About

Imagined hybrids from lost empires,
the unexpected sounds of Sandaraa ("song" in Pashto) show how Eastern Europe the indus Civilization and Central Asia connect. The melismatic might of modal music and the ringing grit of mountain songs, the rollicking trance beats and restrained emotional intensity, have an eerie resonance, despite surface differences. A magical world of global sounds comes alive when superstar Pakistani vocalist Zeb Bangash joins forces with a retinue of leading Brooklyn musicians led by klezmer clarinet virtuoso Michael Winograd to unlock the musical secrets and history of their regions steeped in ecstatic mysticism, war, migrations and ancient cities lost to the sands of time.

Michael and Zeb discovered this unheralded affinity between their traditions by chance at a shared gig, but have purposefully crafted the eureka moment into an adventuresome project to explore trans-Eurasian sonic possibilities. Taking inspiration from legendary artists such as Sabzal Saami, Beltoon, Haji Saifudin and more, Sandaraa infuses their own personal styles and vocabulary to expand upon the music. Each band member adds his or her own musical history to the mix creating a signature sound that captivates audiences and fascinates listeners with their unique and inspired approach to musical and cultural synthesis. Through the support of the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, Sandaraa has received major grants from the prestigious MAP Fund, Chamber Music America, and Puffin Foundation.

The Band

Zebunnisa (Zeb) Bangash is one of Pakistan's most loved vocalists. Also a songwriter along with partner Haniya Aslam, she is the lead singer of the duo Zeb and Haniya. Zeb and Haniya made a splash on Pakistan's music scene with their debut album Chup and managed to find audiences in countries where they haven't even officially released their music; the best examples being of neighbors Afghanistan and India, and also including Central Asian countries Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and even East Asian countries including Indonesia and Malaysia. Zeb is part of the first generation of Pakistani musicians to have established themselves internationally by way of social media. In particular, Zeb and Haniya's musical collaborations on Pakistan's Coke Studio program have gone viral, winning them fans well beyond Pakistan's borders. Zeb has been a delegate at Poptech, a global conference on innovation in 2011 and is a fellow at the US Pakistan Leadership Forum since 2012. Zeb and Haniya represented Pakistan in the fall of 2012 as part of the US State Department's Center Stage project, promoting Pakistan's culture all over the United States.

Michael Winograd is a clarinetist living in Brooklyn, New York. He specializes in klezmer music and has concertized and taught all over the world. Michael has played with Itzhak Perlman, Socalled, Budowitz, Frank London, the Klezmer Conservatory Band, The Painted Bird, Ayelet Gottleib and many more. He is one third of the Yiddish Art Trio, co-leads the Tarras Band, and his newest project, Sandaraa, a collaboration with vocalist Zeb Bangash from Lahore, Pakistan, received the prestigious Map Fund Fellowship in 2013. Michael's latest recording, Storm Game, was released on Golden Horn Records in 2012. Michael is one of the founders of Yiddish New York, a festival and workshop dedicated to Yiddish music and culture that started in December 2015.

Violinist Eylem Basaldi has musical interests that span many genres and cultures. A native of Turkey, Eylem is sought after for performances and recording sessions in the Middle Eastern, Balkan and Indie Rock music scenes throughout the Northeast. She is a member of Dolunay, a trio playing Rumeli urban folk music of the Turkish people from across the Balkans. She regularly plays and records with various musicians and bands including Ahmet Erdogdular and Snarky Puppy and has played with Omer Faruk Tekbilek, Ercan Irmak, Nukhet Duru, Dave Brubeck, Borromeo String Quartet, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and Dunya Musician's Collective, and is a graduate of New England Conservatory of Music.

Accordionist Patrick Farrell specializes in klezmer, new-music, various East-European folk musics, and brass bands. He performs with chamber-folk ensemble Ljova and the Kontraband, Frank London's Klezmer Brass All-Stars, Alicia Svigals' Klezmer Fiddle Express, plays strange and unusual duets with Brooklyn trumpeter Ben Holmes, new Yiddish song duets with singer Sveta Kundish of Berlin, and Serbian-style brass with Brooklyn's Veveritse Brass Band. Farrell has been dubbed a "wizard", a player of “mordant wit and blistering speed”, and has appeared on over 30 recordings.

Yoshie Fruchter is a guitar and bass player whose band, Pitom (Tzadik Records) has received critical acclaim from Jazz Times magazine, the Wall Street Journal, Guitar Player Magazine and many more. He has toured the US and Europe with Pitom and other groups. Yoshie is also a sought-after freelance musician in New York City and has performed with John Zorn, Cyro Baptista, Frank London, David Krakauer, SoCalled, and Matisyahu, among many others.

David Lizmi is a freelance bass player who has recorded, performed and toured with more than 50 groups in the 10 plus years since graduating from Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Recent tour highlights include such high-profile, platinum-selling groups as George Ezra, MS MR, Fun., and Ximena Sariñana, and chances are, you’ve caught him performing with one of these groups on late night TV shows that include Saturday NightLive, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Percussionist Richie Barshay, noted for his work with the Herbie Hancock Quartet, has established himself as a prominent musical voice of his generation and is regarded as "a player to watch" by JazzTimes magazine. On tour and on recordings his eclectic resume so far includes Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Esperanza Spalding, The Klezmatics, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Lee Konitz, Natalie Merchant, David Krakauer, Fred Wesley, Claudia Acuña, Bobby McFerrin and Pete Seeger among others.