The Makam Festival is an immersive celebration of the rich, centuries-old tradition of makam music—a melodic and modal system with deep historical roots across the Middle East, North Africa, Anatolia, the Mediterranean, and beyond. This festival honors the diverse musical cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean and surrounding regions, highlighting the shared emotional and cultural threads through which makam music connects communities. Through performances, workshops, and immersive experiences, the festival brings this vibrant tradition to life while offering a platform for artists from historically marginalized communities.
Organized by the Anatolian Arts Institute with support from Berkeley Civic Arts, ACTA, and Ashkenaz, the Makam Festival fosters cultural exchange and deepens connections through music.
Anatolian Arts is dedicated to connecting with Anatolian roots through participatory and multidisciplinary arts and cultural heritage programs, bringing these traditions and contemporary interpretations to the Bay Area.
Event Schedule:
4:30 PM: Doors Open
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Free workshop
Halay-Govend Dance and Music Workshop
(Kurdish + Turkish Line Dances & Singing/Rhythm Class with Erbane):
This workshop explores Kurdish and Turkish traditional line dances, along with a class on singing and rhythm. The session is open to all and aims to promote cross-cultural exchange through music and movement.
Intentional Space: Hosted by Kafenia Peace Collective.
7:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Food Delights & Community Meeting
Enjoy food produced and sold by underrepresented communities, creating a space for meaningful connection and shared experience.
Intentional Space: As part of the community gathering, this space fosters dialogue, reflection, and connection around shared values of peace, culture, and community, hosted by the Kafenia Peace Collective.
7:30 PM – 8:00 PM: Kombos Collective (Tickets required from this point on)
The Kombos Collective will perform a program focused on both Greek classical and folk music, highlighting works by Greek composers. Their performance will explore the connections between Greek music and other Mediterranean and Balkan traditions, emphasizing shared melodies and cultural influences across these regions.
8:15 PM – 9:00 PM: Teslim Band
This performance presents modal music from the Eastern Mediterranean, Anatolia and Middle East, featuring instruments such as violin, oud, lyra, and percussion. The program reflects deep cultural and spiritual connections, with the musicians showcasing their own compositions after years of study and involvement in these musical traditions.
9:15 PM – 10:00 PM: Imamyar Hasanov
Imamyar Hasanov, an internationally renowned Azerbaijani-American kamancha virtuoso, performs an evocative solo set, drawing from the profound realms of Mugham (Makam) tradition. His music is a journey through emotional landscapes, bringing Azerbaijani traditional music into conversation with global musical elements.
10:00 PM – 10:30 PM: Auction + Intentional Space
A moment to engage in community support through an auction of local artworks, instruments, and unique articrafts, all aimed at furthering the Berkeley Makam Festival’s mission and supporting local artists and communities at risk.
10:30 PM – 12:00 PM: Dance Floor Opens
Ariya Rengin (6 Performers): Celebrate the lively rhythms of Kurdish music with Ariya Rengin, a vibrant group performing traditional Kurdish music and folk melodies, as well as Turkish and Armenian, Their dynamic performance connects audiences to the deep-rooted traditions of the Anatolian region, bridging cultural and musical divides.
Tickets:
$25 Pre-sale
$40 Day-of-show
$50 & $100 Angel tickets
$20 Student ticket (with valid ID at the door only)
Ashkenaz is all ages, all the time. Kids and minors are always welcome. Those 12 or under are admitted FREE (unless otherwise noted).
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