Perform at Essence! Join us for a night of live and recorded music on Saturday September 28, 2024! Live music by The Georges Lammam Ensemble. Please complete the form at the bottom of this page to request a performance spot. Please note: preference will be given to those registered for the full weekend experience!
About the Georges Lammam Ensemble -
Susu Pampanin is a world-renowned percussionist specializing in Middle-Eastern percussion. She has recorded and performed with women’s world music fusion group, ‘Wild Mango’, percussion ensemble, Keith Terri and Crosspulse, and Stella Mara. In 1990, Susu and the Cairo Cats, Dancing Drums was released, and in 2000, she released her solo album Susu Pampanin “Hands of Time”. In, 2013 she recorded ‘ Nostalgia" with Safaa Farid and his band in Cairo, and in 2020 with Reda Henkesh of the world-famed Henkesh family - artists from Mohamed Ali.
Georges Lammam, of Palestinian descent, was born in Beirut, Lebanon. The second of three brothers who are professional musicians, he is a solo violinist exemplifying the Arab style of instrumental improvisation. His repertoire spans a wide range of Arabic music, form classical to contemporary popular songs. Having performed with the most well-known singers of the Middle East, his reputation as an instrumental accompanist with a strong command of maqamat precedes him. Mr. Lammam toured in Bolivia with renowned artists Eddie and Gabriel Navia, and joined stellar performers hosted by JoinedHands (USA NP), organized by Marcus Lovett (Phantom of the Opera), to support refugee families and humanitarians in the refugee camp in Chalkida, Greece, hosting thousands of people from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His compositions and performance excerpts are included in scores for two award-winning documentaries: Occupation 101 and Tea on the Axis of Evil, and he recorded a well-known folkloric dabke (an Arab folk dance) in a 2016 feature film, Wrestling Jerusalem by Aaron Davidman. His newest CD, Opus Omnia, was released in 2017.
Khader Keileh - Born and raised with Palestinian roots. is a musical virtuoso renowned for his master of Arabic keyboard and band. He has been living in the USA since 1997. He has gained popularity and star status in the Bay Area's vibrant music scene. Khader is a member of the esteemed Georges Lammam Ensemble. Khader has dazzled audiences in numerous Arab cultural festivals and dance showcases. Khader inspires dancers to express themselves with passion and authenticity while creating unforgettable moments on stage.
Amina has been a cornerstone of Arabic dance and music in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 50 years as a dancer, teacher, musician, talent scout, and producer. As a lifelong student and performer of Arabic music, Amina has played percussion on the nightclub and theater stage with most of San Francisco’s best-known Arabic musicians and singers. She was a founding member of Aswat, the Bay Area’s only Arabic choir, in 1999 and continues to perform with them. She has been a regular member of the Georges Lammam Ensemble for 20 years. Amina travels to Egypt to pursue her new hobby of producing new dance music for performers with renowned recording artists such as Reda Henkesh and Safaa Farid.
PLEASE NOTE: If you’re interested in the competition, please register on the competition page.