We regret to inform that the duet concert with May Nasr has been cancelled. Our thoughts and prayers are with Lourdes' family as her brother, singer/composer Raul Perez, is in critical condition.
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Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Alwan Center for the Arts
May Nasr and Lourdes Perez: Written in Water
For tickets and more info: http://www.alwanforthearts.org/event/429
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Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Lourdes Perez joined Lebanese singer May Nasr in concert at Esperanza center in San Antonio, Texas on May 1st. The concert formed part of Nasr's U.S. tour celebrating the release of her CD, Lil Ghaly. It was the first time Nasr and Perez performed together live.
The two musicians were able to meet thanks to the ability of music to travel under bombs and across barriers. After many letters across the sea, the two singers met in person in New York to record Perez's song "Caminare", translated to Arabic for Nasr's debut CD.
Both women known for their work for global justice and human rights, Perez has been called ''one of the finest living artists in the United States'' and was awarded the 2006 United States Artists unrestricted fellowship for excellence in music while Nasr has been called the ''great, new voice from Lebanon'' and has quickly earned a loyal, global audience. Both vocalists have an uncanny ability to affect listeners across lines of language.
Perez translated to Spanish and recorded the beloved Arabic song, Ounadeekum, for her performance at a Palestinian refugee camp in in Palestine in 2002. That song traveled freely, even though people couldn't, and made it over the airwaves to Nasr's home in Beirut during the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006. Nasr wrote to Perez and letter after letter in English ensued - a chronicle of the hope, rage, inspiration and humor of two determined women from two different worlds.
Although Nasr had performed for large audiences for many years, she had not recorded her music. As she began recording her CD, Lil Ghaly, Perez offered Nasr her song from her CD Este Filo, Caminare, which was translated into Arabic, where Perez joined in singing part of it in her original Spanish version with Nasr on the record.
Featuring the songs and stories that have united two, great voices from the Arab and Latin American worlds, the San Antonio concert was an unforgettable evening.
For more info on May Nasr: http://www.myspace.com/maynasr
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