Performers
	Yeh Dede is a world music fusion ensemble dedicated to making the world smaller and more understood one song at a time. Delving into music of West Africa, the Middle East, Afro-Cuban songs and their own musical creations and improvised interpretations, Yeh Dede encompasses a full spectrum of the human spirit, voice and potential. Yeh Dede’s mix of Afro-Latin percussion with sultry and sometimes sensual voices “nurtures their listeners global conscious and instills in them an overwhelming urge to put their body to the dance.” Yeh Dede means "to make noise" in Twi, a language from Ghana. www.myspace.com/yehdede
	Craig Taubman brings to life the joy and spirit of the Jewish heritage, appealing to young and old alike and captivating audiences wherever he goes. Craig has composed music for TV show with Fox, HBO and PBS as well as for film including Paramount Pictures feature film Andre, New Line Cinema's Pinocchio, and Disney's animated film Recycle Rex. His songs have been recorded by such respected artists as Chita Rivera and Jennifer Holliday. Craig's sell-out concerts draw thousands of fans at such respected venues as Ravinia in Chicago, Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, Westbury Music Fair in New York, the Greek Theater in Los Angeles and three special performances at the White House. www.craignco.com
	Los Angeles Zimriyah Chorale is a master choir dedicated to performing Jewish music and music of the Jewish experience throughout time. Under the leadership of Music Director, Nick Strimple, we perform contemporary, classical, and traditional pieces written by Jewish composers and others, ranging from liturgical to secular, folk, and compositions based on Biblical themes. Our repertoire embraces modern composers such as Kurt Weill, George Gershwin, Arnold Schoenberg, Aminadav Aloni, Michael Isaacson, David Nowakowsky, and Max Helfman, as well as predecessors like George Friedrich Handel and Salamone Rossi. www.lazc.org
	Josh Nelson is one of the preeminent performers and producers in modern Jewish music. A multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Josh's music has been celebrated and integrated into the musical consciousness of congregations, camps and communities across the United States.Combining deep-rooted musicality with Jewish content and ideas, The Josh Nelson Project is new, exciting, and undeniably unique! Josh’s new band is comprised of some of the most talented performers in the country, each of whom is young, Jewish and a positive role model. His performance style is high-energy and captivating, and his shows consistently leave audiences with a strong feeling of community. www.joshnelsonproject.com
	HaDag Nachash is one of the most successful Israeli hip-hop groups. is known for its infectious grooves and energy. HaDag Nahash blends Western pop music and ethnic music to create a unique sound tapestry, somewhere between funk and world music. Its most famous hits "Shirat Hasticker" (The Sticker Song), written by Israeli novelist David Grossman. The lines of the song are all slogans seen on Israeli bumper stickers. The opposing political slogans are juxtaposed to create an angry and ironic portrait of political life in Israel. www.myspace.com/hadagnachash
	Alberto Mizrahi is a Greek-born tenor, Alberto Mizrahi, one of the world's leading interpreters of Jewish music, is Hazzan of the historic Anshe Emet Synagogue, Chicago. He has thrilled audiences worldwide in recitals, symphony concerts, and opera. Affectionately known as the "Jewish Pavarotti," Mizrahi's repertoire, spanning nine languages, makes his performances unique in the field. He is featured in the PBS gala USA/Europe televised performance of CANTORS: a faith in song, from the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue, Amsterdam, as well as with the legendary jazz pianist, Dave Brubeck, and his quartet, in "Gates of Justice", recorded for the Milken Archive. Mizrahi has sung with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Radio Television Orchestra of Spain, New York Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, N.D.R. Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Houston Symphony, Pacific Symphony,Choral Arts Society at the Kennedy Center, D.C, Lithuanian National Symphony and Sinfonia Warsawia. www.albertomizrahi.com
	Shira Kline Jewish Kiddie Rocker, ShirLaLa is a New York based performer and music educator. She tours throughout the country and internationally bringing a dynamic, interactive program of joy and spirit, story and song, not to mention all out rock-star dancing and grooving! Brought up in the world and tradition of Jewish music, Shira works with communities to deepen rituals, holiday celebrations, and love for Jewish life and prayer. She and her band touch the lives of children and their families at synagogues, museums, schools, festivals and community centers including the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, The Toronto Ashkenaz Festival, The Jewish Museum on Fifth Avenue, the Alyeska Resort in Alaska, and the Limmud Conferences in England and New York. ShirLaLa has released three albums of Outrageously Hip Jewish Kiddie Rock for Shabbat, Chanukah, and Pesach. Visit her online at www.shirlala.com
	Michelle Citrin At just 5'1, it's hard to believe that such a powerful voice could come out of Michelle Citrin. Take the honest lyrics of the Indigo Girls, mix in the deliciously smooth style of Norah Jones, throw in some dreadlocks, and you get Michelle Citrin - the "lil grrl, with a big sound." Perhaps you recognize Michelle as the star of the hit Youtube video, "Rosh Hashanah Girl", which to date, as received over half a million hits, ranking in the top 20 most viewed music videos of October 2007. Fully independent from any record label, Michelle has sold thousands of copies of her self-produced EP, Foursongsforyou. Her engaging live performances and insightful lyrics have garnered rave reviews and numerous accolades, including being named one of Billboard Music's "Top Songwriters, Great American Songwriting Honor, VH-1 Song of the Year finalist, 2006 Honorable Mention in the Be Heard Singer/Songwriter contest and a finalist in Sony Music's Future Rock Competition. Whether opening for pop star Michelle Branch or playing an intimate set at a coffeehouse in Melbourne, Australia, Michelle Citrin's soulful voice, skillful guitar playing and upbeat, quirky antics capture the eyes and ears of her audience, leaving them with the feeling that they're in the presence of someone who's doing exactly what she's meant to do. Michelle Citrin is living proof that size really doesn't matter. www.michellecitrin.com
	Eric Schwartz aka Smooth-E is more than meets the four eyes. This stand-up comedian, sketch player, rapper and actor seamlessly weaves through a countless lineup of original characters and musical pieces, making him a favorite at clubs, colleges, on television and the web. Smooth-E personifies the fresh-blended creation for which he is named. Mixing comedy, music, and viral internet videos, millions of fans worldwide have begun to "surrender to the blender." Myspace.com consistently ranks Schwartz in the top three comedians with millions of views each month. Defying the boundaries of traditional stand-up, his multimedia appeal has the power to capture radio spins and national headlines. When a story happens in Hollywood, Smooth-E instantly whips up hilarious songs and videos often seen on CNN, Fox, "The Tonight Show," E!, celebrity tabloid shows and more. A trend setter in the digital comedy age, Smooth-E writes the groundbreaking material, makes the beats and creates high production-value videos while the ink is still drying on the newsprint. www.suburbanhomeboy.com
	Christ Our Redeemer (COR) African Methodist Episcopal Church Chorale “The COR-ale” Where “old school” traditional gospel meets “new school” hip hop praise and worship you will find the vocal ministry of “The COR-ale,” formed when Rev. Mark Whitlock led Christ Our Redeemer African Methodist Episcopal Church to worship on the University of California, Irvine Campus in 2000. The result -- a powerfully, spiritual blend of vocals, delivered with intense energy. Because of COR’s ethnically diverse congregation, The COR-ale is as comfortable singing reggae as R&B; at ease performing Negro spirituals or salsa. The COR-ale has ministered at various churches in Southern California, including repeat performances for the Irvine City Council; San Diego; Los Angeles; and Las Vegas. In 2004, The COR-ale accompanied Disney’s “The Lion King” Broadway cast at the Orange County Performing Arts Center and sang at the KJLH Radio Station 102.3FM “Gospel Fest” at Knott’s Berry Farm in May. Taking the sacred to the secular, the COR-ale sang backup for Heather Hedley and Tommy Simms at the 2007 NAMM Concert sponsored by Yamaha Music. Last year, members of The COR-ale were featured at “faithJAM 2006” and sang back-up when Michael McDonald visited the Irvine Amphitheatre in July 2006. Under the gifted leadership of Music Director Bill Keeton, lead vocalists Mia Whitlock and Karen Allen-Reid, and Ministerial Student Charles Dorsey, the COR-ale can be heard “every given Sunday” during 8 and 10:30A worship services, Christ Our Redeemer AME Church, 46 Maxwell Street, Irvine. Call 877-CORAME for directions.
	Keshet Chaim Dance Ensemble Keshet Chaim (Hebrew for Rainbow of Life) is an American-Israeli contemporary dance company, dedicated to celebrating the inclusive spirit of Israeli culture and Judaism throughout the world. Founded in 1983 by Artistic Director Eytan Avisar, Keshet Chaim creates, develops and presents original choreography which fuses contemporary Israeli dance with Jewish folk dance traditions from across the Diaspora. The ensemble represented Los Angeles twice at the Karmiel Festival in Israel, to great acclaim. Travels have included Moscow, Israel, Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Texas, Florida and extensively in California. Their regular productions include concerts of their own repertoire, as well as collaborations with many Israeli artists. www.kcdancers.org
	The Yuval Ron Ensemble Formed in 1999, The Yuval Ron Ensemble endeavors to alleviate national, racial, religious and cultural divides by uniting the music and dance of the opposing people of the Middle East into a unique mystical, spiritual and inspiring musical celebration. The Ensemble includes Jewish and Arabic musicians as well as Christian Armenian artists who have been actively involved in creating musical bridges between people of various faiths and ethnic groups worldwide. Led by Oscar winning composer Yuval Ron (music for “West Bank Story”) the Ensemble has enjoyed overwhelming community support and was chosen to be featured in PBS “Holiday Celebration” TV specials in 2005 and 2006 and was honored with the Los Angeles Treasures Award in 2004. www.yuvalronmusic.com
	Klezmer Juice Klezmer Juice is the new generation of Jewish Soul musicians, torchbearers of an ancient traditional craft that unites generations in spirit. Fresh interpretations of traditional tunes, such as “Cigarettes”, “Ot Azoi,” “Zemer Atik,” “Eli Eli,” “Donna Donna,” among others, capture the heart of a new generation of fans. An international ensemble of 30 years average age, the band adds the original and soulful sound of the traditional Klezmer Clarinet, that "laughing-Crying Yiddish soul". Born and raised in Buenos Aires, the bandleader and clarinet player Gustavo Bulgach learned Klezmer music from his family at a young age. Many great things have been said about Bulgach's band, but the music speaks for itself! www.myspace.com/klezmerjuiceband
	Habanot Nechama Habanot Nechama is made up of three beautiful, experienced singers, Karolina , Dana Adini and Yael Deckelbaum. Habanot Nechama is a live band in the deepest sense, having built a huge and very dedicated following before ever releasing even one single. No one could possibly have predicted the enormous success HaBanot Nechama found with their eponymous debut album. The August 2007 release went gold after only three weeks, and platinum immediately afterwards. All concerts on the first Israeli tour were quickly sold-out with an unprecedented demand by European summer festivals. The girls received great media exposure, topping the radio charts for several weeks, and eventually receiving a nomination for the "Best New Act" award at the Israeli Music Channel Annual Awards. And was named “Act of the Year” in DJ Ha'ir magazine. Reggae influences, soul-folk melodies, one of a kind harmonies and impeccable song-craft are highlights of this perfect showcase of how English and Hebrew can co-exist. www.myspace.com/habanotnechama
	Rick Muchow Rick Muchow was born in San Pedro, California in 1957. At six years old, he and his mother moved to Greenwich Village, the famous community of artists, actors, and musicians located in lower New York City. It was in this environment that Rick learned to play the guitar, started singing, and discovered something called musical theater. Since 1987 Rick has been on the staff at Saddleback Church. At that time there were 5 volunteer musicians, a secretary, Rick and a congregation of 1500. There was no music program to speak of, and because the church did not have its own building, the ministry had to rehearse in various church member homes. That year, the church experienced it's largest numeric growth ever and expanded to 3000 members. Rick is now managing a music ministry that is larger than most churches and providing music for 5 weekend services, a midweek service and other group meetings too numerous to mention. The church itself has grown to 15,000 average weekend attendance and over 54,000 on the mailing list. www.encouragingmusic.com
	Noa Noa, known in Israel as Achinoam Nini, is Israel's leading international concert and recording artist. Born in Tel Aviv in 1969 Noa lived in New York City from age 2 and attended SAR Academy primary school, and remained until her return to Israel alone at the age of 17. Her family is originally from Yemen. After serving the mandatory two years in the Israeli Army in a military entertainment unit, Noa studied music at the Rimon School where she met her long-time partner and collaborator Gil Dor. As a duo, their music styles are pop, rock, blues, R&B, country, country western, folk, Yemenite & Italian folk. Noa and Gil Dor have had various different ensembles since their early days as an acoustic duet but their most long lived musical relationship has been with the noted percussionist Zohar Fresco. The three have played hundreds of concerts together all over the world. Recently Noa has added the Solis String Quartet to concert performances and recordings. Since 2004, Noa has performed annual concerts in Israel and Italy with the Nini Band and the Solis Quartet. www.noasmusic.com
	The Idan Raichel Project The Idan Raichel Project is the brainchild of Israeli keyboardist, composer, producer, and arranger Idan Raichel, who invited over 70 different musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds to participate in the recordings. With its blend of traditional Ethiopian folk music, Arabic poetry, Yemenite chants, Biblical psalms and Caribbean rhythms, The Idan Raichel Project has already taken Israel by storm with multiple number one hits and triple platinum sales. The groundswell of interest propelled the album to heights rarely seen in the local music scene and firmly established Idan Raichel as a new type of Israeli pop star. Now a musical icon in the Israeli community worldwide, The Idan Raichel Project has performed to sell-out crowds in prestigious venues in Paris, Brussels, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore and beyond. www.idanraichelproject.com
	Rami Kleinstein Known as one of Israel's greatest composers, Rami Kleinstein has often been compared to Elton John and Billy Joel. Like John and Joel, Rami is known for his beautiful love songs, soothing voice and delicate piano-playing. Rami has had a very prolific career as both a composer and a performer. Apart from being a triple platinum and gold album award winner, Rami is also known for composing and arranging music for other singers, most notably the Israeli superstar, Rita. Since 1985, Rami has been successfully composing, arranging and accompanying Rita. www.teev.com/rami
	Peter and Ellen Allard Simply the best in Jewish children’s music! Performing as a duo since 1994, Peter & Ellen Allard are two of the most engaging and dynamic children’s performers on the contemporary Jewish music scene. Their songs have earned them a reputation as the most influential voices in Jewish Early Childhood Education today and feature a wide range of musical styles that include Folk, Latin, Country, Rock, Blues, Be-bop, Ladino, Klezmer & Celtic. With a remarkable knack for writing interactive songs that are infectiously fun and witty, Peter & Ellen perform a hand-clapping, toe-tapping, finger-snapping concert that has everyone singing their melodies long after the last note has been sung. Their eight recordings have won two Parents’ Choice awards, five Children’s Music Web awards, and a Parent’s Guide to Children’s Media award. They perform and teach at venues that include the North American Jewish Choral Festival, Hava Nashira, CAJE, Early Childhood CAJE, England’s Limmud Conference, and the URJ Biennial as well as synagogues, festivals, museums, religious schools, day schools, and Early Childhood centers. www.peterandellen.com
	BodyTraffic Led by visionary artistic directors Tina Berkett and Lillian Barbeito, BodyTraffic is a contemporary Los Angeles based dacne company that creates moving and emotional works of art. Berkett, a founding member of Mikhail Baryshnikov's Hell's Kitchen Dance, and partner, Barbeito, a Juilliard graduate and award winning choreographer, join forces with the local dance community to catapult Los Angeles to the forefront of contemporary dance.
	Doda Mollie Doda Mollie is the “Queen of the Tot Shabbat”. “Doda”, which means “Aunt” in Hebrew, is every child’s special Auntie. She has filled the hearts of kids and parents alike with her upbeat and rousing Tot and Family services. She serves as the Music Specialist at Hillel Academy, Shalhevet, and many Chabad Preschools. From Reform to Orthodox, Doda Mollie entertains and educates her pint-sized audiences of yidlet kidlets and their parents with child-centered music and Torah teachings. www.dodamollie.com
	Kingsley Kingsley is a contemporary conceptual artist who lives in a world where ideas are king. While creating, he is at times philosopher, master craftsman, painter, sculptor, engineer, and a graphic artist, reflecting the complexity of our culture on a grand scale in a vernacular for the common man. His two worlds of skill and manipulation of complex materials along with an ever more conceptual vision of the arts have converged seamlessly into the self-described direction he calls "Constructional Art." Kingsleyart.com
	Sukhawat Ali Khan Sukhawat Ali Khan is the son of the legendary Indian-Pakistani Vocalist Ustad Salamat Ali Khan. Sukhawat belongs to the school called Sham Chorasi which was established by two brothers - Mian (maestro) Chand Khan and Suraj (son) Khan. They were the court musicians of Akber the Great one of the great artistic kings of India.
	The Shirettes Performing as a trio since 2001, the Shirettes - Sue Epstein, Judy Farber and Ditza Zakay deliver a concert experience that is fun-packed, and energy-filled with interactive Jewish songs for audiences of all ages. The Shirettes blend positive, educational songwriting with catchy melodies, and beautiful harmonies as well as amazing twists on old favorites. Together they have released 8 CDs and received a Parents’ Choice Award for their Chanukah CD, “Cha Cha Chanukah with the Shirettes.” www.shirettes.com