Arabesque Dance Company Orchestra

Bassam Bishara

Bassam Bishara was born in Ramah village, upper Galilee, Palestine in 1954. He began his early training in Middle Eastern Oude at the Academy of Music in Hafia and at the University of Jerusalem. He eventually went on to teach in private schools and formed a Middle Eastern Orchestra quickly becoming sought after throughout Palestine. In 1983, he was appointed Music Director for Alhakawati Theatre in Jerusalem, where his concerts, music and songs were dedicated to the Palestine cause. He has toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States, raising funds for the Intifada performing with an orchestra and as a soloist. Now living in Canada, he composes and records his own songs, is a member of the Arabesque Orchestra and is establishing a Music School in Toronto which will be the first to teach exclusively Middle Eastern music.

Suleiman Warwar

Lead dumbek player

Suleiman Warwar was born in Nazareth, Palestine in 1977. He began playing Arabic Tablah, or dumbek, at age 6. The self-taught musician was the lead dumbek player in his high school orchestra in Nazareth and performed traditional and modern musical pieces around the country. Suleiman immigrated to Canada in 1995, where he was introduced to Latin American, African, Turkish, and many other types of music. As well as traditional Arabic percussion, including dumbek, duff, katim, and riq, Suleiman also plays bongos, congas, and djembe. His innovative style of drumming has led him to play with such artists as Bassam Bishara, George Wasouf, and in various peace movement events. Suleiman also teaches Middle Eastern, African, and South American drumming through the Toronto Board of Education. He is now the lead dumbek player for Arabesque Dance Company and is working on his CD for release in fall 2004, titled "Beyond Rhythm".

George Barbas

Born in Toronto, George is a dumbek and dhola player with Arabesque. Outside of Arabesque, George is also a lead dumbek player with the popular Toronto Greek band Ena k' Ena, led by the accomplished string player and maestro, John Kapoulas. George's Hellenic roots were a natural segue into the the intricacies and nuances of the middle eastern style of music. A love for all things percussive, George is also fluent on Congas, Bongos, Djembe but his main course of study is the Dumbek and its applications into Greek and Arabic music.

Sebastian Gatto

Sebastian has been learning various styles of percussion including djembe, congas, and the traditional western drum set. After travelling through Morocco and Tunisia, he became exposed to Middle Eastern and North African rhythms and began taking dumbek lessons with Dr. George Sawa, which led him to joining the Arabesque Dance Company Orchestra in July 1999 as a back-up percussionist. He has since received additional training and experience by performing with Amer Matri in various Arabic nightclubs and weddings as well as participating in workshops by Yasmina Ramzy. Sebastian is currently collaborating with fellow Arabesque drummers, Suleiman Warwar and George Barbas, on material from Suleiman's CD, Beyond Rhythm.

Walid Najjar

Walid Najjar began his musical path 18 years ago in elementary school, when he first picked up the drums to perform for a local television show with his classmates and school. From there, his musical interests quickly grew to include a wide variety of percussion instruments, as well as singing and voice work to accompany his playing. Born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1978, and living in the United Arab Emirates until the age of 17, Walid moved on to the guitar and keyboards after immigrating to Canada 11 years ago. From a self-taught keyboardist, to a first time keyboard-playing performer in 1997, to now the leader of his own professional band, Walid can be seen, and heard, performing with Arabesque Dance Company, and at weddings and parties across North America. His musical ambitions, and eagerness to learn more about the musical arts, have currently led him to re-enter music school with the famed Professor, Bassam Bishara, to study the violin.

Milad Daher

Milad Daher was born in 1987 in Bierut, Lebanon. Milad's father was a musician who played with well-known performers such as Nadia Jamal, Fairuz, Geroge Wassouf, and Sabah. Watching his father and travelling with him to performances gave Milad the confidence and motivation to pursue a career in music. He started playing the tablah (dumbek) at the age of 5. At the age of ten he played with Samira Toufik, Diana Haddad, and Ala Zalzali. Milad began to play music professionally at the age of 13. He plays many Arabic instruments including the dumbek, katim, daff, and daholla. In 1999 Milad immigrated to Canada where he expanded his repertoire to include a variety of world musical styles.

Ernie Tollar

reeds and flutesr

Performing from Cairo to Kapuskasing, Ernie looks for connections in world cultures. Jazz collaborators include Dave Restivo, Shelly Berger, Holly Cole, NOJO, Kenny Wheeler, Joe Lovano, Don Thompson, David Piltch, Yvette Tollar, Hugh Marsh and Don Byron.

World music credits include performances with Trichy's Trio, Greek/Arabic ensembles Maza Mezé and Doula, Indo-Jazz group Tasa, Altin Yildiz Gypsy Orkestar, Maryem Tollar, Rick Shadrach Lazar and Spare Parts. Ernie has studied South Indian classical music with mrdangam virtuoso Trichy Sankaran and N. Ramani Flute, Arabic music with Dr. George Sawa, Alfred Gamil, Ibrahim Kawala.

Najwa Tannus

Najwa Tannus was born into a musical family in Jish, Palestine. After immigrating to Canada in 1989 with her family, she began her musical studies on piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music. A year later, she began a new musical career in Arabic singing at the age of 13. Najwa spent her teenage years between the Royal Conservatory and home studies, which she received from her father, Marun Tannus, who taught her Arabic vocal techniques and solfege (Maqamatt Arabia). She also mastered the method of Mawaweel that is known in Arabic as vocal improvisation. Najwa has been involved with such festivals as the Ontario place Multi-cultural Music Festival and the Canadian Multi-cultural Press Conference, promoting Arabic music. She has performed with renowned Arabic musical artists throughout the Middle East and North America.

Jerry Pergolesi

Jerry Pergolesi received a Bachelor of Music from the University of Windsor where he studied percussion, music theory and composition. He received a Master in Music from the University of Toronto where he studied percussion with Russell Hartenberger and Robin Engleman of Nexus. He has also studied marimba with Beverly Johnston, African drumming with Master drummer Fred Dunyo, and Middle Eastern drumming with Dr. George Sawa and Amer Matri. He has appeared as a guest soloist with the Windsor Community Orchestra and has appeared as a solo and chamber player at the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C. with Beverly Johnston. Jerry is a founding member of Contact Contemporary Music Ensemble in Toronto and performs as a drummer with various independent recording artists.

Nabeel Shehadeh

Nabeel Shehadeh was born in Nazareth, Israel. He began his musical studies at the age of 15 with Ali Zauod, specializing in the syle of Muwashshahat. Nabeel has performed as a soloist and with various singers for radio and television since 1974. In 1977, he immigrated to Canada where he began performing for Arabic radio and television, and in nightclubs with various musicians and dancers. He continues to perform as a soloist and accompanies Arabic artists who are touring through North America, including Sahah Fakhri. Nabeel also teaches lute, violin, and Arabic singing.