noiseman433

So I finally found the lyrics to the Azeri song, "Kor Arab" (The Blind Arab):



As well as another audio version at Fikret Amirov's website (click on the Əsərləri link and under the "Mahni" category to the right, click on the "Kor Ərəbin Mahnısı" mp3).

I don't know if we will have this ready for this Friday's World Music and Dance Night--well, I could have it ready, so may do a solo version (maybe).  It wouldn't be completely out of style, since mugham songs are traditionally sung by a singer who accompanies himself with daf (I would probably have to borrow one from Dale).  We'll see, I suppose.

This past weekend was more hectic than usual. 

I had to leave work early on Friday to play reception at the Oak Hill Mansion in Carmel, Indiana for the Online Users Group. Then Mel and I had dinner at Carrie's in Indy. She's a DePauw alumna and is studying belly dance with local legend, Judy Hanna (who, I'm still tickled knowing, is a cousin of Belly Dance Superstar drummer, Issam Houshan).

Saturday morning found me playing for the mini-marathon in Indy.  From 7 to 9 am we played for hundreds of runners/walkers who only got to hear, at most, 30 seconds of any particular tune.  Mel then went to Fort Wayne to meet with friends to organize the service for our wedding while I went home to nap.  Then we met on 74 to head to northern Kentucky where I played at NKU (Northern Kentucky University's Greaves Hall) for the "Dancing the Tarot" show.  It was a three hour long production with dancers' interpretation of Tarot o benefit Highland Heights in northern Kentucky.  I saw lots of friends, both old and new, and had many congrats about the nuptuals (word seems to travel fast in the belly dance community--kinda scary--5555).  It had been years since I was anywhere near the Cincy/northern Kentucky area (I played a show in Newport at the Southgate House back in 2003), and even longer since I was at Northern Kentucky University.  It had changed somewhat.

We stayed at a hotel in Florence Kentucky with Mel's sister and husband and son since Mel and her sister were walking the half marathon in Cincy on Sunday.  Brunch at Bob Evans (sorry folks, no photos!  :P) and then back home...a tiring weekend...

or something similar: