UPCOMING EVENTS
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JUNE / JULY 2024
Sun. 6/23 | Stand With Gaza: A Cultural Benefit for Humanitarian Aid Alhambra Palace Restaurant 1240 West Randolph Street Chicago, IL 2PM - 5PM Tues. 6/25 | Lamajamal (Trio) Vernon Area Public Library Vernon Area Public Library 300 Olde Half Day Road Lincolnshire, IL 1PM - 2PM Sat. 7/15 | Little Syria Joe's Pub 425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place) New York, NY 7PM & 9:30PM Sun. 7/16 | Little Syria Joe's Pub 425 Lafayette Street (at Astor Place) New York, NY 6PM & 8:30PM Tues. 7/23 | Turath Ensemble (featuring members from Chicago Maqam) Welles (Gideon) Park 2333 West Sunnyside Avenue Chicago, IL 6:30 PM Thurs. 7/25 | Yves Francois & Rocambu Jazz Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks: Garfield (James) Park | 100 N. Central Park Ave. Chicago, IL 6PM |
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PAST EVENTS
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APRIL 2024
4/3 IMAN Iftar @ InnerCity Muslim Action Network 4/5 “On This Earth” (Original New Work) @ Earlham College 4/10 Kitt Lyles @ Old Town School WMW 4/12 Creating Justice Event @ Oakton College 4/14 Karim Nagi & Huzam Ens. @ Epiphany Arts Center 4/16 PalFest @ IIT Chicago 4/21 Bridge Project @ Hungry Brain 4/27 Brooklyn Maqam NY Oud Fest @ Joe’s Pub COMING UP IN MAY 5/4 “On This Earth” (Original New Work) @ Chicago Humanities Festival CHECK OUT THE NEW RELEASE "GOD IS LOVE" BY THE FEN LEAGUE (OMAR OFFENDUM, THANKS JOEY, RONNIE MALLEY) |
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Wednesday, September 27, 2023 |
World Music Festival Huzam Ensemble (Chicago) / Farah Siraj (Jordan) Show starts at 7pm FREE | ALL AGES Old Town School of Folk Music | 4544 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL | Gary and Laura Maurer Concert Hall Huzam Ensemble features new compositions in traditional Arab music styles. Egyptian percussionist and composer Karim Nagi leads this skilled ensemble of master Chicago musicians hailing from Egypt, Syria, and Palestine. Using authentic acoustic instruments, the group will feature Nagi's original compositions and songs, along with some classic Arab repertoire. In this concert, listeners can experience Arab tradition's connection to the intimate ensemble aesthetic of chamber music, the microtonal and hetero-phonic timelessness of early music, and the extemporaneous adventurism of jazz. Sponsored by Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and private donors. Part of the 2023 World Music Festival Chicago Visit www.worldmusicfestivalchicago.org for full schedule and info. |
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Saturday, September 18, 2022 | 3PM
Surabhi Ensemble Highland Park Public Library Join us for the Note for Note music concert series as Surabhi Ensemble performs a blend of Indian, Arabic, African and Andalusian influenced music and dance. The Surabhi Ensemble began with a collaboration of Spanish guitar music and Indian veena music featuring Saraswathi Ranganathan in 2010. Over the past 12 years, the ensemble has grown to include many artists and dancers in a vision that demonstrates the connections between cultures and brings together music and dance from a cultural mosaic including Indian, Arabic, African and Andalusian traditions. FREE ADMISSION | ALL AGES |
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Saturday, September 24, 2022 | 4PM & 8PM
Little Syria HERE Arts World-renowned Syrian-American MC / Poet Omar Offendum brings this jewel of a show to HERE. In this creative retelling of a little-known part of NYC history, Offendum – accompanied by the masterful Ronnie Malley (Oud / Piano) and the talented BK-born beatmaker Thanks Joey – draws an audience attuned to stories of immigration, xenophobia, and the ever-evolving notion of an American dream. Set in the Lower West-Side neighborhood of Manhattan once known as Little Syria, just south of the current World Trade Center on Washington Street, this vibrant cultural hub for New York’s Middle Eastern immigrants was home to artists and intellectuals like Kahlil Gibran & Ameen Rihani. Against this backdrop, Offendum’s genre-bridging performance—spanning Hip-Hop, Arabic instrumentation, Spoken Word poetry and Hakawātī oral storytelling traditions of the Levant—imagines early 20th-century life in the heart of this nation’s very first Arab-American community. |
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Sunday October 2, 2022 | World Music Festival
Surabhi Ensemble & guests (Chicago) / Paolo Angeli (Italy) Show Starts at 5pm FREE | ALL AGES | REGISTER HERE TO ATTEND University of Chicago | Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts 915 E 60th Street | Chicago, IL 60637 Scenes From the Pandemic (WORLD PREMIERE) Each of us has witnessed profound global change over the past two years. The Surabhi Ensemble’s latest work with special guest artists Juan Díes and Lorena Iniguez “Scenes From the Pandemic” is about how artists have interpreted the events of the day and created art shaped by those events. The ensemble has continued to press forward with virtual performances and workshops, live touring, and new work focusing on pandemic life, social justice, and global conflict. Through storytelling vignettes, the group debuts this original work through music, dance, poetry and media from perspectives of the ensemble members and guest artists. Sponsored by Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events and private donors. Part of the 2022 World Music Festival Chicago — Featuring 10 consecutive days of FREE live, global music, with 34 bands (including three DJs) representing 22 countries and spotlighting 10 local music groups. September 30th - October 9th throughout the city. Visit www.worldmusicfestivalchicago.org for full schedule and info. |
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Friday October 7, 2022
EMME East Meets Middle East South Asia Institute 1925 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL Doors 6:30 Show 7pm Tickets $25 | Students $15 Presented by the South Asia Institute and Intercultural Music Production, East Meets Middle East is a musical collective across continents celebrating the rich traditions of the Middle East and South Asia. From India, Subrata Bhattacharya (tabla) and Abhisek Lahiri (sarod) collaborate with native Chicagoans Ronnie Malley (Oud) and George Lawler (percussion) to create a cross-cultural palette of improvisations and original compositions. The group transcends boundaries as they move through raga and maqam, tala and iqa, the music theories and rhythms found in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. More info at www.saichicago.org and www.interculturalmusic.com |
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Saturday, December 18, 2021
Palestine Museum US: Music From the Holy Land Palestine Museum US | Telling the Palestinian Story Through the Arts Presents: Ronnie Malley Featuring members from Aswat Ensemble San Francisco Conservatory of Music 200 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102 | 7:30 PM (PST) |
Artwork by Rawan Anani
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Sunday, December 13, 2020
Palestine Museum US Virtual Gala & Art Auction 12 PM - 2 PM (CST)/1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (EST) Palestine Museum US | Telling the Palestinian Story Through the Arts. The event features a musical program of Palestinian and Middle Eastern music with Diwan al-Han (Hani Dahshan, Billal Malley, Ronnie Malley, Khalil Malley), opening remarks by the great Palestinian artist Samia Halaby, a mini art auction and a special segment honoring Palestinian activist/philanthropist Samar Hussein Langhorne. |
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Sunday, December 12, 2021
Palestine Museum US: Music From the Holy Land Palestine Museum US | Telling the Palestinian Story Through the Arts Presents: Ronnie Malley w/special guest Syrian rapper/poet Omar Offendum Palestine Museum US 1764 Litchfield Turnpike, Woodbridge, CT 06525 | 3 PM (EST) |
Telling the Palestinian Story Through the Arts
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Saturday, December 11, 2021
Palestine Museum US: Music From the Holy Land Palestine Museum US | Telling the Palestinian Story Through the Arts. Presents: Ronnie Malley w/special guest Syrian rapper/poet Omar Offendum Westmoreland Congregational Church of Christ 1 Westmoreland Cir NW, Bethesda, MD 20816 | 7 PM (EST) |
Telling the Palestinian Story Through the Arts
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Interview on Stories of Transformation with Baktash Ahadi
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The Band's Visit
North American Tour 2019-2020 (ON HOLD) 10-Time Tony and Grammy Award Winning Broadway Musical For my story with the play, please visit: "Chicago musicians making their mark in touring cast of 'The Band's Visit'" "Meet the Band - Ronnie Malley | The Band's Visit" For more information, please visit: The Band's Visit Musical |
(Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy)
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American Griot - MVCC Mosaics: Muslim Voices in America - March 2019
Ziryab, The Songbird of Andalusia - Residency at Minnesota State University Mankato - January 2019
Surabhi Global Peace Tour - January 2019
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November 6 -17, 2018
Mosaics: Muslim Voices In America Moraine Valley Community College 9000 College Pkwy, Palos Hills, IL The Project Mosaics: Muslim Voices in America explores the breadth of American culture through the lens of Muslim artists living and practicing in the United States, with a focus on personal narrative. This project envisions a mosaic of stories to celebrate the diversity of Muslims in America. The Grant Moraine Valley Community College Fine and Performing Arts Center has been awarded a grant from the Association of Performing Professionals (APAP) for the Building Bridges: Arts, Culture and Identity program. The grant program supports mission-critical projects that demonstrate the power of the arts to strengthen communities and increase intercultural understanding across America. The Building Bridges: Arts, Culture and Identity APAP grant program is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) and the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art (DDFIA). Sponsored by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art and APAP. 
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Tuesday, November 6
Mosaic of Oral Storytelling (Evening Performance) Tuesday, November 13 Mosaic of Oral Storytelling (Library Performance) Tuesday, November 13 Contemporary Hip-Hop Fusion with Jessica Deahr Thursday, November 15 Caravanserai: Intersection of Arab and Mexican Art and Cuisine Friday, November 16 Hip-Hop Dance with Amirah Sackett Saturday, November 17 Chicago Dance Crash presents "Nafs" an original choreography by Amirah Sackett. |
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November 10 - 18, 2018
Apollo's Fire The Cleveland Baroque Orchestra Presents: O Jerusalem Crossroads of Three Faiths In this new program from Jeannette Sorrell, music and poetry evoke a “tour” of the Jewish, Christian, Arab, and Armenian quarters of Jerusalem. Selections from Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 echo the rapturous singing of Jewish cantors in the temples. Medieval harp, oud, and exotic percussion blend with Arabic love songs and Sephardic ballads. The performers, including musicians of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian backgrounds, join in a celebration of brotherhood and sisterhood. Jeannette Sorrell,conductor Amanda Powell,soprano Sorab Wadia,tenor w/Apollo’s Singers also featuring: Daphna Mor recorder, ney, and vocals Jacob Perry tenor Raha Mirzadegan soprano Ronnie Malley oud & accordion Brian Kay oud, lute, baglama saz, & vocals |
Saturday, November 10
The Temple-Tifereth Israel - 8pm 26000 Shaker Boulevard, Beachwood, OH 44122 Monday, November 12 St. Paul's Episcopal Church - 7:30 pm 2747 Fairmount Boulevard, Cleveland Heights, OH 44106 Friday, November 16 Fairlawn Lutheran Church - 8pm 3415 West Market Street, Fairlawn, OH 44333 Saturday, November 17 Kulas Hall, Cleveland Institute of Music - 8pm 11021 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106 Sunday, November 18 Avon Lake United Church of Christ - 4pm 32801 Electric Boulevard, Avon Lake, OH 44012 |
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October 15, 2018
Surabhi Ensemble: Global Tour Project w/special guest Massamba Diop (featured musician from the Black Panther soundtrack) Doors open at 6:30PM City Winery Chicago 1200 W Randolph St. Chicago, IL Join Surabhi Ensemble as they celebrate their upcoming tour to Vietnam, Spain Portugal, and Senegal. This dynamic group performs music and dance from Indian, Middle Eastern, African, and Spanish traditions. |
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September 23, 2018
East Meets Middle East (EMME) Show begins at 1:00 PM | All Ages | Free Admission Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. Chicago, IL World Music Fest meets the World Dumpling Fest In Collaboration with Navy Pier, Chicago Cultural Alliance and DCASE Jupiter & Okwess (Congo) Delgres (Guadeloupe) Zhou Family Band (China) East Meets Middle East (Chicago, IL | India) |
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September 19, 2018
People of Rhythm Presents East Meets Middle East (EMME) Show begins at 7PM | All Ages | Free Admission Golden Rondelle Theater 1525 Howe St. Racine, WI East Meets Middle East is a musical collective across continents celebrating the rich traditions of the Middle East and South Asia. From India, Subrata Bhattacharya (tabla) and Abhisek Lahiri (sarod) collaborate with Ronnie Malley (Oud) and George Lawler (percussion) to create a cross-cultural palette of improvisations and original compositions. The group transcends boundaries as they move through raga and maqam, tala and iqa, the music theories and rhythms found in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. |
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April 2 - June 24, 2018
Macbeth Recently wrapped up a production of Macbeth directed by Aaron Posner and Teller (of Penn and Teller magicians) at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier. What a magical experience it was to be part of this marvelous production. I played Hecate, ruling the underworld with music and sound alchemy. Proud to be part of the sound design team with Andre Pluess and Chris Laporte. A special congrats to all for winning the 2018 Jeff Award for Best Sound Design! |
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November 10, 2017
Las Guitarras de España & Intercultural Music Production Presents Surabhi Ensemble Join Surabhi Ensemble as they celebrate the release of their new album. This dynamic group performs music and dance from Indian, Middle Eastern, African, and Spanish traditions. Acorn Theatre | 107 Generations Dr. Three Oaks, MI
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November 3 - 5, 2017
The Newberry Consort Presents Sacred Love: Songs of the Sephardim Music of faith and longing from Renaissance Spain and the Ladino oral tradition of the Sephardic Jews. The series celebrates the shared cultures of Abrahamic traditions from Andalusia and beyond. Friday Nov. 3 at 8pm, Galvin Recital Hall Saturday Nov. 4 at 8pm, The Logan Center Sunday Nov. 5 at 3pm, Spertus Institute |
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PROMOTIONAL VIDEO OF RONNIE MALLEY'S PROJECTS
FEATURE SEGMENT FROM ALMAJALLA ON ALHURRA TV
RONNIE MALLEY'S LIFE AND WORK IN THE ARTS
ZIRYAB, THE SONGBIRD OF ANDALUSIA (TRAILER)
An original play written and performed by Ronnie Malley.
A 75-minute musical narrative about the life of Ziryab, a 9th century musician and polymath,
who traveled from Baghdad to Muslim Spain and shifted the course of history.
who traveled from Baghdad to Muslim Spain and shifted the course of history.
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ⓒ2020 Ronnie Malley | Cover Photo by Antar Hanif