Tareq Abboushi (Buzuq) Tareq Abboushi is a graduate from William Paterson University with a B.M. in Jazz Piano Performance. For the past seven years he has been studying the buzuq both in New York City as well as Ramallah, Palestine. Tareq currently performs with a number of groups in the New York area, ranging from dance pop to religious sufi music. Tareq is leading and composing for his own quintet "SHUSMO," playing mostly original compositions of Middle Eastern/Jazz fusion. Since releasing their first album “One” in February 2005, the quintet has taken part in various festivals: Atlantic Antic Festival, Sounds of the City Festival, and the Jerusalem Festival. He also composed and recorded music for the film "West Bank-Brooklyn," and has also appeared on two albums of children's music with Dan Zanes "House Party" and "Night Time!" The latter has won the “Best children's CD of the year (2002)” award by amazon.com.

Taoufiq Ben Amor (Vocals, Oud and Percussion) Taoufiq Ben Amor is a Tunisian vocalist, percussionist and oud player. Taoufiq started learning percussion at an early age, then learned the Malouf (Andalusian repertoire) and sang with ensembles and choirs for many years. Fifteen years ago, he began studying the oud and the Arabic maqam system with various teachers such as Mohamed Labbad, Jamal Aslan and Simon Shaheen. For the last decade, Taoufiq has been an active performer in the US and Canada and played in various venues including the Joseph Papp Theater, Symphony Space, Cooper Union, the Knitting Factory as well as several campuses. He is involved in several projects including fusion with North Indian, Afro-Brazilian and Iranian musicians. Taoufiq is also an educator, who does research and lecture on the subject and conducts workshops. He founded The Columbia Middle Eastern Music Ensemble and he produces the music series at the Alwan Center for The Arts in New York City. Taoufiq is currently Professor of Arabic at Columbia University.

Ramzi El-Edlibi (Tabla, Riq, Daf and Dance) Ramzi El-Edlibi’s dance career began in Lebanon as he studied with the renowned choreographer Wadia Garrar and was a principal dancer with the Caracalla Dance Co. With Carracalla and on his own, Ramzi traveled extensively as a much sought-after performer of the Middle Eastern Folk Dance Art Form, performing in Russia, Japan, Spain, France, the U.K, Egypt, Libya, Iraq and more. Each of these locations have offered not only the opportunity to demonstrate his talents, but to extend them—absorbing influences from the various cultures that would continue to add interesting and varied dimensions to the complex tapestry of his art and his life. Ramzi is also an accomplished percussion player and teacher, mastering the tabla, riq (Arab tambourine) and frame drum.

Hector Morales Hector Morales is a Peruvian drummer/percussionist, composer, recording artist and innovative educator. Hector has played with top artists of Afro-Peruvian, Latin and Jazz music, such as: Marcos Campos (Peru Negro), Carlos Hayre, Chico Mendoza, TK Blue and Onaje Allan Gumbs and has recently been featured in a video produced by LP (Latin Percussion). He graduated from the “William Paterson University Jazz Program” in New Jersey and has performed around the world at internationally renowned stages such as NJPAC’s Festival: “Sounds of the City” (USA), “The National Museum of Perú” (Peru), “Society of Musicians and Composers of Chile Auditorium” (Chile), and “Jerusalem Music Festival” (Israel). He is the current percussion teacher for the “Center for Traditional Music and Dance” (Cajon), “Bronx Arts Ensemble”, “Park Performing Arts Center” and the “Sharon Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts”. Mr. Morales is also the creator of the innovative interactive music program “The Art of Playing Together” and has conducted master classes, residencies, after school programs and interactive workshops for institutions such as the Lincoln Center Out of Doors and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC). With Ayyoub he plays Congas, Cajon and Percussion.

Uri Sharlin Walking a fine line between jazz and world music, the Israeli accordionist, pianist and composer Uri Sharlin has become an established musician in the New York scene and around the world. His knowledge of both Western and Middle Eastern music feeds his unique composition style, expressed in the music of his band Cardamon Quartet. Living in New York for the past 7 years, Uri trained as both a classical and jazz musician while participating in some of the most exciting world music projects in the city. He recorded several albums including a first album of Cardamon Quartet. Uri also performed with bands including Anistar, Kaiku, Sul Norte as well as musicians Cliff Korman and Roberto Rodriguez. Recently, Uri spent an extended period in Brazil learning Choro and Forro musical styles among others on accordion and percussion. In summer 2005, a three-month tour of Europe with the alternative rock band Antony and the Johnsons brought him to venues such as Montreux Jazz Festival and Royal Festival Hall in London.

Danny Zanker Bassist Danny Zanker spent his youth in England, Israel and Texas. The resulting cultural confusion, coupled with a formal education in jazz, laid the foundation for his musicianship. He is a graduate from the University of Texas and also studied with such renowned musicians as Dave Holland and Marc Helias in New York City. Danny consolidated all his influences into an innovative and exciting playing style which features elements of jazz, blues, Middle Eastern, heavy metal, funk and avant-garde. Danny participated in several festivals such as the East-West Encounter Festival in Bangalore, India and the Khala Goda Festival in Mumbai, India with Ravish Momin’s Trio Dissolve. With the Hye Seon Hong Ensemble he extensively toured through South Korea. Danny is also a composer, with his compositions representing a natural extension of his concepts on the bass: complex yet danceable rhythms, lyricism and lots of emotional intensity. He currently can be heard leading his trio, “Anti-Elevator Mission”. His playing is also featured in Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra and the George Dulin Disband at venues, which include the Knitting Factory, Makor, Joe’s Pub, Cornelia St. Cafe, and the BAM Café.