March 3, 2012

On Saturday, March 3, the Muslim Public Affairs Council announced it is bringing together some of the top Muslim American artists for “Finding Soul Through Sound,” for a special concert in Los Angeles, which will showcase the cultural and artistic expressions of young Muslim Americans.

SEE: “Finding Soul Through Sound” (Facebook)

To be held at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater in Hollywood, the one-of-a-kind concert will feature the following trailblazing artists:

• Acclaimed hip-hop artist Brother Ali
• Emcee and spoken word artist Baraka Blue known for his contemporary and Sufi poetry
• Soul singer Bridget Barkan of Scissor Sister fame
• DJ Anas Canon, director of Remarkable Current and the Hip-Hop Ambassadors
• Syrian American hip-hop artist Omar Offendum

NOTE: Online ticket sales are closed.
Tickets are available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets are not tax-deductible.

The evening's emcees will be Ahmed Younis, named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Centre, and Sireen Sawaf, an attorney who previously served as MPAC’s Southern California Government Relations Director.

This event follows the success of MPAC’s “Finding Soul Through Sound” concert in Washington, DC, which drew a packed house of more than 350 people for an energizing and inspiring night in December.

Finding Soul Through Sound Concert

WHEN: Saturday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Barnsdall Gallery Theater
4800 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027

TICKETS: Starting at $25

NOTE: Online ticket sales are closed.
Tickets are available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets are not tax-deductible.

For more information, please contact Deana Nassar, MPAC's Hollywood Liaison, at deana@mpac.org or 323-258-6722.

Meet the Artists:

Brother Ali

Inspired by golden era legends such as KRS-One and Rakim, Brother Ali began rapping as a means of survival. Among his 500-plus shows, Ali has shared stages with the likes of Atmosphere, Brand Nubian, Rakim, MF Doom and Murs throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. He has participated in renowned music festivals such as Coachella, Sweden's Hultsfred and the Eurokeennes Festival in France. Brother Ali has been featured in the hip-hop magazine The Source in May 2007 and in Rolling Stone as a "New Artist to Watch.” He has appeared on The Late Late Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and was featured with late night band, The Roots.

Bridget Barkan

Awakening the people with her social commentary, soul singer Bridget Barkan is a vibrant, versatile young artist emerging the heart of New York City. Barkan just finished touring the world as part of the Scissor Sisters, who opened for Lady Gaga. Barkan has worked with different producers and artists including hip-hop legend Q-tip, the Beatnuts, he Burrell Brothers, legendary DJ Todd Terry, David Maurice and Melvin Van Peebles. She has performed sold out shows at the Blue Note, Mercury Lounge, Drom, Fat Baby, Public Assembly, Webster Hall, Rockwood Music Hall and was an official performer at Sundance 2009.

LISTEN: "This Place Knows Me" by Bridget Barkan  

Baraka Blue

Baraka Blue is an acclaimed emcee and spoken word artist residing in Oakland, CA. He is known for his original synthesis of spoken word poetry with the tradition of Sufi poets such as Rumi and Hafiz. Part of the musicians collective Remarkable Current, Blue has performed throughout the U.S., as well as the Middle East, Africa and Europe. His first album, “Sound Heart” was released in 2010. His book of poetry, “Disembodied Kneelings,” was recently published by Remarkable Current Collective Editions. Blue is currently pursuing his master’s degree with a focus on Sufism and psychology. His sophmore album “Majunun’s Lost Memoirs” will be released soon.

DJ Anas Canon

DJ Anas Canon currently serves as the artistic director and executive producer for the independent media collective Remarkable Current, which he founded in 2001. Canon recently developed the Hip Hop Ambassadors program in hopes of presenting positive examples of African American musicians to the international community, as well as spreading the messages of peace and love through the universal language of music. The Hip Hop Ambassador's most recent tour of Indonesia in 2010, sponsored by the U.S. State Department's Performance Arts Initiative, broke U.S. Embassy press records and was an unprecedented success in the region reaching millions of viewers. Canon has been published in the Washington Post and CNN.com, as well as interviewed by countless newspapers, magazines and media outlets including PBS, BBC and MTV.

READ: "Remarkable Current's Music Brings American Flavor to North Africa" (Illume)

Omar Offendum

Omar Offendum is a Syrian-American hip-hop artist who started his musical career as one-half of "The N.O.M.A.D.S.," co-producing the critically-acclaimed "FREE-THE-P" mixtape. He also participated in "The Arab Summit" project, co-authored the "Brooklyn Beats 2 Beirut Streets" performance-lecture and was featured on several major news outlets, including BBC, MSNBC and Al Jazeera. He has toured the world and currently is promoting his 2010 solo release "SyrianamericanA." His next album will debut in 2012.

NOTE: Online ticket sales are closed.
Tickets are available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets are not tax-deductible.