There’s a huge, gaping hole that separates Western thinking from the mindset of Islam, into which falls many an idea that neither side can agree upon. One of these ideas, arguably one of the most significant, is that of women’s rights and gender equality. In the west, we take great pride in the pervasiveness of the Multi-tasking Mom, a woman who is just as ready to climb the corporate ladder as cook up your favorite dinner. The West can’t seem to understand a way of life where women have seemingly no rights, and are preferred to be seen but not heard.

Galeet Dardashti, singer, mother and student, wants to bridge this schism of misunderstanding between the Middle East and the West. Descended from a long line of cantors (her grandfather performed for the last Shah of Iran before the Iranian Revolution), Galeet comes from a very strong Hebrew tradition and a family steeped in music. “Woman are not as weak in the Middle East as we perceive them to be in the west.” She says. “What I’m seeking to do with my work is show that Middle Eastern woman are still very strong, just in unseen ways.”

A cantor is the ying to the Rabbi’s yang; while the Rabbi is responsible for preaching, it is a cantor’s job to lead the chanting of the Jewish service. Growing up, Galeet was a cantor herself, though she never formally studied to be one. Exposed as she was to the Torah, Galeet identified with the stories of strong women who were thrust into adverse situations, often at odds with their families or husbands. It led her to formulate a concept album based on the trials and tribulations of many of the unsung heroines of Jewish lore, entitled ‘The Naming’.

‘I’m trying to show that there are these important women in the bible’ Dardashti muses. ‘I want to take these marginal female figures put them into the spotlight’. Dardashti herself will be flirting with the spotlight on March 5th, for the launch party for ‘The Naming’, which also coincides with the kick-off of the Jewish holiday of Purim. Dardashti will be backed by her five piece band SYREN Modern Dance, and is sure to bring the house down with her fusion of traditional Persian melodies and electronica beats.

‘The Naming’ party will take place at 96 Lafayette Street, NYC, on March 5th, and will begin at 7:30 with the Middle-eastern inspired spinning of DJ Acidophilus. Tickets are $10, with proceeds going towards Earth Birth, a charity promoting safe birthing practices world-wide.”

By: Jared Rinaldi