Inside Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture: Q&A with Hazami Sayed
Fall 2015 | by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage
The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage speaks to Hazami Sayed, the executive director of Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture in advance of the organization’s culminating concert for the Words Adorned: Andalusian Poetry and Music on December 5. The concert will bring together the Al-Bustan Takht Ensemble, The Crossing chamber choir, and renowned vocalist Dalal Abu Amneh to premiere two compositions by Arab-American composers Kareem Roustom and 2013 Pew Fellow Kinan Abou-afach, inspired by Andalusian poetry. Hazami talks with us about re-interpreting Arab musical traditions for contemporary Western audiences, the role of the arts in raising awareness about Arab culture and strengthening cross-cultural understanding, and more.
Q: On December 5, you’ll present the culminating concert for the multimedia project Words Adorned. How important is collaboration to your organization, and what type of impact does it have?
Words Adorned—our largest and most multi-faceted initiative to date—is gratifying on many fronts, especially with regards to our collaboration with The Crossing. Conductor Donald Nally has delved into learning Kareem Roustom’s and Kinan Abou-afach’s compositions with eagerness and great interest, noting how rewarding it would be to have these pieces performed at college campuses around the country.
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