Tarab Retreat History
Inspiration
Thirty years ago, Pete Jacobs accompanied belly dance weekends for Suzanna Del Vecchio's four day retreat in Shadowcliff Center and Rafi'ah Rayah's retreat in Grand Lake with Fellaheen Ensemble.
Meanwhile Meg York was holding forth getting a Performance Degree at University of New Mexico, playing jazz and Early Music and in Theater Pit Orchestra and for Circus Luminous. Meg accompanied Flamenco Dance for Eva Encinias-Sandoval at University of New Mexico, and toured internationally with Symphonic Orchestras and Pablo Rodarte's Dance Espana.
Then she got HOOKED playing for belly dancers at SCA haflas, and Balkan Dance parties with Svirka and Goddess of Arno. Meg and Pete had both been basking in the incredible Mendocino CA Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camps, Eastern European Folklife Center Camps and were playing dance music with Nabil Azzam, Yuval Ron, Hal Aqua, Cameron Powers, Sherefe, and many, many others.
Innovation
Driving Back from California around 2014, Meg and Pete dreamed of bring the Mendo Tribe Vibe to the Rockies. Meg's daughter had been to La Foret for formative Unitarian Youth Camps, so Meg approached the historic venue La Foret .. it has just the right ambiance for a
"Mendocino with out the Mosquitos"!
We were truly honored to have Travis Jarrell, Deborah Newberg, Rafi'ah Ruyah, Eva Cernik, Deepali of Roshni Organization, Omar Al Tabal, Hadgaba Klezmer Band, Farabi Persian Ensemble and the incredible Moroccan musician, Rachid Halihal at our First La Foret Tarab Retreat at in 2018! 2019 Eric Zang we added Nepali Master musicians Bijay and Nabin Shrestha and the Parson Sisters. We also began hosting online Faisal Zedan sessions and hosted him in person in 2022 for a series of Front Range events.
Implementation: La Foret Retreat Center
This is our fifth year bringing Tarab to Colorado for Front Range Artists, their students, and audiences.
One of our venues is breathtaking -- the 1928 log Ponderosa Lodge and Southwest style Chapel on campus at the Historic Unity Conference Center at La Foret.
Hybrid Connections: Columbine Spiritual Center
Pete Jacobs has a close connection with Columbine Spiritual Center near Boulder, CO. When the Covid 19 Pandemic made it a struggle to host a camping immersive event at La Foret, we asked Columbine to host two days of hybrid live streamed events with live band and one dance teacher. We've had so many past glorious concerts there with Sufis Beniyamin and Rabia Van Hattam, Yuval Ron, Key Jam Key Nepalese Classical, Farabi Persian Ensemble, and more...
Tarjama Ensemble: Outreach
In this age of barriers, music and dance
build bridges between the
past and the future by basking in the present.
Tarab is that magic moment of surrender to
immersion of improvisation
We cannot demand Tarab occurs --
we can only hold space for ourselves, and let it unfold.
Tarjama Ensemble Present and Future
To date we've hosted over 400 hours of online percussion classes, 25 hybrid concerts, dozens of Arabic community parties, played at Persian poetry readings, private Iranian events, ethnic holidays, ethnic weddings and ethnic celebration of life.
Tarjama plays for Unity Peace Concerts and dozens of fundraisers for Musical Ambassadors of Peace.
Help Our Cause
We share hybrid events in engaging ways
to lift everyone's spirits.
As always, we appreciate your participation and support.
Alex Wilson Legacy Fund
Folklore Partner
A fund to honor the legacy of Alex "Tink" Wilson was established in 2012 in cooperation with the Wilson Family to support folklife programs in and around the Boulder, Colorado, area.
For the first five years the Alex "Tink" Wilson Legacy Fund operated as part of Boulder International Folk Dancers (BIFD). In September 2017 a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, the Alex Wilson Legacy Fund, was established and the BIFD-related fund closed. The Alex Wilson Legacy Fund operates independently.
Regular Grant Cycle Since its inception, the Fund has supported a wide range of projects in folk and community music, folk dance, and story through small grants (usually $500 to $2500) to individuals and organizations in the Boulder, Colorado, and Front Range areas. Please note that all funds granted prior to 2018 were given when the Fund was part of BIFD.
Tarab Retreat has been funded in part by ALWF since 2018
Musical Ambassadors of Peace
Non Profit Fiscal Partner
MAP funds music and dance projects for refugee communities, trains music ambassadors to go into these communities and keep authentic folk music alive since 2003, and fiscally sponsors music and dance events that bridge communities here in America. Founded in Boulder, Colorado, MAP is Tarab Retreat's nonprofit fiscal partner.
Alex Wilson Legacy Fund
Denver's premiere Modern Ballet Company
David Taylor Zikr Dance Company collaboration with Persian Cultural Circle in kind donation of volunteer hours, Shahrzad Khorsandi and Farabi Ensemble with a grant from Denver Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs culminated in 20 hours of workshop with Shahrzad Khorsandi with Zikr dancers, a soundtrack by Farabi Ensemble, several interviews with Persian artists on KGNU Radio, three concerts of Persian music and to date 28 performances in 26 different cities in Colorado and New Mexico of the Persian folklore inspired ballet choreography.
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
Recording Partner
Our Tarjama Ensemble uses ASCAP, which is a professional organization of 900,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, founded and governed by its members, and the world leader in performance royalties, advocacy and service for music creators, to pay our musicians' royalties.
To date, our musicians have earned approximately $3500 from their recordings.
Denver Office Of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs
City cultural funding
The Denver Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs (DOIRA) partners with nonprofits, community-based organizations, residents, and government agencies to develop and implement policies, practices and programs that influence the various paths of immigrant integration.
DOIRA funded a seminal concert at Mercury Café.
Persian Cultural Circle
Persian Cultural Circle
Persian Cultural Circle exists in order to help improve the image of Persians and the people of Iran. We promote ancient Persian celebrations as secular and positive community festivities and invite all nationalities and backgrounds to celebrate the Persian culture with us. Moreover, we communicate and model the ancient Persian philosophies of respect for humans, animals, earth, water and air at all times. Our hope is to inspire the next generation of Persians and non-Persians to continue honoring and celebrating these meaningful traditions joyfully and proudly. Through in kind donation and volunteer hours, PCC is instrumental in helping with Farabi Ensemble Events, Shahzad Khorsandi and Bella Diva Dance Residencies, the Mercury Café Persian Music Night, Persian Dance night at Vital Root Yoga, Bamdad Concerts with guest soloist Meg York, and making costumes for David Taylor Zikr Dance.
Bella Diva World Dance
Dance for every Body!
Bella Diva World Dance consistently strives to bring culturally authentic and informed world dance forms to Denver and provide unique performance opportunities for their students in semi-annual Student Showcases held at popular, various Denver venues and professional theatres. During their weekly dance classes, students will smile while they sweat to global dance grooves, shedding weight from within and without. At Bella Diva, they believe dance is for every BODY, no matter your size, age, background, or orientation. World Dance is the universal language that connects us all in our human experience. Tarjama Ensemble LOVES our annual fall Haflas Arabic Dance Party.
Eastern European Folklife Center
Balkan Cultural Exchange
The East European Folklife Center (EEFC) was established in 1982 through the love and dedication of a core group of musicians and dancers. Today, this ever-growing and expanding organization brings together an inclusive, celebratory, and welcoming global community of passionate amateurs and professionals, to respectfully share the richness and complexity of Balkan music, dance, and cultures.
There is both inspiration from and faculty cross pollination with EEFC Camps in Mendocino, California.