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The Roya Ensemble
A Seamless blend of Persian, Flamenco, Latin, and Jazz..
Electronic Press Kit on Sonicbids
From Left: Ricardo Marlow, Roya Bahrami, Denis Malloy, Steve Bloom (Photo by: Hasan Sarbakhshian) (Not Shown: Jon Seligman)
Roya Bahrami: Producer/Music Director, Composer, Arranger, Lyricist, Lecturer, Santur, Vocals
2012 recipient of the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities' (DCCAH) Individual Artist Grant for creating "Cultural Dialogue through Music" and 2009 recipient of DCCAH's Folk Arts Grant for creating and presenting "Understanding Multicultural Identity through Artistic Expression."Roya Bahrami, a native of Iran who migrated to the U.S. as a teenager, has studied Persian classical music with such masters as Lotfi, Alizadeh, and Talai. She has also studied Western classical music, and Flamenco resulting in a natural blend of these traditions in her compositions. She has developed and offers lecture-performance programs on topics such as: “Music and Spirituality,” and “Traces of Persian Music in Andalusia”. Her performance credits include National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, American University, 2009 World Cimbalom Congress in Mexico, 2011 World Cimbalom Congress in Hungary. She accompanied the flamenco dancer Carmela Greco on her U. S. tour and has performed on Spain’s national TV as well as at the Museum of Flamenco Dance in Seville.
Roya founded The Roya Ensemble in 2007 to realize her original compositions in which the mysticism of Persian melodies and poetry blend with Spanish flamenco, resulting in an innovative fusion with seductive sounds. Roya’s latest CD ‘I Am, I Am Not’ inspired by ‘the incredible closeness of beings’ and the ancient Persian sufi notion of ‘selflessness’.was recorded with the full ensemble in an acoustic setting capturing the magical mix of sounds of Roya’s santurs and vocals, Ricardo Marlow’s flamenco guitar along with Denis Malloy’s jazzy horns and Steve Bloom’s and Jon Seligman’s world percussion.
Roya Bahrami & Ensemble have performed at President Obama’s Inaugural celebratory concerts at the Smithsonian Institution, University of Maryland, Gettysburg World Heritage Festival, Shepherd University, Amnesty International’s Human Rights Arts Festival, Washington Folk Festival, The Mansion at Strathmore, University of Memphis, and University of Mary Washington.
For more information about Roya see the Biography and Music pages.
The Roya Ensemble consists of a roster of musicians in the greater Washington D.C. area. Click here for the latest demo clip on YouTube.
Richard 'Ricardo' Marlow: Flamenco Guitar
Winner of the 2010 and 2008 Maryland Individual Artist Award, Ricardo Marlow, released his debut solo flamenco guitar album ‘Madera Sonora’ in 2008. The most sought-after flamenco guitarist in the greater Washington-Baltimore metro area, he has appeared at The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, The Baltimore Museum of Art, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for the 20th Mayor’s Art’s Awards. (2004-9) Mr. Marlow was a key member in the Edwin Aparicio productions of "Dos Mundos", “Bailes Ineditos”, “Encuentros”, “Intimo”, and "Entresuenos", with guest artists La Tati, Jesus Montoya, Eli “La Truco”, Carmela Greco, Roberto Castellon, and Pedro Cortes jr. He graduated from the James Madison School of Music and subsequently followed his passion in specializing in the flamenco guitar. Mr. Marlow has mastered his art under the tutelage of the master flamenco guitarist Gerardo Nuñez in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain. For more information visit Ricardo's website.
Denis Malloy: Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone
B.M., Clarinet, Peabody Conservatory. Mr. Malloy has performed with the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, AIM Orchester in Graz Austria, and The Summer Opera Orchestra in Washington. D.C. In addition to his classical performing experience Mr. Malloy also records and performs with his Jazz group Tree House Quartet. He also composed, recorded, and performed with a group called Boister, with whom he collaborated in producing original scores for four silent era films. For more information visit Denis's MySpace page .
Steve Bloom: World Percussion: daf, tombak, congas, cajon, ashiko, bata, shakers
The Washington Post wrote that… “Steve Bloom has never met a rhythm he couldn’t master.” Bloom has gained a command of Cuban, Senegalese, and Nigerian drumming and song in three decades of apprenticing and performing with masters of these traditions, and Sufi practice and drumming with masters Adnan Sarhan of Baghdad, and Dr. Ali Analouei, from Esfahan, Iran. He has toured and performed extensively in the Irish and Early Music genres. Bloom has performed and/or recorded with many wonderful artists, including Tito Puente, King Sunny Ade', Dennis Cahill, Gregg Karukas,Jon Faddis, Paul Horn, Nestor Torres, Andy Gonzales, Michael Manring,and drumming patriarch Babatunde Olatunji. Based in the Washington, DC area, he has designed workshops and clinics for all levels to accelerate participants’ mastery of musical skills. In 1980, he co-founded the Dance Place, a theater and premier studio for Music and Dance in DC. For more information visit Steve's website.
Jonathan Seligman: World Percussion: bodhran, riqq, djembe
Jon Seligman leads the percussion department at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, teaching lessons, pedagogy, ensemble and world music classes. His performing and recording credits include Global Percussion Trio, Mahbood Len Seligman, Michael Formanek’s Minor Infractions Ensemble, Tim Jenkins, and the Christopher James Band. In 2003, Jon Seligman was awarded a Maryland State Arts Council Grant for Jazz Composition. His latest original music CD, ‘Quintet Music’ (2010), features Dave Ballou, Bruce Swaim, Harry Appelman and Jeff Reed.
Recent Events:
R O Y A at Washington Folk Festival, Chautauqua Stage, Glen Echo Park, MD. Full Festival Schedule. Directions and Parking infomration:
June 2, 2012, 5:-00-5:45 p.m. Hammered Dulcimer Showcase with Anglo/Celtic, Persian, and Chinese presentations.
June 3, 2012, 5:15-6:00 p.m. Roya & Ricardo, The Oringial Persian-Flamenco Fusion Duet!
April 14, 2012, 4:15-5 p.m. Roya Ensemble at 22nd Annual Multicultural Fair, Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA Outdoor Map Full Program (PDF)
April 5, 2012, Rose Theatre, Roya Ensemble Performance, University of Memphis, Tennessee
March 28, 2012, Green Acres School, Rockville, MD, Persian New Year 'Nowruz' Performance. Roya Ensemble Trio.
June 4 , 2011 at 1:00 PM, Flier Roya Ensemble's Performance at Washington Folk Festival at the Puppet Theatre, Glen Echo Park, MD.
April 10, 2011 7PM The Mansion at Stratmore: Roya Ensemble's Concert Celebrating CD Release to Benefit Community Outreach Programs.
Top 10 World chart of Candian Radio in Calgary
Press Release: I Am I Am Not, Nov. 5, 2010!
(Cover design by: Sean B Bahrami)Top 10 World chart of Canadian Radio in BC (8 consecutive weeks)
Best Group Finalist 2011 International Acoustic Music Awards: "Very creative & artistic... This music group has a lot of potential!"
Billboard Discoveries : “World music with a nod to the ages, a beautifully executed set, genteel, graceful and opulently delivered."
