Fifth Street Farms: 1517 Fifth Street, Berkeley, CA
7pm doors, 7:30pm show
$20 admission (all the money goes to musicians!)
More info and tickets at https://www.fifthstfarms.com/

An all-star trio of stellar middle eastern and eastern European musicians will come together for one night, to bring you an enchanting and uplifting mix of music from the Middle East, the Balkans, and places in-between.

Sergiu Popa (accordion)
Ali Paris (qanun, voice)
Faisal Zedan (percussion)

Sergiu Popa was born in Chisinau, Moldova. Since a young age, he also simultaneously studied traditional folk and Roma (Gypsy) styles with his father, Ion Popa, himself a well-recognized Gypsy accordionist in Moldova. Over many years of playing alongside his father at weddings, he became familiar with Jewish, Turkish, Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian styles as well. After studying at the Conservatory of Moldova and moving to Montreal in 2002, Sergiu immersed himself into Middle Eastern, North-African, Jazz, Latin traditions, developing a remarkable ability of switching and blending seamlessly between the different styles, adding a fresh perspective and inspired improvisations to every performance. 

Ali Paris, who grew up in Palestine, captivates audiences worldwide with his unique fusion of Middle Eastern and Western music styles highlighted by both technical virtuosity and emotional expression. He accompanies his singing with his instrument, the Qanun, a rare 76-string zither that dates back to the 14th century and is played by only a handful of people across the globe. He has collaborated with a long list of world-renowned artists such as Alicia Keys, Quincy Jones, Javier Limon and Bobby McFerrin. 

Faisal Zedan (Lebanon-born and raised in Syria) was divinely inspired to play Arabic percussion at the age of 15. He received instruction from a distant relative, the only drummer in his village of Oum Dbaid. Since moving to the United States, he has played with many of the greatest Arabic musicians, such as Ali Jihad Racy, Julien Jâlal Eddine Weiss, and the band Kanzaman. Through team work and daily practice, Faisal is dedicated to keeping Arabic music alive, and inspiring fellow musicians to have a selfless approach to playing music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrfKQeecLbE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY9sEVOYt3A