12th Annual Arab Music Retreat (South Hadley, MA)

Leaving Williamstown, we drove through winding roads and hairpin turns through the brilliant greens in the Berkshires to Mount Holyoke College where Simon Shaheen's Arab Music Retreat was having a their annual concert. Rain and darkness made us late though we did hear the faculty performances of works by Zakariyyah Ahmed, Dr. A.J. Racy, and Muhammad 'Abd al-Wahhab. stayed awake until five in the morning visiting, watching music and dance, and walking along the misty stream, and after four hours of sleep, sat in on a morning singing class hashing out: "Muwashshah Ana Min Wajdi Ana." Anyone interested in Arab music or dance should certainly consider this annual event. (photo: stream in night fog if you can't tell!)