Yoel ben Simhon & Sultana Trio @ HotHouse, Sephardic Congregation

Yoel Ben-Simhon, the composer and the founder of the Sultana Ensemble, is an Israeli born of Moroccan parentage. His is gifted guitar and oud player, and together with fellow Morrocan Hicham Chami (qanun) and American Jew Rich Janokowsky (darbouka) they explore the Jewish music of Morocco with its close relationship to Arab music.

Ben-Simhon is also the musical director of New York's sTorahtelling Theatre Company and the annual Jewish-Arab Peace Concert in New York. The Sultana Ensemble performed in many music venues throughout the US, including The United Nations General Assembly Hall, The Jewish Museum in Manhattan, Makor, Knitting Factory and the Chicago Cultural Center.

"We thank Yoel Ben-Simhon and The Sultana Ensemble wholeheartedly for their great performance on the United Nations Millennium Staff Day 1999, which took place at the United Nations General Assembly Hall. This memorable event provided a rare opportunity for the international community to enjoy their most extraordinary artistic performance." Mehri Madarshahi, President UN Staff Committee

Yoel Ben-Simhon says, "Sultana was the name of my grandmother, a very inspirational figure in my life, who was born in Mogador, Morocco. As a verb, saltana means 'to dominate' or 'to govern' and of course sultana means Queen." Sultana also means 'sublime', the enjoyment communicated by a performer to the audience through the artistic and technical mastery of the instrument or voice.

Hear the music:

• Sultana
• Berber Blues
• Dabka
• Yigdal

Tickets: $15 on secure ticketweb.com

Presented as part of KFAR's concert series

The Rabbinical School Dropouts @ HotHouse

Celebrate Purim with The Rabbinical School Dropouts. Sun Ra, the Hampton Grease Band, Frank Zappa and the Klezmatics all rolled into one, the music of the Friedmann brothers is fresh and imaginative. Their ten-member big band (featuring oboe, mandolin, bassoon, theremin, toy piano, tablas, etc.) storms through a dozen creative originals touching upon klezmer, jazz, funk, Latin, rock, and varied mishegoss along the way. Jewish garage jazz with a sick sense of humor from Long Beach, California.

“Frank Zappa and Dr. Seuss intersect with John Zorn and the Art Ensemble of Chicago by way of Naftule Brandwein and Joseph Moskowitz in a largely improvised musical co-directed by Woody Allen and Howard Stern, with Eddie Cantor offering spiritual support from the great kibbutz in the sky." -George Varga, Union Tribune

"Makes me wanna dance naked with my Uncle Shlomo." Judd Handler, San Diego Jewish Times (read full article)

"The complete amalgam of new Jewish music run riot...You will be sucked into the hypnotic, swirling world of the RSD and then be showered by a water cannon of absurdity." Tom Jurek, All Music Guide (read full article)

MP3 : Mosquitto from Meggido

Tickets: $15 on safe, secure ticketweb.com

Presented as part of KFAR's concert series