Sherefé is a Turkish phrase used as a drinking toast which means "to your honor".

Jesse Manno: Bouzouki, Saz, Flutes, Vocals.

Jesse plays with and coordinates the musicians at the University of Colorado Dance Department in Boulder, where many of the musicians in Sherefé are also employed. He has composed and published many musical pieces for dance choreographies as well as his own CD, Sea Spirits. He has also been recently returned from studying and touring in Turkey.

James Hoskins: Cello, Zurna, Vocals.

"This is the first music I ever found that I can be totally expressive within..." Like everyone else in the band, James is an American. We've all come a long way to be playing Middle Eastern and Balkan styles exclusively in this band. James grew up playing western classical music on the cello, oboe, and English horn. He has played in a variety of groups in Los Angeles, accompanies modern and other types of dance, and is now playing music of the Balkans and the Middle-East on cello and zurna.

Beth Quist: Vocals, Hammered Dulcimer.

Beth Quist began playing piano at age two and her early musical influences were Batman and Star Trek. Her first musical composition at age eight was "I'm a Little Leopard Prowling around in Sneakers." She currently makes her living composing music for and accompanying modern dance, performing solo and guest appearances with Sherefé and with Bobby McFerrin. Beth has published two CDs, Lucidity and Shall we Dance. Most Boulderites, at this point, have had the pleasure of hearing her 4-octave cystal-clear vocal range.

Cameron Powers: Oud, Bouzouki, Guitar, Vocals.

Cameron lived in Greece and studied bouzouki in the early 1970's, later travelling to Egypt and adding the oud. He has played with Silk Route, The Boulder Bouzouki Band, Solspice & Cameron and the Maqama Mamas as well as with Sherefé. Middle Eastern music as a way of life has become his goal. He just returned from studying on the east coast with Simon Shaheen, a brilliant Palestinian oud and violin master, and on the west coast with George Lammam, a master Lebanese player.

Zahara: Darabukka.

She began playing the Darabukka 26 years ago. Her first percussion teacher was Maestro Vince Delgado. She continued to learn through the process of accompanying musicians from Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Albania, Greece, Iraq, Iran and Tadjikstan. She has performed for the royal family of Saudi Arabia. Her incredible finger and hand work on the drums frequently steals the show.

Polly Tapia Ferber, Paul Brown, Meg York, Lila Sklar and Timothy Quigley are among other musicans who perform with Sherefé when possible.

 

For more information, contact Cameron Powers     cameron@rmi.net