SOLO ARTISTS
CARLO BASILE
Carlo Basile has a Masters Degree in Classical Guitar Performance from NEIU, and studied for 7 years with Anne Waller (head of the Northwestern University guitar program). Basile travelled to Spain to study flamenco in Andalusia with guitarists Luis Ruiz, Jose Luis Rodriguez, and Flavio Rodriguez.
Basile has visited over 30 countries to perform, teach, and study ethnic music. He has taught Spanish guitar workshops in Chicago as well as Chang Mai (Thailand), Cebu (Philippines), and Hanoi (Vietnam).
Basile’s guitar work has been featured in various commercial radio and television spots. Most recently, Basile has composed and performed music for theater including Steppenwolf and Lookingglass Theaters. Basile was the featured musician in the Lookingglass Theater production of “Rick Bayless in Cascabel.”
Over the past 16 years Carlo has performed Spanish guitar music for patients and staff at various hospitals in the Chicago area. He has worked closely with patients and their families in both public and private areas including Intensive Care, Chemo Therapy, and Surgery waiting areas. Carlo has received many compliments for his personal interaction, skilled performance, and appropriate musical selections over the years. His performances have also included artists from India, Senegal, Taiwan, Japan and Spain in order to provide a cultural diversity and a connection for many patients and staff. Carlo is currently a performing artist and consultant for “music healing arts” at The University of Chicago Hospital.
He has performed and collaborated with noted artists such as Kinan Abou-afach (Syria), Morikeba Kouyate (Senegal), Sara Ranganathan (India), and Flavio Rodriguez (Spain/Brazil).
Over the past 15 years, Basile has worked with Las Guitarras de España, a Spanish guitar-influenced world music ensemble which he founded. The ensemble has released 5 CDs to critical acclaim and has performed throughout the US for concerts, universities and major festivals such as SXSW.
Basile also continued collaborations with Saraswathi Ranganathan (Indian veena), Ronnie Malley (Arabic oud), Morikeba Kouyate (African kora), Chihsuan Yang (Chinese erhu) in the project “Surabhi.” The ensemble performed on several concerts and festivals, composed new music and dance pieces, and planned more studio and live work for the coming year.
ROBERT GARRETT
Bob Garrett is currently a sub for the Chicago version of ‘HAMILTON’, composed and performed the percussion book for the world premiere of Sting's 'LAST SHIP', toured with the national tour of 'THE LION KING' for 4 years, performed in house band for Alan Parsons studio lecture series, a sub for Chicago Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, co-created (with Ronnie Malley) score for A Diappearing Number- a Timeline Theatre Production, toured/and or performed with: Glen Hansard at Lollapalooza, Chicago Shakspeare Theatre and Victory Garden with director Gary Griffin; S. V. Balakrishna, Trinity Irish Dancers, John Elmquist and Hard Art Group, Redmoon Theatre, produced and performed for Anne Harris, Surabhi, Las Guitarras de España, Chris Siebold & Psycles, AfroCuban folkloric group-Toque Chicago, plus accompanied and or composed for dance companies/choreographers including The Seldoms, Carrie Hanson, Randy Duncan, Alvin Ailey Dance, Urban Bush Woman, Joe Goode, Bill T Jones, Hubbard Street dance co, and Ishti dance company.
Bob is also co-founder(with Nadine Lollino) of Posterchild Art, a multi-disciplinary art company based in Chicago's art district. They've shown their work throughout the U.S. as well as Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. Recently Bob is focusing on writing for film and commercial and co-created ESCP, an electronic music duo, with violinist/composer Chihsuan Yang.
HANI DAHSHAN
Hani Dahshan is a multi-instrumentalist musician and producer. He performs on qanoun, oud, nay, and voice. Hani attended the National Music Conservatory in Amman, Jordan where he studied Arabic music majoring in voice and oud. He also studied opera singing at the Lebanese National Conservatory, was an apprentice to the renowned Syrian classical singer Sabah Fakhri, and has a degree in film making from SAE Institute in Amman, Jordan. Hani currently resides in Chicago where he is a member of the Diwan Al-Han Ensemble and a guest artist with the University of Chicago Middle East Music Ensemble .
GEORGE LAWLER
Percussionist - Drummer - Producer - Instrument Maker - Composer - Teacher
George Lawler is an accomplished percussionist, drummer, and music producer who has been involved in the Chicago music scene for over 20 yrs. He has been playing drum set for 33 years, and is adept at many genres of percussion, from ancient to electronic, with an emphasis on styles from the Middle East and Mediterranean region. George’s specialization in Middle Eastern, Balkan, Turkish, and Greek percussion began in the mid 90’s as an apprentice to Tunisian percussionist, Najib Bahri, a sublime master of darbuka, (goblet drum), riq, (Arabic tambourine) and bendir, (frame drum). Through this mentorship, George learned the nuances of classical and folkloric drumming styles of the Middle East and North Africa, and also the ingenious teaching method of the Arabic music conservatory. Further exploration into the art of Middle Eastern percussion led George to Istanbul, where he studied under a student of the great darbuka master Misirli Ahmet, inventor of the Turkish “split-finger technique.” He had an in depth immersion into Turkey’s folk, and Roma music when Lamajamal was the backing band for Turkish Clarinet virtuoso Selim Sesler in 2010.
George has performed music in 23 countries, toured the U.S. with Egyptian pop star Natacha Atlas, and toured Europe with Lamajamal, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, and Bobby Conn. He is a founding member of Chicago’s 25 piece punk rock marching band “Mucca Pazza,” and has composed several pieces for the band. George presents percussion workshops at Chicago Public Schools and directs a 33 piece drum line for five schools in North Lawndale. Since 2007, he and his wife, Eve Monzingo have been music directors for the Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society, providing musical instruction and performance for Greek and Balkan folk dance.
RONNIE MALLEY
Ronnie Malley is a multi-instrumentalist musician, theatrical performer, producer, and educator with a background in Global Music and Performance Studies. His recent credits include author and composer of the original play Ziryab, The Songbird of Andalusia, musician in The Secret Garden, musician and consultant on Disney’s theatrical production of The Jungle Book, associate producer, composer, and actor in The Sultan's Dilemma, co-composer on Mary Zimmerman’s The White Snake, and film composition for At the Gate, Modou: The Hang Player, and Jon and Davy. Ronnie has also produced the albums Auraad Fathiya, Saazuk Safar, Tsikago, Gypsy Surf, and East Meets Middle East through his company, Intercultural Music Production, and has appeared as a guest artist on several musical works. He conducts Arabic language artist residencies for Chicago Public Schools and is a teaching artist of music and theater with Global Voices Initiative. Ronnie is also a faculty member at the Old Town School of Folk Music, as well as an artist researcher with Chicago Arts Partnership in Education. He performs with the music groups Allos Musica, Baeoa, EMME, Lamajamal, Surabhi, Turath Ensemble, and the University of Chicago Middle East Music Ensemble.
EVE MONZINGO
Eve Monzingo is a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in folk music of the Balkans, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. She has performed in Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Germany, England and France with the Chicago Klezmer Ensemble, Die Naye Kaplye, (both Jewish folk music groups) and Lamajamal (mid-eastern/balkan music). Eve has also toured the U.S. with the Mucca Pazza and Lamajamal.
Eve is passionate about music education and has presented music workshops and assemblies at many schools around Chicago. Since 2007, she has been the musical director for the Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society’s youth and adult Greek folk music groups. Eve has taught group ensembles and workshops at the Old Town School of Music, KlezKanada in Montreal, the University of Chicago and Roosevelt University. She taught private lessons on piano, clarinet, flute and saxophone at Leapin’ Lyrics Music School in Geneva Illinois for eight years and currently teaches private lessons from her home in Chicago.
Eve began her journey into folk music by earning the Ethnic Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant from the Illinois Art Council to study Greek clarinet music under Jim Stoynoff when she was still a teenager. She then went on to earn scholarships to attend various folk music conferences, including the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research and Culture (commonly call Klezcamps), the Eastern European Folklife Group’s Balkan Music and Dance Camps, and Simon Shaheen’s Arabic Music Retreat.
Eve received her degree from Roosevelt University where she studied classical composition and music theory with Dr. Robert Lombardo. Her composition credits include 1st prize in the American Jewish Song Festival (1994), 2nd prize in the Midwest American Chapter of Women Composers competition (1996), and 2nd prize for her string quartet in the Virginia and Seymour LaRock Composition Competition (2001). Her compositions are featured on the recordings “Sweet Home Bukovina” by the Chicago Klezmer Ensemble (1996) and “Trumpets” by the Amsterdam based klezmer group, DiFidl-Kapelye (2006).
HABIB WARDAK
Habibullah Wardak is the son of immigrant parents who moved to Pakistan during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. He studied Afghan folk music and Indian classical music on the rubab (an Afghan stringed instrument) at the age of 8. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 11. He has been featured on many news sources such as the BBC, NPR and WTTW for his mastery of the rubab and performances of Afghan music. He also has collaborated on many projects with the University of Chicago, Miami University – Cincinatti and Columbia College Chicago, and has served as a consultant on Afghan culture and music. Past theatre work includes THE JUNGLE BOOK (Goodman Theatre).