador. While studying percussion at UFBA, he focused specifically on samba-reggae, a musical genre native to his hometown. Currently, Mr. Isidoro lives in Bushwick, Brooklyn—an area densely populated with musicians representing many of the world’s traditions. For the past few years, he has been working with several non-profit organizations that send him to various New York City public schools throughout all five boroughs to teach music, specifically percussion. He has also created a Brazilian percussion ensemble called “Mambembé” that performs samba reggae music throughout New York City.
Laura Nelson Alphorn Performer · Clinician · Composer
Laura Nelson has competed and performed on the alphorn across America and Switzerland winning Second place soloist, Nendaz, Festival International de Cor des Alpes 2012; First Place Soloist, North American Alphorn, Alphorn Festival 2011; and Second Place Ensemble Berner Cantonal Jodlefest, 2009. Increasingly known for bringing the alphorn to the concert stage in America, she has highlighted the music of Jean Daetwyler performing the Concerto No. 1 for Alphorn and Orchestra in its American premiere. She has been faculty at the Shweitzeralphornschule in Schönried, Switzerland, the North American Alphorn Retreat in Solitude, Utah, and the Leavenworth Alphorn Workshop in Leavenworth, Washington. As a composer of alphorn music, Laura Nelson presents a distinctly different style, focusing on deepening the artistic potential of this marvelous instrument and presenting an intentionally American style. Her music can be heard on a recent recording entitled “Prairie Song, the Alphorns of Salzburg Echo” released in 2015. Please visit Laura’s website for more information: www.lauranelsonalphorn.com
Sarah Reich (Performer, Choreographer, Instructor, Composer) has emerged as one of the new leaders in the art form of tap dance. This Los Angeles native has been sought after to perform, choreograph, and teach in over forty countries. “I want to continue to bring tap into mass media with greater respect and quality,” she says, focusing on “reprogramming the minds of the general public concerning their perception of tap dance.” (Dance Magazine 2017). Sarah has become one of the art form’s popular cultural ambassadors, thanks to her appearances in videos with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox. Her videos with them (A Star Wars-themed tribute, “The Tap Awakens,” and “Thriller,” a Michael Jackson cover featuring Wayne Brady) have garnered millions of views on YouTube, all receiving rave reviews. She has toured the world with Postmodern Jukebox, playing prestigious venues such as Radio City Music Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Sydney Opera House as well as a televised PBS special filmed in Las Vegas. Previously she was seen on FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance” under companies by Chloe Arnold and Jason Samuels Smith. With her own company, Tap Music Project, she has choreographed and performed at the Ford Amphitheater, UCLA’s Jazz Reggae Music Festival, Blue Whale Jazz Club, and the televised Los Angeles County Holiday Season. Sarah was also a performer at Madison Square Garden for the opening of the New York Knicks 2013-2015 season. She was sought out to perform at Jazz at Lincoln Center for a tribute to Duke Ellington in New York City in 2017.
Sarah recently gained credits as a film composer for the independent film CIVOS! In which her taps are heard in the film score helping to add intense expression to scenes throughout the film. With her Tap Music Project intensives in various cities, Reich teaches tap dancers how to dance with more musicality. Using live bands in class, she instructs students on how to “scat” rhythms or transcribe choreography with rhythm notation, among other skills. Sarah is developing new and exciting works with her company, Tap Music Productions, including her debut Tap Jazz Album titled New Change. This album is originally produced, composed from percussive tap rhythms, and performed by a great selection of musicians to create a unique sound. She hopes this is just the beginning: “I want to be the first tap dancer to win a Grammy Award”.
