SCVNews.com | April 23: Amir ElSaffar and the Rivers of Sound Orchestra at Soraya
Revered Iraqi-American trumpeter, santour player, singer and songwriter Amir ElSaffar returns to Soraya in Northridge on Saturday, April 23 at 8 p.m.
ElSaffar fuses elements of traditional Middle Eastern modal music and American jazz to create a haunting sonic hybrid that moves in a free state of uninhibited musical exploration.
ElSaffar is accompanied by his diverse and virtuoso 17-piece Pan-Arab Rivers of Sound Orchestra, which includes masters from the Middle East as well as American jazz stars, including guitarist Miles Okazaki, drummer Nasheet Waits and woodwind legend JD Parran.
This performance marks ElSaffar’s third appearance at Soraya, the first with his Rivers of Sound Orchestra. The ensemble is made up of 17 musicians from a wide range of musical backgrounds. Together, the band creates a new sound that transcends established notions of style and convention.
ElSaffar launched the Rivers of Sound Orchestra in 2015 and released the double LP, “Not Two”, on New Amsterdam Records in 2017. Rivers of Sound has performed at festivals, concert halls and opera houses around the world .
To open the evening, award-winning American-born Indian classical singer Aditya Prakash brings the Aditya Prakash Ensemble to Soraya for the first time.
Tickets for Amir ElSaffar’s Rivers of Sound Orchestra with Aditya Prakash Ensemble are available from $36 at Soraya or by calling (818) 677-3000.
The Soraya is located at 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330.