In partnership with Holocaust Museum Houston, Apollo Chamber Players presents BANNED: Music. Even in this modern era, artistic expression remains elusive to many. From Afghanistan to Turkey and Russia, Apollo examines countries and governments which have censored music – both in our current moment and in the recent past. The ensemble welcomes Afghan rhubâb virtuoso Homayoun Sakhi and Persian-born violist Aria Cheregosha to the Bayou City, in collaboration with Houston-based Indian Classical tabla performer Shantilal Shah, for this timely and empowering program.
In partnership with Compassionate Houston, this event also serves as a prelude to Compassion Week and World Kindness Day on November 13, an international observance to help everyone understand that compassion for others is what binds us all together. A portion of proceeds to benefit Connect Houston, a Houston-based nonprofit providing education, entrepreneurship and economic vitality to immigrants and refugees.
About Homayoun Sakhi: Homayoun Sakhi was born in Kabul in 1976 into one of Afghanistans leading musical families. From the age of ten, he studied rhubâba double-chambered lute, and the national instrument of Afghanistanwith his father, Ustad Ghulam Sakhi. In 2001 Homayoun moved to the United States and settled in Fremont California, a city with one of the largest concentrations of Afghans in the United States. He opened a school to teach Afghan music to children, recorded compact discs of popular Afghan songs, and became a sought-after performer. As a composer, he has created works for Kronos Quartet, Hannibal Lokumbe, and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He has collaborated with many celebrated musicians from around the globe including Yo Yo Ma.
About Shantilal Shah: Houston/Sugar Land-based Shantilal Shah was born and raised in the culturally and artistically vibrant city of Banaras, India and has been studying and performing Indian Classical Music for the last 40 years. He was a performer in the 2004 Hollywood film Dancing in Twilight, which received a Gold Medal of Excellence for a feature film score from the Park City Music Festival. In March, 2014, he performed to high acclaim with the Houston Grand Opera in their unique presentation, River of Light.
