WMD Productions

ZIKRA's Ensemble

GEORGES LAMMAM developed a love for the violin as he listened in studio sessions with his mother, who sang on many recordings. He studied music at school both in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates where he began performing at the early age of 15, eventually grooming his own ensemble, which performed in all the well-known nightclubs inSharjah , Abu Dabai ,and Dubai. Since moving to the United States in 1987, Mr Lammam has formed his own musical group, The Georges Lammam Ensemble that performs throughout the United States. He has co- founded his own production company, Amorfia Productions that proliferates Arabic music and dance arts through performance, education and recording.

Georges has been an instructor of violin and Arabic singing for 10 years at the Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp held yearly in Mendocino, California and has taught ensemble and vocal classes at the University of California at Berkeley, 1995, 1996 and 2000. His Ensemble performs on regular basis at a local, nation wide and international level. In addition to his own recordings of Arabic Music, Georges Lammam joins many world music recording artists creating flavorful fusion of both genres.

ELIAS LAMMAM began receiving his training on accordion at the age of 11 with the master accordion player, Alexi, who played with Fairouz, the famous Lebanese singer. In Beirut, Mr Lammam has composed musical introductions for dancers and singers as well as commercial music for Coca Cola, Gillette, and Lipton Tea Company and TV dramas. Most recently Elias appeared as a soloist with Rageb Alame, George Wasouf, Ghana Saliba, Joseph Noumnoum and with dancers, Amani and Samara. He has recorded both as studio musician and featured soloist and has appeared on TV and radio. For 10 years he was bandleader in Nightclub in Dubai. In 1994, he returned to Lebanon, managing a nightclub in Beirut until coming to the United States in 1999 to join his brothers and father in San Francisco.

As a core member of The Georges Lammam Ensemble and a virtuoso musician, he is introducing American listeners to the remarkable Oriental-style, quarter tone accordion. Mr. Lammam was invited to perform in the10thAnnual Cotati Accordion Festival to standing ovation approval. He was the instructor for the Student Middle Eastern Instrumental Ensemble at the Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp in Mendocino, California (2000) and currently is director of ASWAT, an amateur choir for classical Arabic singing.

FOUAD MARZOUK a native of Egypt, studied and taught music in Cairo. Performing throughout the United Sates and Canada, he displays finely tuned musicality and masterful improvisation as a highly- skilled virtuoso on the qanun (Arabic Zither), a beautiful Oriental classical stringed instrument, which could be viewed as the Arabic Harp. He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, performing regularly and teaching privately.

HANI ISSA is a master oud (Arabic lute) player and an accomplished singer. He was born and raised in Egypt. He studied traditional Arabic music and performed it regularly in Cairo while growing up and through his college studies. He moved to the United States in 1975 with his music group when contracted to come to Houston, TX and play at the then, newly established Sahara restaurant. Since, three of that original group members, including Hani, formed the now well established and most popular Houston Arabic Music band, Trans Arabian Sound.

MUHAMMAD ELMASRY is a virtuoso Arabic percussion player who posses a wealth of knowledge of Arabic rhythms. He was born and raised in Egypt. He began his music career along with Hani Issa playing traditional Arabic music while attending college in Cairo. Like, he moved to the United Sates with their music group in 1975. He is currently a member of Houston's Trans Arabian Sounds as well.

SAHER TAWIL is a talented percussionist who possesses the gift of instinctively playing music with the preciseness and beauty of all the masters. He was born in NY to a Palestinian family and moved to Dallas in 1995, where he currently resides. He is the main percussion player for the Dallas Saadi M'nawwar Band.