NEW YORK (JTA) — A klezmer duo from Southern California will share the stage with a legendary Pakistani rock ’n’ roller in a unity concert in Palo Alto this weekend.
UnityJam, set for Sunday, Jan. 17, will feature performances by Salman Ahmad, the guitarist in Junoon, along with klezmer musicians Yale Strom and Elizabeth Schwartz as part of a fundraiser for two nonprofits that focus on interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue — Abraham’s Vision and the Salman and Samina Global Wellness Initiative, J. The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California reports.
Ahmad’s band Junoon is regarded as the pioneering force behind sufi rock music in Pakistan. As a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, he has used his music and celebrity to draw attention to humanitarian causes worldwide.
Ahmad, Strom and Schwartz will be joined by New Yorker Saleem Khan, who plays the tabla, an Indian percussion instrument.
Between songs, Muslim and Jewish high school and university students who have participated in Abraham’s Vision programs will speak about their concepts of world unity.
