Persian cultural evening features author appearance, tea, music, art
Encinitas Friends of the Arts hosts its first public event, “A Celebration of Persian Culture,” on Saturday, Aug. 23, at the Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Drive.
This special evening begins with exotic tea and sweets on the patio at sunset, at 6:30 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. with a performance by DorNob — a collective of musicians spanning two generations who have been playing Persian music in San Diego since 1985.
Simultaneously, a dance video by Banafsheh Sayyad will be screened. Banafsheh aims to express the ancient with the contemporary within dance, creating a language that communicates the Persian mystical tradition universally to all, regardless of cultural background.
The featured event is a reading and theatrical rendering from the book, “Rumi Fables,” by Dr. Nagar Niazi, who will sign books at the close of the evening. Also, Encinitas artist Lily Pourat will exhibit her Rumi-inspired ceramic sculpture.
As an Iranian-American immigrant, Niazi was brought up in a culture rich in ancient Persian literature and mythology like that of Rumi, Hafez, and Ferdowsi. Although her educational background is in the sciences, with a B.S. in chemistry from UCLA and a doctorate in optometry from UC Berkeley, her life challenges rekindled her passion for the works of Rumi. Info: www.rumisfables.com
This event is the first in a series of artistic cultural programs allowing EFA to fulfill its mission in celebrating different cultures through literary, performing, visual and culinary arts for the benefit of the community. Encinitas Friends of the Arts is a fund of the Coastal Community Foundation and is a nonreligious, nonpolitical nonprofit, established in April 2014.
Tickets are $15. Purchase online at www.encinitas.tix.com, or at the door. Special offer: Join EFA at the $25 level and receive 1 year of membership, and attend this concert and other events for free. To become a member, visit: https://coastalfoundation.org/programs/friends-of-the-arts. Contact EFA President Naimeh Tanha at friendsofthearts1@gmail.com, or call 858-224-8296.