Saucify, a lesser-known yet distinctive game provider, offers a variety of online slots. Founded by Nick Cahn, Saucify aims to deliver high-quality gaming software globally. Known for its unique themes and engaging mechanics, Saucify focuses on creating a seamless user experience on both desktop and mobile devices.
Popular Saucify Slots
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Saucify Casinos
For those interested in exploring Saucify slots, several casinos are renowned for offering a quality experience:
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Conclusion
Saucify might not be the most prominent software provider, but it stands out with its unique themes, high RTP rates, and player-centric customizations. Whether you’re drawn to the quirky themes or the engaging bonus features, Saucify slots offer a rewarding and entertaining experience for all types of players.
BF Games is a prominent gaming software developer widely recognized for producing high-quality slot machines. Founded in 2013, the company has built a reputable name by creating games known for their captivating themes, innovative features, and high payout ratios. This article delves into the world of BF Games, exploring their top slots and the best platforms to enjoy them.
Introduction to BF Games
Overview
BF Games, headquartered in London, has quickly ascended the ranks to become one of the most innovative and reliable slot game providers. Their portfolio boasts over 50 unique titles, appealing to a wide range of players worldwide. The success of BF Games can be attributed to their commitment to combining creative storytelling with cutting-edge technology, ensuring a memorable gaming experience for their users.
Core Principles
Innovation: Continuously pushing the boundaries by integrating advanced technology and fresh themes into their slots.
Quality: Maintaining high standards in graphics, sound, and gameplay mechanics.
Player Satisfaction: Focusing on player enjoyment and engagement through dynamic features and high return-to-player (RTP) percentages.
Top 5 Slots from BF Games
BF Games offers a diverse array of slot games, each providing a unique gaming experience. Below are the top five slots that showcase the best of BF Games.
1. Alice in Wonderland
Description
Alice in Wonderland takes players on a whimsical journey inspired by Lewis Carroll’s beloved tale. The slot features vibrant graphics and mesmerizing soundtracks that immerse players in a fantastical world.
Features
Symbols: Iconic characters such as the Mad Hatter, Cheshire Cat, and Queen of Hearts.
Bonus Rounds: Special features like the ‘Tea Party’ and ‘Mad Hatter’s Bonus’.
Gameplay: Offers free spins and multipliers that enhance the gaming experience.
2. Ancient Secrets
Description
Ancient Secrets delves into the mysteries of ancient Egyptian civilization. The game’s aesthetic captures the essence of Egyptian culture, with symbols representing artifacts and deities.
Features
Symbols: Depictions of pharaohs, pyramids, and sacred artifacts.
Bonus Rounds: ‘Ra’s Treasure’ bonus game and expanding wilds.
Gameplay: Known for its engaging storyline and high RTP.
3. Aztec Adventure
Description
Aztec Adventure transports players to the heart of the Aztec empire, where they can uncover hidden treasures amidst lush jungles and ancient temples.
Features
Symbols: Include gold masks, tribal leaders, and sacred symbols.
Bonus Rounds: ‘Temple of Gold’ free spins and ‘Mystery Reel’ feature.
Gameplay: Exciting sound effects and animations that heighten the sense of adventure.
4. Cold As Ice
Description
Cold As Ice plunges players into the serene yet thrilling Arctic regions. The slot’s icy reels and crisp graphics create a mystical frozen landscape.
Features
Symbols: Arctic animals, snowflakes, and ice crystals.
Bonus Rounds: ‘Frozen Wilds’ and ‘Blizzard Bonus’ for extra winnings.
Gameplay: Smooth interface and lucrative rewards.
5. Crystal Mania
Description
Crystal Mania immerses players in a world of vibrant crystals and magical sorcery. The game’s enchanting visuals and spellbinding soundtrack create an immersive experience.
Features
Symbols: Glowing crystals and mystical artifacts.
Bonus Rounds: ‘Magic Spin’ feature and ‘Crystal Colossus’ multipliers.
Gameplay: Offers frequent bonuses and high payouts.
Best Platform to Enjoy BF Games: Melbet Nigeria
When looking for the perfect platform to play BF Games slots, Melbet Nigeria stands out as a premier choice. Here’s why:
Melbet Nigeria
Overview
Melbet Nigeria is a reputable online gambling platform known for its extensive game library and exceptional user experience. It caters to a wide audience by offering a variety of slots, live casino games, and sports betting options.
Key Advantages
Security: Utilizes advanced encryption systems to protect user data and transactions.
Game Selection: Features hundreds of games, including top slots from BF Games.
High Odds: Competitive odds in sports betting and high RTP in slot games.
Bonuses: Generous welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions for loyal players.
Customer Support: Responsive 24/7 support to assist players with any issues.
Special Promotions
New players at Melbet Nigeria can benefit from a robust welcome package. Using the promo code MELGIFT, players receive an enhanced starting bonus of up to 140%.
User Experience
Melbet Nigeria is known for its user-friendly interface and smooth navigation, making it easy for players to find and enjoy their favorite games.
Conclusion
BF Games continues to impress with its innovative approach to slot development, ensuring each game is a unique adventure filled with excitement and high rewards. Platforms like Melbet Nigeria provide the perfect environment for players to enjoy these top-tier slots, thanks to their commitment to security, variety, and player satisfaction.
Taking a spin on one of BF Games’ slots is more than just playing a game; it’s stepping into a world of captivating stories and potential riches. Don’t forget to use the promo code MELGIFT when signing up on Melbet Nigeria to maximize your gaming experience with a substantial bonus.
In Summary
Innovation: BF Games leverages advanced technology to create engaging slots.
Top Slots: Alice in Wonderland, Ancient Secrets, Aztec Adventure, Cold As Ice, Crystal Mania.
Best Platform: Melbet Nigeria offers security, variety, high odds, and generous bonuses.
Figures & Tables
Table 1: Top 5 BF Games Slots Features
Slot Game
Theme
Key Features
Bonus Rounds
Alice in Wonderland
Fantasy/Fairy Tale
Iconic symbols, immersive graphics
Tea Party, Mad Hatter’s Bonus
Ancient Secrets
Egyptian
Artifacts symbols, high RTP
Ra’s Treasure, Expanding Wilds
Aztec Adventure
Ancient Civilizations
Detailed symbols, adventure theme
Temple of Gold, Mystery Reel
Cold As Ice
Arctic
Icy symbols, serene visuals
Frozen Wilds, Blizzard Bonus
Crystal Mania
Magic/Sorcery
Vibrant crystals, magical elements
Magic Spin, Crystal Colossus
Figure 1: Melbet Nigeria Features
Security: Advanced encryption.
Game Variety: Extensive library including BF Games slots.
High Odds: Competitive in sports and casinos.
Bonuses: Attractive welcome and loyalty promotions.
Support: 24/7 responsive customer service.
By choosing Melbet Nigeria and diving into the world of BF Games, players are assured an unparalleled gaming experience filled with excitement, security, and the potential for significant rewards.
The landscape of online casinos in the USA has evolved significantly, and 2024 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for casino enthusiasts. With stiff competition among online casinos, players are reaping the rewards through lucrative bonuses and promotions. Understanding these offers can optimize your gaming experience and decision-making process. Here, we present some of the top casino bonuses and promotions available this year.
1. Wild Casino – Match Bonus on First Five Deposits Up to $ 5,000
Wild Casino continues to impress with its incredible offer for new players. This bonus spreads across the first five deposits, allowing players to build a substantial bankroll right from the start.
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Advantages:
High maximum cap allows for significant bonus accumulation.
Encourages continued engagement with the platform.
Considerations:
Ensure you meet the wagering requirements to maximize your benefit.
Useful for players planning long-term engagement with the casino.
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Benefits:
Bonus structure supports extended gameplay.
Bovada’s extensive game library ensures you can leverage your bonus across various game types.
Recommendations:
Carefully read Bovada’s terms on gaming contributions toward wagering requirements.
Ideal utilization for slot enthusiasts, given the high contribution rates these games usually have.
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Advantages:
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The added $ 25 casino bonus is a nice extra touch.
Tips:
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Perfect for players looking for a balanced, manageable bonus introduction without overwhelming terms.
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Pros:
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Usage Advice:
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Caesars Casino entices new players with a massive bonus and reward credits, blending traditional bonuses with loyalty points for additional benefits.
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Benefits:
High bonus cap attractive for high rollers.
Reward credits add significant value, useful for frequent players.
Considerations:
Best suited for players planning multiple deposits and high-stake gameplay.
Loyalty points are beneficial for those who play regularly at Caesars venues.
Summary Table of Best Casino Bonuses
Casino
Bonus Offer
Highlights
Wagering Requirements
Wild Casino
Match Bonus on Five Deposits
Up to $ 5,000 total
Moderate
Bovada
$ 3,000 Welcome Bonus
Spread across three deposits
Moderate
BetMGM
100% up to 1,000+
1,000+
25
Simple structure, added small bonus
Moderate
FanDuel
Play 1,Get
1,Get
100
Very low initial investment
Moderate
Caesars
100% up to $ 2,500 + Credits
High max bonus, reward credits for loyalty
Moderate
Conclusion
Selecting the best casino bonus requires evaluating personal play styles, bonus structures, and the individual terms attached to each offer. Whether you are a high roller or prefer low-stake games, there is a bonus tailored to meet your gaming needs in 2024. Always read the fine print and strategic use of these bonuses can significantly enhance your online gaming experience. Happy gaming!
Poker is a renowned card game that emphasizes strategy, psychology, and skill. It’s played in various forms globally, from casual games with friends to high-stakes tournaments. The game involves betting and individual play, where the winner is determined according to the combinations of players’ cards, with some variants incorporating various degrees of bluffing.
Basic Rules of Poker
Card Rankings:
High Card: The highest card wins if no player has a valid combination.
Pairs: Two cards of the same rank.
Two Pairs: Two sets of pairs.
Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank.
Straight: Five consecutive cards of different suits.
Flush: Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.
Full House: A pair and three of a kind.
Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank.
Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit.
Royal Flush: The top straight flush including the ace.
Gameplay Structure:
The game typically starts with the dealer shuffling the deck.
Players place initial bets called blinds or antes.
Cards are dealt to each player, usually two face-down (hole cards) in Texas Hold’em.
Betting rounds follow, interspersed with the dealing of community cards.
Showdown determines the winner, who takes the pot.
Essential Poker Strategies for Beginners
1. Understand the Importance of Position
Your seat position relative to the dealer button greatly influences your strategy.
Early positions need stronger hands to bet, while late positions can play more hands due to more information.
2. Starting Hand Selection
Begin with tight starting hand requirements.
Only play strong hands from early positions and widen the range from late positions.
3. Bluffing and Semi-Bluffing
Bluff sparingly and selectively to avoid predictability.
Semi-bluff with drawing hands to add some winning potential.
4. Bankroll Management
Protect your bankroll by setting limits and not risking too much on a single game.
Avoid chasing losses which can deplete your poker funds quickly.
5. Studying Opponents
Pay attention to your opponents’ playing styles.
Use observation to predict their hands and adapt your strategy.
Advanced Poker Tactics
Pot Odds and Expected Value:
Calculate pot odds to make informed decisions about calls and raises.
Use expected value (EV) to assess the profitability of various actions over the long run.
Psychological Play:
Develop the ability to read opponents’ tells (physical and verbal cues).
Use reverse tells to deceive observant opponents.
Adjusting to Different Game Types:
Adapt strategies for variations like Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and Razz.
Understand the unique rules and optimal strategies for each type.
Popular Poker Variants
Texas Hold’em
Most popular variant, played with two hole cards and five community cards.
Best five-card hand out of seven wins.
Omaha
Similar to Texas Hold’em but players get four hole cards.
Must use exactly two hole cards and three community cards.
Seven-Card Stud
No community cards; each player gets seven cards.
Best five-card hand wins.
Razz
A variation of Seven-Card Stud.
The lowest hand wins.
The Role of Luck in Poker
While poker is predominantly a game of skill, luck does play a part. Short-term outcomes can be greatly influenced by luck, especially in tournament settings. However, skill prevails in the long run, making consistent practice and study essential to becoming a proficient player.
Tools and Resources for Learning Poker
Books:
The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky.
Harrington on Hold’em by Dan Harrington.
Online Platforms:
Websites like PokerStrategy.com and RunItOnce.com offer extensive materials.
Play money games on platforms like PokerStars to practice without financial risk.
Software:
Use tools like PokerTracker and Hold’em Manager to analyze your play.
Equilab helps with understanding hand equity and improving decision-making.
Conclusion
Mastering poker requires time, dedication, and the continuous study of game theory. By combining knowledge, strategic play, and psychological insight, players can significantly enhance their performance. Whether you aim to play casually or aspire to compete in high-stakes games, understanding the core principles and strategies of poker is fundamental to your success.
Join us for the Persian Arts Festival event of 2018. A mystical way to ring in the holiday season as well as Yalda (the winter solstice), the evening will begin with Persian poetry featuring festival host Roger Sedarat and Haleh Liza, and then launch into the main event, Aida Shahghasemi with a full band.
Musicians featured:
Aida Shahghasemi – Vocals / Songwriter (listen to music clips: http://www.aidashahghasemi.com/music/) Nima Hafezieh – Piano Eric Allen – Cello Armin Antiquechian – Acoustic Guitar Pier Pappalardo – Bass Guitar Danial Yousef Tehrani – Setar Yahya Alkhansa – Drums
Reflect on 2018 with us and set your intentions for a beautiful year ahead. This event is sponsored, in part, by the greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council. Event partners also include Brooklyn Music School, East by Middle East, and Ekbatan Productions.
About Aida Shaghasemi
Aida Shahghasemi is a Minneapolis based vocalist and musician. She studied Psychology and Anthropology at University of Minnesota with a focus on the restrictions of the voices of female vocalists in Iran, where she was born and raised until the age of thirteen. She received her Masters degree from New York University in Art and Public Policy, exploring her interests in the intersection of art and socio-political movements. She has worked with different New York and Minnesota based social justice art organizations and has served as an assistant director at Hamline University’s Making Waves Social Justice Theatre Troupe. She is a recipient of 2017 McKnight music fellowship.
About Haleh Liza
Haleh Liza is a poet, vocalist, translator, and educator, born in New York of Iranian descent. She’s inspired most by the poetic mysticism of her Persian heritage, the animist songs she discovered in the lush Amazon, and her literary and musical communities in Brooklyn.
Haleh is currently completing a series of poems and songs dedicated to the river she grew up on and is continuing her work on a translation project of Rumi poems. Her poems have been published by Columbia University Press, Rattapallax Press, Beyond Borders, and Howl. She has recited her poems and translations at various venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Fetzer Institute’s Gathering on Love and Forgiveness, Verses of Hope hosted by Brainpickings, and the Taos Poetry Festival. She has led workshops in which she explores Rumi’s poetry and mystical themes that run through his work at Dartmouth University, University of Cincinnati, MCLA, and the Wanderlust festival.
As a vocalist, Haleh enjoys singing in English, Persian, Spanish, Portuguese, and in no language at all, just open syllables. With her current project and past projects, Haale and The Mast, she has played venues such as Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, the David Byrne-curated series at Carnegie Hall, the Bonnaroo Festival, UNC Chapel Hill, Celebrate Brooklyn, PopTech, and the World Music Fest in Chicago. With longtime collaborator Matt Kilmer, she has shared the stage with artists such as Reggie Watts, Hugh Maskela, Salif Keita, Odetta, Blonde Redhead, and Steve Gorn. She has released a number of albums to critical acclaim as both Haale and The Mast. The Boston Globe called her 2008 release ‘No Ceiling’ “one of the most memorable releases of 2008…a swirling gem of an album.” Her music has appeared in NBC’s series “Life,” CWTV’s series “The Originals,” and films including “Backwards,” “Dog Sweat,” and “My Teheran for Sale.”
Haleh enjoys facilitating singing and chanting circles in Brooklyn, in which she also shares mystical poems by Rumi to allow for open discussion between chants and songs. She believes group singing strengthen bonds within community, fosters helming and joy, and enables us both to step out of the self and not the we, and to dissolve in the beauty of sound and harmony.
Haleh received her BS in Biology from Stanford U and her MFA from CCNY in Poetry, where she completed a thesis of original poems as well as translations of the Iranian poet Sohrab Sepehri, for which she received an Academy of American Poets Prize and the Goodman Grant for Poetry.
Haleh lives in Brooklyn.
About Roger Sedarat
Author of four poetry books including just released Haji as Puppet: An Orientalist Burlesque, (Word Works. 2017). Winner of 2016 Tenth Gate Prize for Mid-Career Poets, Leslie McGrath, judge and just released Foot Faults: Tennis Poems (David Robert Books, 2016). Also, author of Dear Regime: Letters to the Islamic Republic, which won Ohio University Press’s Hollis Summers’ Prize, and Ghazal Games (Ohio UP, 2011).
Roger teaches creative writing (poetry and literary translation) in the MFA program at Queens College, City University of New York, he teaches and writes on such academic interests as 19th and 20th century American literature as well as Middle Eastern-American literature. Currently, Roger is working toward translating a full-length collection of ghazals by the 14th century Sufi Persian poet, Hafez.
National Sawdust | 80 N. 6th Street Williamsburg, Brooklyn www.nationalsawdust.org/persianartsfestival
10am + 12pm – Family Program
“Zahhak, The Legend of the Serpent King”, by Hamid Rahmanian
A Persian folk tale brought to life through live music, narration and shadow puppetry by Hamid Rahmanian, the creator of the critically acclaimed “Feathers of Fire“. Taken from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh or Book of Kings, this shadow play tells the story of a misguided prince who becomes the villainous Serpent King. Performance will be followed by a shadow puppet-making workshop.
3pm: Doors | 4pm: Panel
Banned: Iranian Diaspora Arts as a Force for Rapprochement
Panel will feature scholar Kathryn Spellman Poots, whose work has focused on the Iranian Diaspora and transnational migration networks, Mahyad Tousi, Co-founder of BoomGen Studios whose work includes Reza Aslan’s recently premiered television show, “Believer”, Persian tar virtuoso, Sahba Motallebi, and Siamak Ghahremani, founder of West Coast’s Noor Iranian Film Festival. Moderated by Carla P. Cota.
5pm: Film + Dinner
Screenings curated by Los Angeles’s Noor Iranian Film Festival featuring “No Land’s Song” by Ayat Najafi and “The Role of Each Fret” by Maryam Farahzadi.
Persian-Fusion Cuisine created by acclaimed chef Patrick Connolly from Rider Restaurant will be on the menu for purchase and served to your seat during the film festival. Join the Brooklyn trend and dine while enjoying the films!
7:45pm: Music by Sahba Motallebi
Our evening presentation will conclude with a music performance by Persian tar virtuoso Sahba Motallebi accompanied by percussionist Nagmeh Farmhand.
Sponsors include The American Institute of Iranian Studies and Noor Film Festival
The Persian Arts Festival celebrates 11 years of showcasing the work of hundreds of Iranian American artists from around the world at the prestigious new Brooklyn venue, National Sawdust. The 11th Annual Persian Arts Festival will feature multiple art forms including short films curated by west coast’s Noor Iranian Film Festival, family-friendly performances of Fictionville Studio’s shadow puppet masterpiece, “Zahhak, The Legend of the Serpent King”, a panel discussion featuring Iranian American artists and scholars, Persian fusion cuisine by Rider restaurant’s critically acclaimed chef, Patric Connelly, and music by Persian tar virtuoso Sahba Motallebi accompanied by Nagmeh Farahmand. This program will transport an audience of all ages into Spring as it connects elements from thousands of years of ritual and history to the magnificent art being made by today’s Iranian American artists. Sponsors include The American Institute of Iranian Studies and Noor Film Festival.
— 10AM & 12PM – FAMILY PROGRAMMING — “ZAHHAK, THE LEGEND OF THE SERPENT KING”, by Hamid Rahmanian Family Friendly show: $15 adults, $5 children
10am Show Tickets sold here, 12pm Show Tickets Sold here.
A Persian folk tale brought to life through live music, narration and shadow puppetry by Hamid Rahmanian, the creator of the critically acclaimed “Feathers of Fire”. Taken from the Shahnameh or Book of Kings—an epic narrative penned in the 10th century by Persian poet Ferdowsi—this shadow play tells the story of a misguided prince who becomes the villainous Serpent King.
Featured artists:
Storyteller: Leila Ghaznavi Puppeters: Jon Riddleberger, Ian Sweetman, Hamid Rahmanian Musicians: Hedayat Shafaee, Yahya Alkhansa Directed and designed by Hamid Rahmanian
This 15min exquisite performance will be followed by a shadow puppet-making workshop for kids.
More About Fictionville Studio: Husband and wife team Hamid Rahmanian and Melissa Hibbard are dedicated to producing artistic projects that positively affect the way people look at the world around them. They have produced award‐winning documentary and fiction film, graphic design, photography and literature for over two decades. Their films have received international awards and screened worldwide at festivals, theaters and on television. Their latest project, the Shahnameh Project includes a 600 page illustrated edition of the 1000-year-old Persian epic poem, Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings which was published in 2013. It has been well received by readers and critics around the world and has made multiple bestseller lists. In 2016 they premiered the stage production of Feathers of Fire, based on a tale from the Shahnameh. This cinematic live production premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and is currently touring around the world. http://www.fictionvillestudio.com/#fictionvile-studio
3:00PM (doors) – 9PM – MUSIC, PANEL, FILM + DINNER $40 advanced guarantees seat, $45 at the door. Dinner and Drinks sold separately.
— MUSIC By Persian Tar Virtuoso, SAHBA MOTALLEBI, Accompanied by NAGMEH FARAHMAND on Percussion —
SAHBA MOTALLEBI is a modern virtuoso of the tar and setar, an innovator in teaching Persian Music and has been recognized as the Best Tar Player at the Iranian Music Festival four years running (1995-1998) and “The Best Tar Player” at the Toronto Conservatory of Iran (1993 – 1996). She is recognized internationally as a master of tar and setar, lute-like stringed instruments central to one of the world’s great musical traditions. She began studying music as a young girl in Sari, a small seaside city in the north of Iran. In 1993, at the age of 14, her talent garnered her an invitation to begin studies at the Tehran Conservatory of Music. She flourished there, and was recognized as Best Tar Player at the Iranian Music Festival four years running (1995-1998). After graduating from Conservatory in 1997, she helped found the groundbreaking women’s music ensemble Chakaveh, and in 1999 she was invited to join the Iranian National Orchestra, thus beginning her career as an international performer. For the past decade, Sahba Motallebi has lived near Los Angeles, She continues to perform worldwide, and has released a series of noted books and recordings, the latest of which is 2014’s A Tear at the Crossroad of Time. Sahba is also recognized as an innovator in the teaching of Persian music; her pioneering efforts to put instructional materials on the internet and to teach students online have inspired something of a renaissance in the transmission of this ancient art form, and reflect her abiding commitment to bring the gift of music to her community and the world.
NAGHMEH FARAHMAND, daughter of one of Iran’s leading percussionists, Mahmoud Farahmand, grew up surrounded by music in a full house of drums. She started playing the tonbak when she was six under the supervision of her father, and was encouraged to learn a melodic instrument to gain insight into the melodic aspect of music as this would make her a better accompanist. So she started playing the santur under the guidance of Faramarz Payvar and Pashang Kamkar. Besides learning traditional music, Naghmeh found the daf to be very powerful and spiritual and began learning Sufi and Kurdish rhythms from Bijan Kamkar and Masoud Habibi. She has performed in many well-known traditional ensembles in Iran and at festivals around the world, and was honored to perform with ney master Hassan Nahid and famed vocalist Hengameh Akhavan. In 2010, she moved to Canada and started working with musicians in world music and jazz. She is the founder of the Sharghi percussion ensemble.
— PANEL DISCUSSION — The festival will begin with a discussion featuring scholar Kathryn Spellman Poots, whose work has focused on the Iranian Diaspora and transnational migration networks, Mahyad Tousi, Co-founder of BoomGen Studios and producer on Reza Aslan’s recently premiered television show, “Believer”, Persian tar virtuoso, Sahba Motallebi, who will grace us with her presence again later in the evening, and Siamak Ghahremani, founder of Noor Iranian Film Festival. This panel will be moderated by Carla P. Cota, a PhD candidate at University of Arizona with a main research interest in the connection among culture, identity and education, especially as it relates to the education of second generation children in the US.
Panelists will discuss where Iranian American arts stand today, especially in light of the current administration’s ban of certain travelers from Iran and now 5 other Muslim-majority countries. Additionally, we will explore how artistic expression may help shift public sentiment toward a more just and equitable world, or society.
— PERSIAN FUSION CUISINE – By Chef Patrick Connolly of Rider Restaurant — Critically acclaimed chef, Patrick Connolly, of Rider restaurant at National Sawdust, will be offering a Persian-inspired, fusion menu available for purchase during the festival’s dinner break. Be ready for an American twist on Persian cuisine filled with familiar saffron and turmeric hughes to reel you in.
— FILMS – Curated by Noor Iranian Film Festival — Enjoy your Persian-inspired cuisine over Noor Iranian Film Festival’s award-winning selections to ring in the New Year:
No Land’s Song, by Ayat Najafi (93 minutes)
The Islamic revolution of 1979 banned female singers from appearing in public in Iran. They are no longer allowed to perform solo, unless to an exclusively female audience. Recordings of former female icons can only be bought on the black market. But Sara Najafi is determined to refresh the cultural memory by roaming Tehran in the footsteps of famous singers of the 1920s and 1960s. She is about to revive the female voices in the present as she courageously plans an evening of Iranian and French female soloists to rebuild shattered cultural bridges—a concert that is not allowed to take place. For two-and-a-half years, director Ayat Najafi follows the preparations between Tehran and Paris that are always touch and go. What’s still possible? What goes too far? Sara’s regular meetings with the Ministry of Culture shed light on the system’s logic and arbitrariness, though officials there can only be heard and not seen. Can intercultural solidarity and the revolutionary power of music triumph? A political thriller and a musical journey, No Land’s Song never loses sight of its real center – the female voice. See trailer here.
The Role of Each Fret, by Maryam Farahzadi (9 minutes)
The union of a couple in love, by getting assistance from a joint effort of music and nature performed in Persian miniatures, from ancient land of Iran.
The Persian Arts Festival celebrates 10 years of showcasing the work of hundreds of Iranian American artists from around the world at the prestigious new Brooklyn venue, National Sawdust. The 10th Annual Persian Arts Festival will feature multiple art forms including short films by Iranian Americans, performances by established Persian poets, hosted and curated by Zahra Saed and Sara Goudarzi, the NYC premier of vocalist and daft player, Aida Shahghasemi, who fuses her exquisite Persian classical vocal training with indie-rock tendencies, and Mitra Sumara, a big-band of NYC-based musicians dedicated to Pop/funk music from Pre-Revolutionary Iran.
It is an honor to bring the Persian Arts Festival to NYC’s iconic National Sawdust, an unparalleled, artist-led venue, hailed by the New York Times as a game-changer in the way new music is presented. www.nationalsawdust.org
FESTIVAL LINEUP:
MUSIC PERFORMANCE by Aida Shahghasemi
Aida, initially a Daf player, studied with Amir Samadi in Tehran, Iran. She moved from Tehran to Minneapolis in summer of 2000. One unsuspecting summer day back in Tehran, she was pushed to sing on stage by Samadi, and she fell in love with it ever since. Her passion for Persian classical music stems from the cultural identity she craved after immigrating, and the women she met during her years of study. Her senior project at University of Minnesota’s Anthropology department centered around restrictions on the voices of female classical vocalists in Iran, through which she met, interviewed, and studied with Parissa for a short period of 3 months. While residing in NYC, Aida worked with a few non-profit organizations as a teaching artist promoting the arts as a tool for social justice. She created and taught a class called Iran’s Arts Activism centered around the effects of society on art and vise versa, at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. http://www.aidashahghasemi.com/
MUSIC PERFORMANCE by MITRA SUMARA
Mitra Sumara is New York City’s only Farsi Funk group. This international party band gets down with the vibrant pop and funk music of 60s/70s Iran, an infectious pre-Revolutionary sound which combined the beats of Fela Kuti, salsa, and disco with Middle Eastern melodies and flowery poetry.
Interpreting hits by Iran’s beloved singers Googoosh, Pooran, Aghassi, Leila Forouhar, Nooshafarin, and Zia Atabi’s intoxicating Bandari beat tunes, Mitra Sumara’s repertoire also includes American hits of the era translated into Farsi. East meets West meets East while delighted audiences sing along.
Mitra Sumara’s musicians are among New York City’s top players in the avant-garde, jazz, indie-rock, and Broadway scenes. They include Yvette Perez (vocals), Julian Maile (guitar), Sam Kulik (bass), Michael Evans (drums/congas), Brian Geltner (drums/percussion), Bill Ruyle (hammer dulcimer), Jim Duffy (keyboard), and Peter Zummo (trombone).
Mitra Sumara is the creation of Brooklyn-based half-Iranian lead singer Yvette Perez. Adopted and raised by American parents, Yvette founded the group after studying Farsi and re-uniting with her Iranian birth father just four years ago. This cross-cultural music project is inspired by her family story.
Mitra Sumara has played the John F. Kennedy Center Millenium Stage as well as New York City venues including Le Poisson Rouge, Brooklyn Bowl, WestBeth, Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center and Café Nadery, and the Tropicalia Club in Washington, DC.
POETRY
Curated by Zohra Saed and Sara Goudarzi, this segment of the program will bring poets, authors, scholars of both Iranian and non-Iranian descent together in celebration of Spring, renewal, and rebirth.
In 2010 Fayre Makeig received a PEN/Heim Translation Fund grant for a selection of Hushang Ebtehaj’s free verse. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their two children, two and under, and supports family as a line editor of banal bureaucratese and academic claptrap. She loves spring.
Angelo Verga has been widely published, translated, and anthologized. A former owner of, also longtime literary curator at The Cornelia Street Cafe, Verga has helped to promote poetry as a popular and much-needed art form. His seventh book of poems is Long & Short, including The Street in Your Head (2016) and is available on Amazon.
Sahar Muradi is a writer and performer born in Afghanistan and raised in the U.S. / is co-editor, with Zohra Saed, of One Story, Thirty Stories: An Anthology of Contemporary Afghan American Literature / is co-founder of the Afghan American Artists and Writers Association / has published in Drunken Boat, dOCUMENTA, phati’tude, Green Mountains Review, elsewhere literary magazine, Bone Bouquet, and The Poetry Project Newsletter / is a Kundiman Poetry Fellow, an AAWW Open City Fellow, and twice recipient of the Himan Brown Creative Writing Award in Poetry / has an MFA in poetry from Brooklyn College, an MPA in international development from NYU, and a BA in creative writing from Hampshire College / directs the poetry programs at City Lore / and believes in the bottom of the rice pot.
Ravi Shankar is an award-winning poet, editor, translator and professor of writing who founded the international online journal of the arts Drunken Boat, and has published or edited 10 books and chapbooks of poetry. His most recent collection is “What Else Could it Be: Ekphrastics and Collaborations.”
Soraya Shalforoosh’s first collection of poetry, This Version of Earth was published by Barrow Street in November 2014. Soraya has been a featured poet in the Journal of the Academy of American Poets Emerging Poet Series, and has had poems and reviews in Tribes.org, Good Foot, Taos Journal, Barrow Street, Skanky Possum, Bomb Magazine, Marlboro Review, WSQ, Can We Have Our Ball Back.com, Shampoo Poetry, Brink: An Anthology of Post Modern American Poetry, Four Corners, Salonika, etc. Soraya has her MFA in Creative Writing from the New School and as an undergraduate at Clark University, won first place in the Prentiss Cheney Hoyt Poetry award.
Ms Shalforoosh has been a Writer in Residence at William Paterson University in NJ, a guest poet at Berkeley College in New York, guest speaker at the American Embassy in Algeria. Soraya has performed her poetry with jazz, blues and world music bands in clubs, universities and Central Park.
SHORT FILMS
Short films will be presented that reflect the Iranian heritage, family history, and commemorate our widely celebrated holiday, Norouz.
“Current”
By Nika Khanjani
This short experimental uses re-photography onto black and white 16mm film which was then hand processed (very rough and stinky process using buckets of chemicals and film reels dunked like tangled spagetti in a makeshift darkroom), then digitized for online editing. I originally called this film Current Landscapes because it was an honest reflection of my inner emotional landscape at that time. ————————————– I have chosen to call my film Current Landscapes because it refers to the inner landscape that exists in each of us, simultaneously particular and universal. Like any study of a landscape, looking at the inner geography requires time, patience, and a steady gaze so that what is subtle and easily overlooked is given significance. This piece is about the excavation and search for memories, images, sounds, impressions and tones that inform who we are. While these memories are of things past, they remain current because they are present in us all the time. Just because we may not remember does not mean that they do not exist. It is simply our choice whether we will sit still long enough to recognize their presence and let them surface in whatever form they exists. I have chosen to use re-photography of my own family as a method of exploring these landscapes. I spent a great deal of time with a number of photographs that evoked memories of my childhood. I filmed them then hand processed the film in order to create the scratches you see. These scratches are meant to create distance between the viewer and the image, a veil of sorts, because these images are phantom-like, as memories sometimes seem to be. Just out of reach, below the surface, seemingly of another world. To express this visually, I allowed the photos to begin obscurely and out of focus. This represents the initial moments of remembering things from the past—–they are not very clear at first but, with time, may become clearer. The scratches that were the result of rough hand processing added to the visual effect of separation and distance in that even when memories and impressions from our past become clearer, they are still evasive and just out of reach.
“Even Gray Feels Blue”
By Negin Sharifzadeh
No one speaks; Nothing to say; Nothing to teach.
Silence is truly the best speech! – Poem by Ahmad Shamlou, Translated by: Maryam Dilmaghani
“Even Gray Feels Blue” investigates the nature of melancholia and solitude, translating these most intimate and deeply personal feelings into their aesthetic essences. The echoes of the individual move into collective realities. Sorrow becomes social malaise.
The film avoids the structure of story and narrative, built instead as a musical composition, creating an ambiguous psychic space for the viewer to enter. The images have been created in conversation with a composition, The last Turn, by the Iranian master Oud player Negar Bouban, based on “Shabaneh,” a poem by Ahmad Shamlou. Even Gray Feels Blue edited and composited by digital master Harold Moss. Both music and image utilize repetition to create a trance-like dynamic, intensifying the emotional resonance by tapping into memories as individual history and an act of collective remembrance.
“Norouz (نوروز) – Songs of Pardis”
By Negar Behbahani & Saloomeh Sayah www.pardisforchildren.org/
From the Album: Songs of Pardis
Vocals by Hani Niroo Song written by Negar Behbahani Arranged and mixed by Salmak Khaledi Produced by Pardis for Children, Inc.
The most important symbol of Norouz is Sofreh Haft Seen (Haft Seen table setting). Haft Seen or seven S’s represent the main elements of the sofreh. Each element has a meaning and is a symbol of what we wish for ourselves, our family and our friends in the new year. The Seven Symbols Senjed: Silverberry, symbol of love Samanoo: Sweet Wheat Pudding, symbol of affluence Somagh: Sumac (red spice), symbol of patience Seer: Garlic, symbol of good health Serkeh: Vinegar, symbol of wisdom Sabzeh: Sprouts, symbol of growth and rebirth Seeb: Apple, symbol of beauty
“Imagine Native”
Director: Mina Bozorgmehr & Hadi Kamali Moghadam Producer: Hadi Kamali Moghadam & Mina Bozorgmehr Screenwriter: Hadi Kamali Moghadam & Mina Bozorgmehr
This short documentary fiction, tells the legend of Love between man and fairy. It is a journey to the depths of the beliefs, imaginations, and magic of the people from South of Iran, Hormoz island, the land of thousand-colored sands. This short film is the story of a southern artist, called Mousa, who collects the worn out leg-covers of native women from the washed out rubbish on the shore and puts them together to make tableaus that lay the groundwork for a modern legendary story. It has been told that there was a tradition in the past, where Island people would offer the clothes of a dead person to Mother Sea, so she could cleans that person’s soul and …
Imagine native, is a prelude to a longer documentary fiction, called \”Janbal\”, which is in the process of being edited.
“Cycles of Lambent Frequencies”
By Negin Sharifzadeh
Animists recognize the spirit of life in every object—a blade of grass, a stone, a brick in a wall. In every nook and cranny,against every wall, life finds its way towards growth and transformation. In this installation, I am taking advantage of light and the technology of projection mapping to reveal to our eyes this magic inside nature in all its manifestations. The sort of magic one imagines transpiring in a clearing hidden deep in the woods, late at night when no humans eyes are there to witness, is instead seen on a wall in SoHo.
A stone face of some ancient deity hangs on a brick wall in the darkening evening. Suddenly, the eyes open. Light flows from her mouth. All the seasons of the year break out at once, sped impossibly up. Green things grow from below. Leaves fall and are blown about. The eyes look around, taking in this explosion of life. Mythic images layer on top of this great fecundity. The light and sounds from all this activity are thrown from the wall to the space around, encapsulating the viewers within this magical place.
As in nature, no sooner is this frenzy reached, then it begins to recede. New growth falls back into the earth. Leaves settle and are absorbed. The eyes grow sleepy, and the light begins to fade. Sleep overcomes the wall, and darkness returns, only to begin the cycle again.
Persian Arts Festival and Drom Present: Night of Melodic Wanderlust – A Spring Voyage to Celebrate Iranian & American Fusion
Persian Arts Festival is proud to announce its 9th annual Nowruz celebration, Night of Melodic Wanderlust, a spring voyage to celebrate Iranian and American fusion, MC’ed by comedienne Susan Peret, featuring Persian-Americana rock from three of the city’s hottest bands. The highly-anticipated event will take place at NYC’s premier global music venue Drom on Friday, March 27 at 7:00pm ET.
Headlining the event will be Vatan a Persian meets Americana, or self-described as, “Iranicana”, group hailed by Aslan Media as one of the top emerging Middle Eastern bands to watch for boldly redefining bi-national American identity in melodic terms.
The evening’s line up will also feature acoustic singer-songwriter flair from opening act Arian Saleh, as well as East-meets-West classical fusions from Persian folk master Navid Kandelousi. Rounded out with Vatan’s signature Perso-country grooves, the three acts create a seamless bridge between Iranian and American fusion, amplifying what it means to empower heritages, pay tribute to family roots and celebrate cultures through musical dialogue.
Advance tickets cost $15 for standing room, $25 for guaranteed seating, and $35 for guaranteed seating with a pre-fixe menu. Door prices are $20 for standing room, $30 for guaranteed seating, and $40 for guaranteed seating with a prix-fixe menu. Tickets can be reserved online at dromnyc.com. The venue will also feature a mini Shurka Bazaar, where guests are invited to peruse through arts, crafts, books, jewelry, and more throughout the event.
Be sure to purchase your tickets HERE in advance as SPACE IS LIMITED! For more info and updates, be sure to RSVP on our facebook event page.
