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Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo is one of the greatest artists in international music today, a creative force with twelve albums to her name. Time Magazine has called her “Africa’s premier diva”. The BBC has included her in its list of the continent’s 50 most iconic figures, and in 2011 The Guardian listed her as one of their Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World.
Forbes Magazine has ranked Angelique as the first woman in their list of the Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa. As a performer, her striking voice, stage presence and fluency in multiple cultures and languages have won respect from her peers and expanded her following across national borders. Kidjo has cross-pollinated the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America. Angelique also travels the world advocating on behalf of children in her capacity as a UNICEF and OXFAM goodwill Ambassador. She created her own charitable foundation, Batonga, dedicated to support the education of young girls in Africa. Her critically acclaimed album DJIN DJIN won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Album in 2008, and her most recent studio album OYO was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Album.
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It is rather hard to imagine that the energetic Rai artist who owns the crowd with his smile and golden voice was once terrified by the thought of holding a microphone. Algerian-born Yacine discovered his singing talent when was 17 years old. As a young teenager, he was focused on his studies and a few extra curricular activities such as painting and soccer.
At the age of 19, Yacine’s love for singing and composing grew too big to ignore or let go. Nothing meant to him more than translating feelings into musical notes and singing them. One of Yacine’s relatives pitched him the idea of starting his own local band in Setif, a small town in Algeria. After the regional success of the group, Yacine had overcome his shyness but faced another obstacle as his parents did not approve of his new-found career path. However, the Rai artist did not lose hope and was determined to follow his musical vocation. Yacine expanded his talent and passion to include musical composing and arranging. He also learned to play instruments such as the guitar, tabla, keyboard to name a few. Yacine then switched bands, recorded his first album and started his professional musical journey in Algeria and Tunisia between 1994 and 1997. In 1998, Yacine moved to Egypt and became a member of the national singing group, Transit. Yacine’s career took off in Cairo and he was awarded the 2000 International Music Festival Musical Arrangement Award. Yacine emerged as the ambassador to Rai music in Egypt. In the year 2005.
Yacine’s talent was picked up by Dandana TV’s CEO and Executive Producer, Dr. Amr Altahwi. This Arab-American network broadcasts from the United States reporting the music scene from the East. He was so impressed with Yacine’s talent he decided to sponsor him and bring him to the US, where Yacine shot his first music video for Dandana TVin New York City which premiered worldwide in 2007 going viral. Yassin, growing popularity, both Internationally, and nationally in North African communities was becoming evident as the thousands of fans appeared at each of his live concert appearances. This was not enough for Yassin, he decided that producing his own music, and new sounds he was hearing was the only way to create his own signature style. He also wanted to take some time to learn to speak English which would allow him to write in both languages creating this unique fusion and versatility of sounds he was hearing.
Yassin has spent the last 5 years studying, touring and writing music, releasing three more singles and working on his new album. Upon meeting Music producer Dawn Elder, through mutual associates. The opportunity arose to both work with her on his new album and to be a part of TEAL-ONE97 (The Eclectic Ambassadors of Love), a rock music collective that fusions both Western and Eastern sounds. Yassin felt that fate had stepped in, and the chemistry he had been searching for in his music.. found a perfect home in this group and producer.
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Jordanian born Iraqi violinist Layth Sidiq first began his violin studies at the age of 4 with Mohammed Ali Abbas. Later in his life he studied under Taimoor Ibrahimov with whom he stayed with for 11 years, at the National Music Conservatory in Amman. He was born into a musical family: the son of the conductor of the Amman Symphony Orchestra and a violinist in said orchestra. After having received his grade 8 ABRSM on the Violin and his grade 5 ABRSM on the French Horn at the age of 12, Layth got accepted to the prestigious Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, England to continue his high school studies. It was there where he discovered a new love for chamber music and conducting.
Now studying with a full tuition scholarship at the renowned Berklee College of Music, Layth is aiming to receive a degree in Performance. Currently he studies the violin with world acclaimed Arab musician Simon Shaheen, as well as also collaborating with acclaimed Spanish producer Javier Limon in multiple projects. Layth has had the honor of sharing the stage with acclaimed artists such as Ron Carter, Lalah Hathaway, Jorge Drexler, Ivan Lins, Raul Midon, Eric Whitacre, and Mario Frangoulis. He has played in many concerts and festivals around the world, in Germany, Lithuania, England, Bahrain, India, Norway, Indonesia, Lebanon, Jordan, America, Zambia, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, and Syria, both as a soloist and an orchestral player. Layth is also featured on a few acclaimed albums, such as ‘The Voices of Afghanistan’ with Farida Mahwash and Humayoun Sakhi, and Jose Merce’s ‘Mi Unica Llave’ and finally, Javier Limon’s ‘Promesas De Tierra’.
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Violinist Sonya Stith Williams received her Bachelor of Music in Performance and Master of Music in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music where she studied with Zvi Zeitlin and Ilya Kaler. Her other educational training has included Music Academy of the West, concertmaster of the National Orchestral Institute, The Quartet Program, and two quartet residency programs in rural Kentucky. Sonya was a member of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra for ten years where she was also a member of a SSO String Quartet. She has been a member of Symphoria since 2012 where she also serves on the Board of Trustees. Sonya has played with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic Violist Kit Dodd received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Oregon and attended Wichita State University where he received a Master of Music degree. His principal teachers were G. Roy Mann (University of Oregon) and Jeffrey K. Irvine (Wichita State University). Before moving to Syracuse, Mr. Dodd performed as assistant principal violist with the Eugene Symphony Orchestra and the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Dodd has been featured as soloist with the Syracuse Symphony and as chamber soloist with the Society for New Music, Skaneateles Festival and the Syracuse Camerata. Mr. Dodd currently serves as a violist and librarian with Symphoria, the new symphony in Syracuse, New York. Mr. Dodd is also a member of the Onondaga Community College string faculty, teaching violin and viola.
Cellist George Macero attended Queens College and New York University, where he studied the cello with Nathan Stutch, Assistant Principal Cellist of the New York Philharmonic. Mr. Macero performed the Beethoven Triple Concerto as the winner of the Queens concerto competition in New York. He has been a member of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra since moving to Syracuse in 1977. Mr. Macero has performed as a soloist with the SSO, as well as playing as a regular soloist and chamber musician with the Society for New Music. He is a founding member of the Clinton String Quartet and has recently performed in Rome, Italy, and New York City for American Academy programs.
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