Performing Back to Our Roots
guitar, sazuki and strings, and premiered it at the La Jolla chamber music festival in 2011. Since then we have played this version quite a few times on different occasions. We also had a new text in Portuguese incorporated into the mix, and have been using the suite in the concerts of the Assad Quintet. The Assad Quintet is a group made up of the Assad Duo, Badi Assad, our sister, my daughter Clarice and Odair’s daughter Carolina Assad. In April 2014 the Assad Quintet will be touring the US and once more the Suite will be the closing piece of the program. www.assadbrothers.com
A sample of this performance can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1syOxSMRYg
A review by Scott Cmiel of San Francisco Classical Voice: “The program ended with De Volta As Raizes (Back to Our Roots) a suite in four movements written by Sergio and Clarice Assad with lyrics by Christiane Karam. An ambitious portrayal of the immigrant experience in four movements titled Leaving, Hope, Nostalgia, and Happiness, it used every member of the ensemble and featured Sergio playing a traditional Lebanese string instrument. The music expressed everything the titles promised and created a powerful feeling of sympathy for the aspirations of immigrants.”