Media Kit
"Music is the language of the soul; and for two people of different nations or races to unite, there is no better means than music." -Hazarat Inayat Khan
About
The Salaam-Shalom Music Project comprises distinguished artists from Chicago's Maxwell Street Klezmer Band and the Arab and Muslim professional musician community.
Drawing upon the traditional melodies of the Middle East and South Asia combined with klezmer (Jewish music from Eastern Europe) and Sephardic (Jewish music from Spain), Salaam-Shalom (which means "peace" in Arabic and Hebrew) affirms the possibilities for mutual learning, enrichment and good will among Muslims, Jews, and Christians. The band members reach out to each other and to the public to teach, learn, and celebrate their heritage through music.
The musicians include first-and second-generation artists from Egypt, Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan, the former Soviet Union. This all-acoustic ensemble draws from the wellsprings of ancestral folk songs and dances for their creativity. The Oud (Arabic lute), Daf (hand-held drum), ney (Arabic flute) as well as violin, clarinet and double bass, create an entrancing atmosphere of spirit and spirituality.