Local Middle Eastern band celebrates CD release with gala

Bloomington residents should prepare for a night of "multi-sensory" experiences at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. \nThe members of the Salaam Middle Eastern Music Ensemble will hold their seventh annual Middle Eastern Gala at 7 p.m. to showcase Middle Eastern culture through food, music and dance.\n"A lot of what we hear about the Middle East is political," Salaam percussionist Tim Moore said. "We try to show people another side of things, like the beauty of the culture in a completely apolitical context." \nDena El Saffar, Moore's wife, founded Salaam in 1993. The band recently produced its fifth CD called "Ya Salaam!" -- an Arabic expression of joy -- with Fresh Farm Studios in Bloomington. Salaam will celebrate its release at the gala. \nThe six-member band will feature several guest performers, including IU Near Eastern Languages and Cultures professor Shahyar Daneshgar, Moore said. He added a variety of traditional Middle Eastern music will be featured from countries such as Turkey, Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon. The band will mainly play traditional Middle Eastern instruments, he said, though it does incorporate some Western ones as well. \n"There are many different styles of music in the Middle East, and we try to cover a broad range of it," Moore said.\nEl Saffar is a graduate from the IU School of Music and plays the viola, violin and a "spike fiddle" called a jozeh. El Saffar describes the jozeh as the violin's ancestor made of a coconut shell played upright on the lap like a tiny cello.\nMoore said five performers will dance in Middle Eastern traditional folk styles.\n"Besides playing Middle Eastern music and exposing people to the culture, we also want to put on a good show," he said.\nThough from Bloomington, the band typically performs in museums and universities throughout the United States. Moore said they recently performed in Jefferson City, Mo. In October, Salaam will perform on a tour of New York City, Boston and Hartford, Conn.\nBesides song and dance, attendees will be able to sample Middle Eastern food. Part of Moore's efforts in coordinating the gala includes food catered by the 10th Street International Market. Moore said there will be a variety of food available for purchase in the lobby, such as falafel, gyros and baklava.\nDoors at the Buskirk-Chumley, located at 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., will open at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the Sunrise Box Office at the theater, and are $15 at the door, $12 in advance and $10 for seniors, students and children.