CAC Annual Arab American Festival & Book Fair

Event Schedule

Event Schedule

Festival begins: 3 pm

Book Fair, art exhibits, Arabic food sale and many Arab American vendors showcasing their work

4 pm Boston Dabke Troup performance

5 pm Classic Syrian Poetry and Music performance with Dr. Suzana Hajjar and Adan Azkoul

6 pm Moroccan Fashion with designer and artist Salwa Gardaf

7:30 pm Evening concert with Boston Arabic Music Ensemble (BAME) and CAC Children Choir

 

The Book Fair is brought to you by Intern Link Publishing 

Intern Link Publishing, established in 1987, Interlink Publishing is a Massachusetts-based independent publishing house that offers a global, cosmopolitan perspective. Our list is devoted to works of literature, history, contemporary politics, art, cultural guides, international cuisine, and illustrated children’s books from around the world.

Interlink publishes approximately 50 titles each year and has an active backlist of over 1000 titles under the following three imprints.

Interlink Books Logo

Interlink Books publishes a general trade list of adult fiction and non-fiction with an emphasis on books that have a wide appeal while also meeting high intellectual and literary standards. Series include: Traveller’s Histories · Traveller’s Wine Guides · International Folk Tale Series · Interlink Cultural Histories · Interlink Cultural Guides · Interlink Traveller’s Companions · Interlink On-the-Road Histories · Interlink Travellers’ Wildlife Guides · Interlink World Fiction · Interlink Pocket Explorers · Interlink Pocket Timelines

Olive Branch Press Logo

Olive Branch Press publishes socially and politically relevant non-fiction, concentrating on topics and areas of the world often ignored by the Western media. Titles also include works on a wide range of contemporary issues such as Middle East studies, African studies, women’s studies, religion and translated works by academics of international stature.

Crocodile Books Logo
Crocodile Books publishes high-quality illustrated children’s books from around the world. Titles published under this imprint include quality picture books for preschoolers, as well as fiction and non-fiction books for children ages 3-8.

Event Schedule

Meet our Performance Groups

Boston Dabke Troupe

The Boston Dabke Troupe is a young group of college students and young professionals dedicated to teaching, learning, and performing Dabke. We started in November 2014, with over 30 initial members, and first performed in February 2015.

We hold weekly lessons for those who are interested in learning, and are available to perform at public and private events.

Click Here to Read More

Classic Syrian Poetry and Music performance by Syrian Dr. Susana Hajjar Azkul and Adan Azkul

Dr. Susana Hajjar Azkul 

Dr. Susana Hajjar Azkul from Swaida SyriaBorn in Venezuela to a Syrian mom and dad, and moved to Syria when she 2.5 years old.Dr. Hajjar Azkul has a Medical Doctor degree from Damascus university and a Master degree in Public Health from the University of New Hampshire in the USA.She came from a family that loves and supports music, singing, and poetry.She started singing at young age and in Boston she joined Astaza ensemble in Boston College where she joined the choir and started vocal training with Dr. Nizar Fares in 2018.Married to Dr. Bassem Azkul and have two kids Adan and Nason.

Currently Susana is the Vice President of the board of the American Druze Society ADS Boston Chapter, a member in the women auxiliary committee in the national board of American Druze Socitey ADS and a president of the culture preservation in the Swaida American Society SAS

 

Adan Azkul

Adan is born in 2008 and a is a Freshman high school in 2023. He started music education when he was 5 years old on piano and guitar. He plays saxophone with his school band since he was 11. Adan has started learning Oud in 2019 with Professor Nizar Fares. He is a member of the CAC Youth Orchestra program in Boston and Astaza Arabic Music Ensemble at Boston College.

 

 

Boston Arabic Music Ensemble (BAME)

In the early 1980s, a few amateur musicians and friends from the Boston community gathered to play some popular folkloric and other classical songs from the Arabic musical heritage. The group gathered in several venues from private homes to local universities such as MIT and Harvard, and lately at the Center for Arabic Culture (CAC) to celebrate that rich musical heritage. Many of the group members have participated in and learned the musical format through the Arabic Music Retreat that is held yearly at Mount Holyoke College under the direction of Simon Shaheen and AJ Racy, as well as students and faculty from the Berklee School of Music in Boston.
More recently, the group has evolved into its current members from the Boston community, and performs classical and folkloric Arabic musical repertoire under the artistic direction of Bassam Saba (from 2010 to 2018) and Layth Sidiq (2018-). The group had been hosted at the Center for Arabic Culture locale in Somerville, MA and performs regularly at the CAC annual Spring festival.

To Read More Click Here

Meet our Artists and Vendors: