Passage to Turkey

The Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center in Post Falls is participating in a new international program aimed at establishing greater understanding between American and Middle Eastern societies.

Called "Caravanserai: A place where cultures meet," the program is billed by the JACC as a "groundbreaking artistic and cultural exchange program meant to showcase the diversity of contemporary Middle Eastern societies through their art and culture."

The JACC is one of four organizations hosting the third season of Caravanserai featuring Turkish musical legend Omar Faruk Tekbilek.

Tekbilek's visit to Post Falls will include a weeklong residency during which time he'll interact with community members in workshops and at schools.

It will culminate in an Oct. 5 concert at 7:30 p.m. at the JACC, 405 N. William St., Post Falls. Ticket prices are $20/adults and $15/students.

For tickets call 457-8950 or buy online, www.thejacklincenter.org.

Caravanserai is produced by Arts Midwest, the nonprofit regional arts organization serving America's upper Midwest, and it is funded by the Building Bridges program of the Doris Duke Foundation for Middle Eastern Art.

"The name Caravanserai was carefully selected for this program," says David Fraher, president and CEO of Arts Midwest. "Historically, in the East and Middle East, stopping places for caravans along trade routes were called caravanserais. They were safe places to sit around the fire, come together and exchange stories. The name evokes that imagery of travelers in a safe haven, in a place where cultures meet. We're delighted that The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center is providing one of those stopping places for an exciting cultural experience."

Additional artists, the Serkan Cagri Band, and Turkish filmmaker Pelin Esmer, will come to Post Falls next year as part of the program.

Omar Faruk Tekbilek's biography

Born in 1951 in the city of Adana, Turkey, Omar Faruk Tekbilek was a child prodigy who quickly mastered woodwind, string and percussive folk instruments as a boy during lessons at his uncle's music store.

Already performing in local clubs by the age of 12, Tekbilek moved to Istanbul at the age of 16, where he became one of the most highly regarded session musicians in the city's bustling music scene. In the late 1960s, Tekbilek recorded with leading Turkish jazz and folk musicians including Orhan Bencebay, Ismet Siral, Burhan Tonguc and Ahmet Segin. During his decade in Istanbul, he explored Arabesque and Western musical styles and was profoundly influenced by experiences with the Mevlevi Dervishes, Turkey's ancient Sufi order.

After meeting his wife during his first U.S. tour in 1971, Tekbilek settled in upstate New York and began a family while continuing to hone his craft. He emerged into the world music scene through six recordings with Grammy award-winning producer Brian Keane beginning in 1988. Now established as one of the world's foremost interpreters of Middle Eastern music, Tekbilek has collaborated with international music greats such as Don Cherry, Ginger Baker, Ofra Haza, Simon Shaheen and Hossam Ramzy, and continues to share his music with audiences around the world.