Fifth Annual Benefit Dinner June 18th , 2002 - Residence of the Embassy of the State of Qatar
Beneficiary Cause The Mosaic Endowment and the Trustees Grants Program
The generosity of corporations and individuals to Mosaic since 1998 has made the work of the Foundation possible — support particularly and primarily from American corporations for which Mosaic is profoundly grateful. In the past, the annual campaign has benefited single, worthy institutions that were and are dear to us, but not as close to our own lives as that which now stares us in the face: fostering a deeper understanding between the peoples of the Arab world and the United States. Furthermore, the Foundation needs to be put on a more solid financial basis with a permanent endowment to better enable us to accomplish our goals. These have been the priorities of the 2002 Campaign.
Artistic Presentation
Cheb Mami and Amwaj
Cheb Mami, whose eclectic music is deeply rooted in traditional rai, the rock music of the Arabs, is a popular North African recording artist who lives in Paris. Born in Algeria, he began performing publicly in 1982 when he was 15. His music blends Mediterranean and Western influences including flamenco, Greek, and Turkish, as well as hip-hop, funk, reggae, and Latin music. His unique characteristics include a voice tinged with Andalusian accents, an effortless ability to merge the traditional and the contemporary, and a natural grace. His recent collaboration as guest singer with Sting on the award-winning album and featured song, Desert Rose, has increased his profile as an international pop star. His latest album is Meli Meli.
Amwaj, a Washington, DC musical group, merges various styles of classic and contemporary Arabic music, particularly that of the Arabian Peninsula, as well as from India and Africa. Their rich sounds and rhythms come from a mix of eastern and western instruments: the oud (Nour Zayed), the tabla or drums (Mohsen Saki), the Nae or flute (Abd El-Raheem), the violin (Abdo Eifelaali), and voice (Khattab El-Omar).
