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Esthema is a fusion of music from different cultures and genres. Elements taken from the musical traditions of Eastern European and Near/Middle Eastern music are intertwined with Progressive Rock, Acoustic New Age, and Jazz to create the sounds of a World Fusion Ensemble. The five musicians that shape the sound of Esthema bring together both Western and Eastern instruments to form a unique fusion. Bouzouki,
Oud, Doumbek, and Violin color the compositions with their beautifully Eastern tone while Guitar, Bass, and Drums bring out the Western influences.
The members of Esthema bring together lifetimes of education and
experience.
Onur Dilisen (violin) was born, raised, and began his studies in Turkey
and is currently in the Master’s violin performance program at the
Boston Conservatory.
Tery Lemanis (oud/bouzouki), a graduate from Berklee College of
Music’s guitar performance program has studied Bouzouki, Oud, and
Byzantine music in Greece as part of Berklee’s exchange program.
Carl Sorensen (drums/doumbek), whose experience is steeped in the drum
corps idiom and is currently enrolled in Berklee’s performance
program, has lived in parts of Europe, Thailand, and Myanmar.
Ignacio Long (bass), born in Patagonia, Argentina, started playing bass
at age 15. He studied at the Bass Collective in New York with various
teachers, including Matt Garrison, John Patitucci, Lincoln Goines, among
others, and at Berklee College of Music, where graduated on spring 2007.
Hehas played in several groups in a variety of styles, including South
American Folk, Rock-Pop, Salsa, Jazz, Latin-Jazz, Tango, and Brazilian
music.
Andy Milas (guitar) has been performing traditional and contemporary
Greek music for over a decade throughout New England. He has also
written and arranged for Progressive Rock, Greek, New Age, and Jazz
musical projects that he has been a part of over the past two
decades.
As people, the individuals in Esthema come from very different places
with very different experiences. As musicians, they bring those places
and experiences together into one musical setting.
Esthema’s collaboration can be experienced on their
first CD, Apart from the Rest, recorded at Squam Sound Studio in
Ashland, New Hampshire. The six compositions that make up the CD were
written by Andy Milas and arranged by the entire ensemble. Throughout
the compositions you will hear the elements of Eastern and Western
music: Western Jazz improvisation and Eastern Taxims, Latin Samba and
Greek Sirto rhythms, Western modes such as Aeolian and Phrygian and
Eastern Scales like Hijaz and Nihavend. All boundaries were erased in the
creation of this music to allow the worlds to collide and become one.
The music is a true synergy of Eastern and Western musical elements.
Since early spring 2007, Esthema has been performing throughout the
Boston area at clubs like Ryles, the Cantab, and the Lily Pad and in
September they played their first gig in NYC at the Fat Baby. With the
recording completed, Esthema plans on working as much as they can
throughout New England and New York. Given the music’s and the
ensemble’s versatility, Esthema believes their sound can be taken
cross-genre: Jazz, New Age, World, Acoustic, and even Progressive Rock.
No listener is out of reach.
Co-presented
with the Kokkalis Program at Harvard University and the MIT Turkish
Student Association
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