Celebrate summer with ACCC at this in-house concert with Iraqi oud virtuoso, Saadoun al-Bayati and his wonderful ensemble! Join us for summery snacks and a night of Arabic music.Saadoun Al-Bayati has devoted his talents to promoting his Iraqi musical heritage to American audiences, i.e., the demanding and highly complex traditional music of Iraq, al-maqamat al-Iraqiyya.

Saadoun's inspired performances as singer, oudist, and percussionist derive from his experience of Sufi rhythms and meditative states in the Baghdad of his childhood and youth. Quranic recitation prepared his voice to achieve precise gradations of tone. A graduate of Chicago's Goodman Theatre, Saadoun's impassioned performances are enhanced by his formal training in Western theatre and his many years of experience before live audiences on night club and concert stages.

Saadoun Al-Bayati has performed in the U.S. as a featured artist with such notables as American folksinger Joan Baez, the Billy Mitchell Jazz Ensemble, Hamza El-Din, Professor Ali Jihad Racy, the Kan Zaman and Zawaya orchestras, the Hutchins Consort, and many more. The Saadoun Al-Bayati Ensemble has played most recently at cultural events and at benefits for orphaned children and refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan, with appearances at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Southern California (USC), the Levantine Cultural Center in Los Angeles, Citizens Reach Out in San Francisco, the Arab Cultural and Community Center and the San Francisco Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. http://www.saadounal-bayati.com

Cost: $10 suggested donation

Celebrate summer with ACCC at this in-house concert with Palestinian vocalist, Dalia Marina! Join us for summery snacks and a night of Arabic music. The perfect way to jump start your 4th of July holiday!

Dalia Marina is a singer, instrumentalist and arranger born and raised in the Bay Area. Dalia began singing at a young age with the San Francisco Girls Chorus, where she performed frequently as a featured soloist at venues including Davies Symphony Hall. She also appears as a soloist on several SFGC recordings from 2000-2006. At UC Berkeley, Dalia was a soloist with UC Berkeley's University Chorus and UC Berkeley's Gospel Chorus. Dalia also holds a degree in Political Economy from UC Berkeley. Since graduation, Dalia has sung at various venues throughout California, including San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens Festival in the summer of 2012. She sings primarily in Arabic and English and in a range of styles, from soul to classical Arabic compositions. This performance will feature several songs arranged by Dalia, originally written by various singer/songwriters from different of Arab countries.

Cost: $10