Arab American National Museum Announces Global Fridays Concert Lineup

The popular Global Thursdays concert series will return to the in Dearborn this fall, but on a new day for the 2012 season.

Global Fridays will be the new norm at the Dearborn-based cultural attraction, with the lineup announced this week.

Since 2005, this multicultural performance series–a sister series to the annual summer Concert of Colors world music festival in Midtown Detroit–has offered musical and spoken-word presentations for fans of traditional and world music.

The AANM hopes to appeal to more local music-lovers with the series' new day.

“By moving the series to Friday nights, we hope to make these artists–many of whom have never played in our area–more accessible to a larger audience,” explained Devon Akmon, deputy director of the AANM.

Here's a look at the lineup for the fall 2012 Global Fridays concert series:

Sept. 21: Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang

Nabay is known as the king of bubu, a frantically paced dance music with ancient, magical origins in his native Sierra Leone. Enjoy dance-worth rhythms, guitars, call-and-response vocals  and addictive Afrobeat at this concert.

Oct. 19: M.A.K.U. Sound System

Comprised of players hailing mostly from Colombia, M.A.K.U. Sound System makes big music that begins in traditional Afro-Colombian rhythms and ends somewhere in the punk-jazz stratosphere.

Nov. 16: Macadi Nahhas

A young artist from Jordan, Nahhas will make her stop at the AANM as part of his first North American Tour, playing traditional Arabic music. For this concert, she will be accompanied by members of the Michigan Arab Orchestra. Concertgoers may also enjoy the free opening reception for the exhibition Little Syria, NY: An Immigrant Community’s Life & Legacy, prior to the performance.

Dec 7: Hye Harmony: Creating Dreams for Armenian Children

This benefit concert will bring together the music of southeast Michigan’s top Armenian musicians playing contemporary and traditional music. Tickets for this benefit concert are $20 (no Museum Member discount), with half of all proceeds going to the Armenian Relief Society and its youth initiatives.

All Global Fridays performances begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Lower Level Auditorium at the Arab American National Museum, 13624 Michigan Ave. just west of Schaefer Road in Dearborn. Free, lighted parking is available in the municipal lot north of the Museum.

Tickets are $10 for general admission and $9 for museum members. They are available in advance online at www.arabamericanmuseum.org; tickets are also available at the door. 

Complete information is available at www.arabamericanmuseum.org or by calling 313-582-2266.