Jordan Week

Casa Árabe devotes a week to Jordan, from June 27th to July 1st different activities will be carried out in Madrid in order to show and to spread the peculiarities of this country.

This season is organized in collaboration with the Embassy of Jordan, and includes concerts (on Monday and Wednesday), cinema (on Thursday and Friday), and a business forum (on Tuesday).

MONDAY JUNE 27th: AZIZ MARAKA & RAZZ CONCERT

The Jordan cultural week opening event will be a concert by Aziz Maraka, one of the most relevant figures on the alternative musical scene of Jordan.

Although he was born in 1983 in Tunisia, where he spent his early childhood, when he was 10 he moved to Jordan where he grew up and developed his career, always having a keyboard by his side. In 2005, he formed the band RAZZ, abbreviation from the three words summing up the pillars of its musical style: Rock-Arab-Jazz. Its first album, “Master Copy”, was released in 2008 and in 2010 he took part in a collective recording of the Lebanese record label eka3, focused on the promotion of new Middle-East musicians.

Aziz has played in various Jordan and international festivals. Casa Árabe’s concert will be the first show in Spain, both for him and his band.

Aziz Maraka (voice, piano) accompanied by Yarob Smairat (violin), Davit Tadevosyan (trumpet), Yazan Haifawi (electric guitar) and Mohammad Jaber (percussion).

Casa Árabe’s garden will host the concert at 22.00 (c/ Alcalá, 62) and access will be opened half an hour before. Free entrance prior ticket collection –maximum two per person – from June 22nd to 27th (but Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays) from 15.30 to 19.30 at Casa Árabe’s headquarters.

TUESDAY JUNE 28th: BUSINESS FORUM "Economic Development and Growth Prospects in Jordan. Investment Opportunities for Spanish Enterprises"

Activities related to Jordan will follow suit such as the business forum "Economical Development and Growth Prospects in Jordan. Investment Opportunities for Spanish Enterprises", which will be hosted at Casa Árabe’s headquarters (c/ Alcalá, 62).

Jordan economy is one of the most opened from the region, thanks to the bilateral agreements and the reforms carried out since the country entered the World Trade Organization in 1999. Despite the international financial crisis, during 2010 Jordan economy recovered its expansive dynamics, with a 4% GDP real growth rate, which is expected to rise up to a 5% in 2011. Jordan Government has spent 6 000 million euros on the Development Programme for the period 2011-2013 and it comprises remarkable projects related to public transport, education, health, energy or water domains.

The forum will be inaugurated by Gema Martín Muñoz, Director General of Casa Árabe, Zaid Al-Lozi, Jordan Ambassador to Spain, and Juan Elízaga Corrales, Chairman of the Foreign Commission of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Afterwards, 10.30 onwards, Zeina Touqan, Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Planning Ministry of Jordan, will talk about "Jordan Economy: Figures and Balances, Strategic Sectors and Development Projects (PPP)". Followed by a speech at 11.00 by Elias Farraj, deputy director/ vice-director of the Jordan Investment Board (JIB) on "Why to Invest Now in Jordan? Foreign Investment Privileges and Opportunities."

Besides, at 12.00 there will be a speech on "Aqaba Special Economic Zone: International Business Centre and Red Sea Leisure Destination", and at 13.00 another on "Investments and Spanish-Jordan Business Cooperation: Success Stories", where both Spanish and Jordan enterprises will take part in.

Business forum attendance is free, prior registration before June 24th, either via telephone (91 563 06 52) or Email (economia@casaarabe-ieam.es).

WEDNESDAY JUNE 29TH: OMAR FAQIR "THE FAQIR SYNDICATE" CONCERT

Jordan cultural week concerts will be closed by the first show in Spain of the popular jazz musician Omar Faqir.

He was born in Amman in an artist family, his grandfather, Omar Faqir, was a qanun master, a string instrument descendant from the harp, and his father, Hassan Faqir, was a nay virtuous, a bamboo flute typical from the Arab world. Through them and mainly due to his father’s magnificent musical library, he started his immersion not only in classical Arab music but also in Western music, and particularly in jazz figures from all the different periods. 

He was one of the founders of the first Jordan jazz band, “Faculty X”. Since then, he has played in several international concerts and festivals with musicians such as Stanley Jordan, Charles Davis, Noah Howard, Chris Byars, John Mosca, Chris Washbourne, Ari Roland, Ryan Coen or Alvin Atkinson. Up to now, five albums compile the first jazz figure all over the Middle East’s mastery. Among them, “Desert Harmony” constitutes the first Jordan-USA jazz recording with the saxophone player Noah Howard. Omar is also the author from several themes already legendary such as “Jazz Abdul Wahab". His last album released in 2010 bears as title "From Within".

Omar Faqir (keyboard) will be on stage with Hasan Faqir (nay and violin), Alaa Faqir (guitar), Ibrahim Khreis (bass guitar), Davit Tadevosyan (trumpet), Maher Hanhan (percussion).

The concert will take place at 22.00 at Casa Árabe’s garden (c/ Alcalá, 62) and access will be opened half an hour before. Free entrance, prior ticket collection -maximum two per person – from June 22nd to 29th (but Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays) from 15.30 to 19.30 at Casa Árabe’s headquarters.

THURSDAY JUNE 30TH AND FRIDAY JULY 1ST: CINEMA

Jordan cultural week ends up with two days devoted to the country’s cinema. On Thursday June 30th, Casa Árabe will show the film Captain Abu Raed, by Amin Matalqa (Jordan, 2007), and on Friday July 1st the Spanish-Palestine director Jaime Natche will present Jordan cinematography itineraries and introduce the showing of short films by Fadi G. Haddad High Heels (2009) and Once Upon a Piano (2010).


Captain Abu Raed, by Amin Matalqa (Jordan, 2007, 102 min.).
Abu Raed is a janitor at Amman’s airport who has an impossible dream, travel all around the world, reading books and chatting with travellers. After finding a captain cap, he meets a group of children who mistake him for an airplane pilot and listen astonished the stories Abu Raed weaves for them.


High Heels, by Fadi G. Haddad (Jordan, 2009, 19 min.).
Nawal, a recently widowed social snob, finds out her husband left her nothing but an empty bank account and a scandal. She is convinced that the affaire her husband was having led them to bankruptcy, but she is unable to proof it because the evidence lies inside his husband’s mobile phone blocked by the pin code. The mess starts when his young mistress shows up at the funeral.
 
Once Upon a Piano, by Fadi G. Haddad (Jordan, 2010, 25 min.).
Since childhood throughout his gloomy life, only one thing used to pull Salem out of his despair; a beautiful girl playing piano behind a window in the next building. When an old friend comes to town with a tempting job offer abroad, Salem feels compelled to find a solid reason to stay, he decides to go and meet the piano girl.

Showings will take place in original version with subtitles in Spanish at 19.30, at Casa Árabe’s Auditorium (c/ Alcalá, 62). Free entrance, prior ticket collection from 19.00 onwards. Maximum 2 per person.