DEARBORN — The Arab American National Museum will host the annual Global Fridays monthly fall concert series beginning Sept. 12 at the museum, 13624 Michigan Ave.
Tickets are $9 for Museum Members and $10 for non-members, and are available at the door and at www.arabamericanmuseum.org.
All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Lower Level Auditorium at the AANM. Each performance features after-show artist “meet and greets” and CD signings. Free, lighted parking is available in the municipal lot north of the museum.
The Fall 2014 series begins with “Andrea Assaf: Eleven Reflections on September,” a spoken word, multimedia presentation by Assaf, a New York-based cultural activist who is founder and artistic director of the inclusive experimental theater organization Art2Action Inc. The performance piece was inspired by the annual observance of 9/11.
The season continues at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 with the traditional and contemporary stylings of Layaali Arabic Music Ensemble, featuring players from several Arab World nations. Layaali’s repertoire ranges from classical art music of the 19th and 20th centuries and folk songs of various nations to the music of early recorded greats like Umm Kulthum.
Native American drumming and flute solos will stand side by side with drum machines and electronic sound sources at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 when Lakota hip-hop artist Frank Waln takes the stage with a traditional dancer in a rare Detroit-area performance.
The series concludes at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 when legendary Latin percussionist Francisco Mora-Catlett and a group of other highly skilled former Detroiters will stage a Motor City homecoming.
The New York Times said Mora-Catlett and his group AfroHORN “… seek a mystical but earthy vision of rhythm and folklore, inspired not only by Afro-Cuban music but also the Sun Ra Arkestra, in which Mr. Mora-Catlett played in the 1970s.”
Since 2005, the Global Fridays multicultural performance series — a sister series to the annual summer Concert of Colors world music festival in Midtown Detroit – has offered musical and spoken-word presentations for fans of traditional and world music and those with adventurous cultural tastes.
For more information, go to www.arabamericanmuseum.org or call 313-582-2266.