The Empress Theatre Presents an Incredible Night of World Music Featuring Badi Assad, George Brooks and Kala Ramnath's GLOBAL CONVERSATION

The Empress Theatre presents an evening of World Music featuring Badi Assad and George Brooks & Kala Ramnath's "Global Conversation" with Frank Martin and Selvaganesh Vinayakram.

BADI ASSAD is a guitar player, singer, vocal juggler and songwriter from São Paulo, revealed as one of the most complete and virtuoso artists of her generation. The Los Angeles Times once said: "Badi Assad redefines solo (guitar) performance! Revelatory, a brilliant display of innovation, imagination, and skill...almost hypnotically compelling!"

With 14 albums released worldwide (her Wonderland, 2006, was selected among the 100 Best from the prestigious BBC London and was also included among the 30 Best on Amazon.com), Badi was selected (with artists such as Ben Harper and Ani DiFranco) as one of the guitar players that would revolutionize the world (US Guitar Player).

In 2010, to celebrate her 20-year career, She released a commemorative DVD "Badi Assad." 2 years later Badi released her first independent and authorial album through her own label Between Love and Luck, already conquering the award of Best Composer of The Year (APCA/BR). Also her song Pega no Coco won 1st prize in the USA International Songwriting Competition (world music category). In 2015 Badi released Hatched, with acclaimed covers of modern icons such as Lorde and Skrillex. In 2018 she released her first book 'Around the world in 80 artists' and the Brazilian movie director Edu Felistoque created a documentary about her life called BADI, winning as The Best Film of FestCine Maracanaú (BR). It had its international debut at the Brasil Summerfest in NY and won as Best Documentary at Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival.

George Brooks and Kala Ramnath have been performing together since the early 2000's when they were introduced by tabla phenom Zakir Hussain. Since then they have performed extensively in the US, India and Europe with Brooks' groups Summit and Aspada as well as their co-led group Global Conversation and most recently Elements, their trio with Dutch harpist Gwyneth Wentink. Frank Martin has performed with Ramnath and Brooks as part of Global Conversation and as a member of George Brooks' Summit. Martin is also featured along with Ramnath on Brooks' 2010 recording "Sprit and Spice".

Northern California native Frank Martin maintains a diverse career as a performer, producer and educator, who has performed and/or recorded with an extraordinary array of today's highest profile artists.

Martin has toured as Musical Director for recording artists Narada Michael Walden, Patti Austin, Angela Bofill and Roy Ayers and for the past 20 years has been a member of Sting's "Rainforest Band" performing annually at Carnegie Hall, with James Taylor, Elton John, Billy Joel and many others.

Ticket prices are $25 for Upper Balcony, $35 Lower Balcony, $40 Loge, $45 Orchestra. Visit www.empresstheatre.org or call 707-552-2400.

Photo courtesy of Empress Theatre

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