Rachid Halihal World Music Band from New York City, NY

Rachid fits into any setting, be it formal, casual, concert, festival, or private party. He sings, plays the oud (Arabic lute), and the violin, in traditional acoustic ethnic styles, or modern, electric, or digital on his keyboard. He plays solo, or with just one percussionist, or with a full band. He can also include dancers in his presentations. Rachid's musical expertise spans the Arabic world and his specialties include: MOROCCAN: Folk, pop, Gnawa, spiritual Sufi, Andalus, and Jewish-Moroccan. EGYPTIAN: Full classical Egyptian repertoire, popular party music, and music for bellydancers. NORTH AFRICAN: Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, and Egyptian music. MIXED: Rachid also plays for a mixed general audience, with great sensitivity to what songs are appropriate at the time. MEDITATION and HEALING: Rachid has played and sang to accompany meditation workshops and retreats including The Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. ARABIAN GULF: Khaleegi: Saudi, Kuwaiti, Yemeni Early in his career, Rachid played for and with famous singers such as Mohammed Abdou, and more recently performs solo at royal family occasions. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABOUT RACHID: Rachid was presented at MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in Manhattan, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, as well as Columbia, Yale, and Stanford Universities, U of Northern Florida, and CU Boulder, CO; Helsinki International Music Festival, toured with Chicago Classical Oriental Ensemble, and toured the US and Canada with the late Rachid Taha. He had the honor of directing ASWAT, Arabic music orchestra of San Francisco comprised of American and Arab-American musicians. He taught them new songs to play with him at the Tutankhamun exhibit at De Young Museum, and conducted ASWAT in a concert at College of San Mateo Theater. Rachid led his previous band, Layali el Andalus playing in Revels, at the Kennedy Center, and recently at Revels in CA. United Nations: Each year from 2012-15, Rachid performed music for cultural events representing Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Morocco. Rachid teaches at various ethnic music & dance workshops throughout mainland US and Hawaii, teaching melody as well as those elusive North African rhythms.