Mid-East Tapestry is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Vince Delgado. They perform music from the Egypt, Lebanon, Greece, Turkey, Algeria, Armenia, Persia. The repertoire is drawn from classical, urban and folk traditions.
They are performing at Burlingame Public Library on June 6th, 2013 at 7:00 pm. Their performance, A Musical Magic Carpet Ride, will consist of a survey of Turkish and Arabic music with an emphasis on the art and music of these cultures.
Mr. Delgado, graciously, agreed to answer a few of our questions via email. His depth and breadth of knoweldge is rivaled only by his skill and performing history. We are excited to welcome MID-EAST TAPESTRY at our library!
LIBRARY: Tell us more about how you became interested in Middle Eastern music and percussion.
VINCE DELGADO: Well, I started playing set drums at the age of 12. I was mostly interested in being a jazz drummer. I played gigs through high school until my early thirties, primarily, as a Be-Bop drummer. In high school I, also, became interested in world music and had some ideas of becoming an ethnomusicologist.
At the age of nineteen I studied Japanese classical music for five years. I was playing an instrument called the samisen. I couldn't cut the academic scene in college, so I dropped the ethnomusicologist idea.
I met a student from Lebanon and another student from Baghdad at S.F.State. We became friends and started a group. I ended working in Arabic night clubs six nights a week, five hours a night for twenty years. I played the Arabic hand drum called darbukka.
LIB: You have a long and storied past of performing for and with great artists. Does one story really stick out?
VINCE: Too many stories and all good.
LIB: How did the Mid-East Tapestry come to be? Can you tell us more about the other performers?
VINCE: I wanted to play a melodic instrument, so I've been studying the kanoun, a 73 stringed zither for ten years. Basically, I talked my wife, who plays the oud, and the other two musicians into forming a Middle Eastern group.
Tom, our bass player, was my neighbor and I talked him into doing it even though he is primarily a jazz player. The drummer in the group is a multi-percussionist, mostly hand drums and I met him because he is my student. The three men in the group are also jazz players. Robbie and I have studied Indian classical music extensively.
LIB: How is playing in a jazz ensemble different that playing world music?
VINCE: Jazz is primarily improvising on the harmonic structure of a song or composition, but Middle Eastern music is primarily playing pre-composed pieces with improvised sections, if the composer wants. Jazz is harmonic based. Middle Eastern music is modal based.
LIB: If someone were interested in delving deeper into Middle Eastern music, what artists or styles would you suggest they begin with?
VINCE: It is such a big subject and encompasses so many countries and styles (i.e. folk, pop, semi classical and classical genres), that we'd have to have a lengthy conversation about it. All these things will be touched on in our upcoming visit to the library.
Mid-East Tapestry perform Thursday, June 6th, 2013 at 7:00 PM in the Lane Community Room of the Burlingame Public Library, 480 Primrose Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. ALL AGES WELCOME.
No registration required.
