Meet the Slowbots: Bringing World Influences to Cafe Finjan

Cafe Finjan 2013 will bring together a variety groups in performances ranging from dance and spoken word to music and stand up comedy. One of the most excitingly diverse groups performing is the Slowbots. Their musical influences include soul music, Pakistani and Indian poetry, hip hop and R&B. Meet the Slowbots…

The Slowbots

Cafe Finjan 2013:
Thursday, April 4, 6:00pm
American Islamic College
(640 W. Irving Park, Chicago)
$5 Suggested Donation
Get more details.

About the Slowbots:

The Slowbots’ music is a soulful rendering of influences from all over the world. Their style at times bucks the trend, and at times pays heartfelt tribute to the classics. Sultry, powerful vocals, strong melodies, and expressive music combine to pay homage to those broken moments in life that define us.  The Slowbots are currently working on their first album.

A little about the band members:

Nick Jaffe, the guitarist, is Chief Editor of the Teaching Artist Journal, a publication for the Center for Arts Policy at Columbia College.  He has also backed the performing artists Bobby Brown, Common, Dwele & Estelle.  His other musical projects focus on a wide variety of genres including soul, hip hop, rock and r&b.

Yasmin Ali, the lead singer, was trained from childhood in a sung form of poetry known as a Naat in India and Pakistan.  She seeks to combine that art form with a more contemporary one.

Angela Salva, the violinist, performs in the Dupage Symphony Orchestra among other projects. Katie Chow is the Slowbots’ intrepid drummer, and Todd Swope backs them on bass.  Rashik Farhan Rashid joins them on back up vocals and lead guitar.

Rakae Jamil

For their performance at Cafe Finjan, the Slowbots will be joined by Rakae Jamil.  Rakae Jamil began learning the sitar when he was 12. His first teacher was Ustad Ashraf Sharif Khan of Poonchwalay, who was the son of one of the greatest exponents of the sitar and vichitra veena, Ustad Sharif Khan of Poonchwalay.  He has performed at the All Pakistan Music Conference, which was held in memory of its founder, the late Ustad Hayat Ahmad Khan, and has performed several recordings of it at the Sanjan Nagar Institute of Philosophy and Arts.

Rakae received the Ustad Fateh Ali Khan Gold medal for 1st place at the All Pakistan Music Conference in March, 2006, and the Ustad Sharif Khan Poonchwalay gold medal in April, 2007. In December 2005 he participated in the British Council “Music Masti” program in November 2005, and was awarded a 2-week trip to the United Kingdom for a music exchange program: Trinity College; Warwick University; University of Edinburgh & University of Glasgow.

Meet the Emcees of Cafe Finjan 2013: Adam and Taz

We are very excited to announce that the emcees of Cafe Finjan 2013 are a very dynamic duo: Adam Shames and Taz Rashid. They both have a lot of experience in engaging audiences in a creative and fun way!

Cafe Finjan: Jewish. Muslim. Art.
Thursday, April 4, 2013, 6:oopm
American Islamic Collage (640 W. Irving Park, Chicago)
$5 Suggested Donation

Adam Shames

Adam is a creativity expert, organizational consultant and speaker who specializes in innovation, teambuilding and community events.  He is also a musician, poet and executive director of Poetry Pals, an interfaith non-profit creativity program that brings together Muslim, Jewish and Catholic kids and their communities.

A former “Teacher of the Year” with a master’s degree from Stanford University, Adam is the founder of the Kreativity Network, writes about creativity in his “Innovation on my Mind” blog and is adjunct faculty for Depaul University School of New Learning.

Taz Rashid

Taz has been producing and part of creating conscious, spiritual events in Chicago, IL and California over the last few years and as a musician, he plays guitar, keyboard, Native American Flute, didgeridoo and hand percussion. He is also a Poet Educator with Poetry Pals, an interfaith non-profit creativity program that brings together Muslim, Jewish and Catholic kids and their communities. He also produces a drug alcohol free all ages dance party in Chicago called Club Divine.

Get all Cafe Finjan Details at: www.CafeFinjan.org

Nationally Known Comedian, Dean Obeidallah, to Perform at Cafe Finjan on April 4th

We are excited to announce that Dean Obeidallah will make a guest appearance at Cafe Finjan 2013 via Skype from New York City. Cafe Finjan details: April 4, 6pm at American Islamic College.

Dean Obeidallah is an award winning comedian who was at one time a practicing attorney. He has appeared on Comedy Central’s “Axis of Evil” special, ABC’s “The View,” PBS’ special, “Muslim American Comedians come of Age,” and he can be seen weekly on CNN.

Dean is currently co-producing/co-directing a documentary entitled “The Muslims are Coming!” featuring a stand up comedy tour of Muslim-American comedians performing free shows across the South and West in the hopes of fostering understanding. The film features interviews with The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, comedians Lewis Black, David Cross and many more.

He also co-created the stands up comedy show “Stand up For Peace” with Jewish comedian Scott Blakeman that they perform at schools across the country in hopes of fostering understanding between people of different faiths.  He is also the co-creator of the annual NY Arab-American Comedy Festival.

Get the latest Cafe Finjan details at: www.CafeFinjan.org

Exploring Cafe Finjan’s Venue: American Islamic College

American Islamic College will host Cafe Finjan – the annual Jewish/Muslim performing arts event – on April 4th, 2013. Find out more about this vibrant community institution that combines academic learning, community engagement and Islamic spirituality.

by Max Harkavy
Communications Intern, JCUA

American Islamic College (AIC), located at 640 W Irving Park Road in Chicago, was founded, it was intended to serve as a college of liberal arts & sciences that is grounded in Islamic spirituality.

Romana Manzoor

“The building that houses AIC was bought from Immaculata High School in the 1980s with the hopes of creating a liberal arts college that would operate within an Islamic framework,” said Romana Manzoor, the program coordinator for AIC.  The first administration at AIC was able to work up to being fully accredited, but the institution has since seen their accreditation revoked.

“The new administration, that started in 2010, is working to revamp and revive the college,” said Manzoor.  “We are starting the accreditation process all over again.”

Since taking over, the new administration has enhanced the mission of the college, going beyond the attempts of the previous administration, by creating a hotbed for both spiritual and secular learning.  AIC seeks to be an institution that can offer classes that are academically rigorous, challenging, and thought provoking.  Offering these types of courses is important but the college also seeks to remain rooted in spirituality, while being a place where students can feel comfortable with expanding their knowledge of both Islam and other, more secular topics.

Meet Yasmin Ali: Cafe Finjan Organizer and Musician

On April 4, 2013 the Jewish-Muslim Community Building Initiative will hold its 12th annual Cafe Finjan – an evening of Jewish/Muslim artistic expression. Yasmin Ali – a musician and one of the event organizers – talks about Cafe Finjan 2013.

by Max Harkavy
Communications Intern, JCUA

Yasmin and the Slowbots at Cafe Finjan 2012

Every year, Jews and Muslims from across the Chicagoland area gather to celebrate the growing relationship between the two faiths through artistic expression at Café Finjan.  With performances of all types, Café Finjan never fails to excite, and this year will be no exception.

Yasmin Ali

Yasmin Ali, a Café Finjan volunteer and a performer said, “Not only are we discovering more about our own faiths, but through artistic expression, we find ways to share a positive experience.”

Ali performed with her band, The Slowbots, at last years Café Finjan, which was held on March 20^th at Columbia College.  “I actually performed a combination of things,” said Ali.  “I have a band and we focus on fusing our musical upbringings with modern American music,” she said.  Last year’s Café Finjan hosted nearly 200 people.  This time around, they are hoping for even more.

CALL TO ARTISTS: Cafe Finjan 2013

by Asaf Bar-Tura
Director of Programs, JCUA

YOU are invited to apply to CAFÉ FINJAN 2013: The 12th Annual Jewish/Muslim Performing Arts Event

Jewish and Muslim poets singer-songwriters, storytellers, comedians, actors, dancers, bands, painters, photographers, and filmmakers: We look forward to seeing your work! Professionals and non-professionals are welcome to apply.

EVENT DETAILS:

• WHEN: 6:00-9:00pm, Thursday, April 4, 2013
• WHERE: American Islamic College, 640 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago

APPLY NOW! DEADLINE: THURSDAY, MARCH 1

To apply, send an email to CafeFinjan2013@gmail.com. Kindly include:

• Your name
• Contact information (phone and email)
• Description of your performance piece
• Samples of your art (mp3s, links, videos, photos) if possible
• Indicate the community (Jewish or Muslim) with which you identify

QUESTIONS?

Contact Asaf Bar-Tura, asaf@jcua.org

Jews and Muslims Share Stories of Immigration

Reflections on our Jewish-Muslim Text Study on Immigration 

“So many talk about it. JCUA and JMCBI DO it. Bringing the people together and learning about each other’s experiences and traditions is very moving and shows how much we have in common.” 

–Ray Grossman, Text Study Participant, February, 2012 

Being a stranger in a strange land is an experience that is familiar to Jews and Muslims in the United States. In the text study on Feb. 23, Jews and Muslims gathered at the beautiful Dollop Café to explore what our traditions tell us about immigration. The discussion was facilitated by Imam Abdul-Malik Ryan (the Muslim Chaplain at De Paul University) and Asaf Bar-Tura (Associate Director of Programs at the JCUA and Ph.D. Candidate at Loyola University Chicago).

We began by reflecting on our own connection to immigration in our personal lives and histories. One participant said that though her family had been in the U.S. for three generations, she still caught herself speaking in patterns similar to her grandmother from Europe. Another woman shared that she had grown up in the U.S. with her family’s memories of their homeland, and stepping into her parents’ home is like a trip to Pakistan. We learned that migration is tied to memories, to what was left behind, and passed on from generation to generation.

Cafe Finjan: Calling All Artists

We are seeking work that explores the theme “New Roots Chicago: Digging our past and branching into our future.” The experiences of nurturing a home, and tensions between uprooting and rerooting in the Chicagoland area will be the key issue for our 2012 annual Jewish/Muslim performing arts event.

Jewish and Muslim poets, singer-songwriters, storytellers, comedians, actors, dancers, bands, visual artists or filmmakers can apply today. We encourage both professional and non-professional artists to apply.

Send an email to cafefinjan2012@gmail.com NOW, but no later than Wednesday, Feb. 1. Include your name, contact information (phone and email), a description of your performance piece, samples of your art (mp3s, links, videos, photos) if possible, and the community (Jewish or Muslim) with which you identify.

CAFE FINJAN 2012
Date: Thursday, March 15, 2012
Time: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Columbia College, Conaway Center, 1104 S. Wabash, Chicago

RSVP Online

 

Café Finjan: “It’s Not About Being Jewish or Muslim, It’s About Being Human”

By Kayla Higgins
JMCBI Fellow, JCUA

On the evening of Thursday, March 17, nearly 150 Jews and Muslims gathered at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) for Cafe Finjan, an evening of performances by Jewish and Muslim artists hosted annually by the Jewish-Muslim Community Building Initiative.

The theme of Café Finjan 2011 was “Chicago Crossroads,” with performances that focused on the themes of Chicago diversity and social justice.

There were two hours of performances with a short discussion break for small groups of audience members to discuss the question, “When have you been at a crossroads, and what path did you take?”

The evening included a diverse repertoire of art: singing, poetry, storytelling, photography and more. One of the highlights of the night was an interfaith conga line formed during an upbeat musical performance by Sirina Issah, a Muslim refugee from Ghana. By the end of her song, almost the entire room was on their feet and dancing.

Sirina Issah performing at Café Finjan 2011

One of the emcees of the evening, Rochelle Rickoff, who also did a joint storytelling performance alongside a Muslim coworker, said, “The similarities in our writing were astonishing and Café Finjan provided the platform that pushed us to discover our shared interest in creative writing.”

Tom Bornstein, a new member and participant of Cafe Finjan and JMCBI said, “It is both thrilling and motivating to experience the Messianic goal of friendship-building between these two ancient civilizations that can occur in the USA!”

As a testimony to the uniqueness of this type of event, another audience member at Café Finjan remarked, “As I was live-tweeting at Café Finjan, a friend of mine from London in the UK responded to me saying, “I wish we had something like that here!”

And one inspiring comment from the student host from UIC’s MSA was, “It’s not about being Jewish or Muslim, it’s about being human, and if this event enticed just a single heart towards peace than it was well worth it!”

For information on other JMCBI events visit www.jmcbi.org.