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Thursday, November 8th, 2018

Performance Review: Alsarah and the Nubatones

Alsarah (left) and her sister Nahid Alsarah & The Nubatones performed at the Campus Theatre Wednesday, November 7th at 7:30 pm. The show was preceded by a pre-performace talk at 6:30 pm with Alsarah led by Professor Angele Kingue. Alsarah performed with her band, including her sister Nahid, on backing vocals, bassist Mawuena Kodjovi, oudist Brandon Terzic, and percussionist Rami El-Aasser of the Cafe Antarsia Ensemble. Singing original music inspired by Nubian/Sudanese traditions and songs, the Nubatones put on a fabulous, foot stomping show that got people out of their seats and dancing. At the Q&A pre-show talk Professor Kingue introduced Alsarah as “a young artist dealing […]

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Wednesday, November 7th, 2018

Performance Review: Marty Stuart

Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives performed at the Weis Center on Thursday, Nov. 1st at 7:30 p.m. Dressed like they just stepped out of 2005’s Walk the Line, the musicians were welcomed by an uproarious audience of die hard fans. Country music legend and Grammy winner Marty Stuart was a master crowd pleaser, engaging with the audience and even taking song suggestions, and his Superlatives were truly super; with Kenny Vaughan on acoustic guitar, Harry Stinson on multiple instruments and Chris Scruggs on the bass. The Superlatives covered some of country’s greatest hits in honor of the musical genre’s rich legacy. […]

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Tuesday, October 30th, 2018

Performance Review: The Nature of Forgetting

Theatre Re presented ‘The Nature of Forgetting’ on Thursday, October 25th at 7:30 in the Weis Center, following a free health and wellness fair at 5 p.m. in the Weis Center Atrium lobby.The London based troupe performed a spectacular, heart wrenching story of early onset dementia. Accompanied by a live band, the actors traveled through the memories of the main character, Tom, from his boyhood to his marriage. There was little dialogue, most of which was intentionally faded in the music to replicate a foggy memory. Tom is haunted by three main players; his mother, his best friend, and his […]

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Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018

Performance Review: Nrityagram Dance Ensemble

The Nrityagram dance ensemble performed at the Weis Center on October 13th at 7:30 pm. Accompanied by live musicians the ensemble performed pieces from their newest piece ‘Samhara’, which brings together brilliant Indian dance traditions with shared ancient roots. Nrityagram is more than just one of India’s “premiere classical dance ensembles”; it is also India’s first modern Gurukul for Indian classical dances and an intentional community in the form of a dance village. In the words of the village founder Protima Gauri: “[Nrityagram] is a community of dancers in a forsaken place amidst nature. A place where nothing exists, except dance. A place […]

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Monday, October 15th, 2018

Performance Review: Cristina Pato

Internationally acclaimed Galician bagpipe master and classical pianist Cristina Pato performed with her quartet on Thursday, October 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Weis Center. Her band includes Julien Labro on accordion and bandoneon, Edward Perez on double bass and Eric Doob on drums. Cristina Pato enjoys a professional career devoted to cultural exchange and creating new paths for her unique instrument. Ms. Pato is an active member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and serves as educational advisor for the Silkroad Project. Her latest album Latina (2015) has received critical acclaim, including a four and a half star review […]

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Monday, October 1st, 2018

Performance Review: Dina El Wedidi

Dina El Wedidi comes from a self described traditional Egyptian background, attending university in Cairo were she composed her own music. Since 2011, El Wedidi and her band have toured extensively throughout the world, introducing the unique sound of Cairo to the global music scene. Dina El Wedidi and her 5-piece band, including Bass guitarist Mounir Maher, Percussionist Azima Barhoma, Accordionist Wael el-Sayed, Drummer Mohammed Raafat and Sound Engineer Mafdy Thabet performed at Bucknell University on September 27th at 7:30 pm. Sponsored by the U.S.-sponsored Center Stage program, El Wedidi is touring America from coast to coast; Lewisburg is the […]

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Saturday, September 22nd, 2018

Performance Review: Red Molly

The guitar drawls. The beat of drums reverberates through the floor and up your feet. Audience members laugh and cheer as Red Molly takes the stage. Known for their gorgeous harmonies and infectious songwriting, Red Molly (Laurie MacAllister, Abbie Gardner and Molly Venter) graced Lewisburg downtown with their presence on Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Campus Theatre. This ‘Americana trio’ beautifully weaves together the threads of American music. In their caramel voice and superb three-part harmonies they explore every sound from folk to bluegrass, lamenting ballads to honky-tonks. Laurie, Abbie, and Molly each have wonderfully distinct voices, both in […]

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Saturday, September 15th, 2018

Performance Review: Mohamed Abozekry and Karkadé

Mohamed Abozekry and his instrumental ensemble Karkadé introduced Lewisburg to the sounds of classical Arabic music, Sufi music of northern Egypt, and secular poetry on Friday,  September 14 in the Weis Center Atrium. Abozekry is a world-renowned Egyptian oud virtuoso. Karkadé is Abozekry’s second ensemble. It is a compositional effort to return to his roots, presenting a more traditional Egyptian style of music infused with a sense of modernity. He released Karkadé’s album in September 2016. Karkadé mixes styles and traditions to describe “a path to an Arab world at peace with its history and turned towards the future.” On Friday night, the Weis […]

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Monday, September 10th, 2018

Interview with Dina El Wedidi

Dina El Wedidi comes from a self described traditional Egyptian background, attending university in Cairo were she composed her own music. From 2007 to 2010 El Wedidi worked as a singer and actress with the Warsha Theatre Troupe, the first independent troupe in the free theater movement in Egypt. With the Warsha Troupe El Wedidi took on multiple projects exploring Egyptian folklore, including The Nile Project, an artist collective created to “inspire, inform, and connect Nile citizens to help them collaborate on cultivating the sustainability of the river”(http://nileproject.org/about/). Since 2011, El Wedidi started her own band, exploring contemporary Egyptian music […]

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Monday, September 10th, 2018

Performance Review: David Power and Willie Kelly Bring Traditional Irish Music to Weis Center Atrium

In the Atrium of the Weis Center, it’s a full house. The audience watches the sun set through the glass-panel walls as Willie Kelly and David Powers take their position on the stage at the base of the spiraling staircase. After a brief introduction by Kathryn Maguet the musicians lift their instruments and, without wasting another breath, begin to play, transporting the audience back into the history of Ireland. David Power of Ireland and Willie Kelly, a native of New Jersey, brought an uniquely Irish experience the Central Pennsylvania with their free performance on Thursday night, September 6th, at 7:30 […]

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