Middle Eastern Rock Meets Western Swing at Flushing Town Hall

On Saturday, May 17, two groundbreaking artists will take the stage for an unforgettable night of music, storytelling, and cultural fusion in the latest installment of Flushing Town Hall’s beloved Global Mashups concert series.

Middle Eastern Rock meets Western Swing will feature Mehrnam Rastegari, the internationally acclaimed Persian musician and composer, together with her band Chogan, and Queen Esther, a genre-defying force in Americana and Black roots music, together with her band Black Rose Texas.

In keeping with the Global Mashups’ beloved format, each artist will perform a set before joining one another on stage for a culminating collaboration and one-of-a-kind, sonic creation. The 8:00 PM concert is preceded by a 7:00 PM dance lesson for audiences interested in learning some introductory, traditional steps.

“Where else but Flushing Town Hall can you experience the musical pairing of Black folk and roots music with Persian classical traditions and Persian rock?! There’s nothing like our Global Mashup concerts, and once you’ve experienced one, you’ll be coming back for more. We’ve got two great, musical artists and an open dance floor,” says Ellen Kodadek, Executive & Artistic Director of Flushing Town Hall.

About the Artists

MEHRNAM RASTEGARI is an award-winning Persian musician, film score composer, singer, violinist, and master kamancheh player. Renowned for blending Persian music with rock and modern fusion, she explores innovative ways to introduce microtonal music to wider audiences. Her international performances have included the Bill Gates Goalkeepers 2024 event with GRAMMY-winner Jon Batiste and appearances at top festivals like GlobalFest, WOMEX, Pitchfork, and Fajr.
A certified master of the kamancheh, Rastegari is a Global Musicians Workshop alumna and has collaborated with the World Music Institute, CTMD, and TEDx. She has composed scores for over 10 films, with awards from the Melbourne City Independent Film Awards and nominations at the Japan Kadoma Festival. She’s part of the New York Arabic Orchestra and contributed to the Assassin’s Creed soundtrack.

Born in Iran in 1991, her musical journey began at age 11 with tombak, then violin, before dedicating herself to the kamancheh. Inspired by fusion and world music, she studied under masters like Imamyar Hasanov and Ardeshir Kamkar. Her work emphasizes cultural connection through sound.
Mehrnam leads the Mehrnam Rastegari Traditional Persian Band in New York City and founded the rock-Middle Eastern group Chogan, blending original compositions with folk influences. She continues to champion tradition and innovation in Persian music, mentoring young artists across the region.

QUEEN ESTHER is a genre-defying vocalist, songwriter, actor, and playwright, described as “the unknown queen of Americana” (Feedback, Norway) and “a Black Lucinda Williams” (Vanity Fair, Spain). Raised in Atlanta and rooted in Charleston’s Lowcountry traditions, her work fuses Black Southern heritage with Americana, blues, jazz, and alt-country, creating a rich, reclamation-driven soundscape.

She toured internationally as frontwoman for projects led by her mentor, guitar legend James “Blood” Ulmer, including his iconic band Odyssey. Her artistic reach spans theater, performance art, swing, alt-rock, and spoken word, and she’s a member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors’ Equity, Dramatists Guild, and the Recording Academy.

With five acclaimed albums under her label EL Recordings, including Gild The Black Lily (2021) and Rona (2023), she continues to gain global recognition. Her TED Talk on the Black roots of country music has resonated widely.

Recent highlights include her role in the 2023 Joe's Pub Working Group, a WP Theater playwriting residency, a Lincoln Center headliner performance, and the alt-country album Blackbirding, supported by a NYC Women’s Fund grant. She’s currently a playwright-in-residence at WP Theater and part of the Keychange US Talent Development Program.

For more information or to purchase tickets for Flushing Town Hall’s Global Mashup: Middle Eastern Rock Meets Western Swing, visit: https://www.flushingtownhall.org/global-mashup-middle-eastern-rock-meets-western-swing