Zeb and Haniya on Tour as Part of Center Stage
VIEW EVENT DETAILSASTC Presents!
Asia Society Texas Center in collaboration with Center StageSM, a diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, bring Pakistani duo Zeb and Haniya to Houston for a performance in The Brown Foundation Performing Arts Theater on Thursday, October 4 at 7:30pm.
Known for creating a new canon of jazz and blues-influenced numbers in Urdu, U.S.-educated cousins Zebunnisa “Zeb” Humayun Bangash, vocalist, and Haniya Aslam, guitarist, perform soulful and emotive songs that explore a vast musical terrain. Original ballads and newly interpreted tunes from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia carve a space for music that transcends national boundaries. Whether singing in Farsi, Turkish, Pashto, or English, Zeb and Haniya open ears, hearts, and minds to understanding.
Zeb and Haniya’s wide spectrum of music and passionate fan base have made them a commercial success throughout the world. They have won the Best Live Act Award at the MTV Music Awards and have been nominated for the same at the Lux Style Awards. As the Arab Times rightly describes, “There is poetry in the air when Zeb and Haniya take the stage with earthy and sultry glory.”
Join us for an evening of soulful music of peace and hope that, as the artists describe, “cut[s] through political and ideological differences.”
About Center StageSM
Center StageSM is a public diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, with funding from the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, the Asian Cultural Council, and the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, this public-private partnership is the largest public diplomacy effort to bring foreign artists to American stages in recent history.
Center StageSM brings 10 ensembles from Haiti, Indonesia, and Pakistan to the U.S. for month-long tours from June-December 2012, connecting artists with diverse communities across the country as a way to create opportunities for greater understanding. Residencies will include performances, workshops, discussions, people-to-people exchanges, and community gatherings. General management for Center StageSM is provided by Lisa Booth Management.
Keep up with Center StageSM by liking the program on Facebook and following Center StageSM on Twitter.
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Related Links
Full Inaugural Fall Performing Arts Season Lineup
AsiaBlog: Another Pakistan podcast on Zeb and Haniya
NPR: Music In The Time Of Extremism
