Tannoura at Al-Ghouri & Al-Azhar Park (Egyptian Drums & Dance)

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Al Tannoura Troupe is one of the Egyptian folk troupe, established by the General Organization for Cultural Palaces at Egypts Ministry of Culture. The group is based on the capital at the old Fatmis Cairo, mainly at wekalet al ghoury . The Troupe was formed in 1988 at the Ghury Palace, which is specialized in reviving and renovating the inherited artistic and cultural themes that have been endangered or about to diminish.

Egypt's only Sufi dance troupe far more raucous and colourful than white-clad Turkish dervishes puts on a mesmerising performance at the Wikala of Al-Ghouri. It's a great opportunity to see one of the medieval spaces in use.

Popular and folk musical instruments usually accompany the troupes performance like Rababa, Salamia, flute, drums, tambourines and sanjes ). These instruments accelerate the dancers warm up and enlighten the colorful atmosphere of the stage performance.

This is a ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org

The Most Amazing Egyptian Drumming

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Astounding Egyptian drumming concert with whirling dervishes & Sufi dancers in Cairo.

This is a ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org

UCSB Middle East Ensemble Performes at Cairo University

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The University of California Santa Barbara Middle East Ensemble has been invited by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture to perform a series of concerts in Cairo and beyond this July 2010.

On July 18th we performed in front of the Central Library of Cairo University to a huge crowd of students. This gig was so much fun and the crowd was one of the most energetic and enthusiastic that we performed for. In fact, the authorities asked us to not include our dancers in one of our last pieces as they thought the crowd might get too rowdy! This video is a section of our version of Ghawazi Dance which we played before the authorities began to get anxious.

This is a ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org

Belly Dancing on the Nile

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Both traditional and modern styles of dance and music are compiled in this arrangement from Cairo, Egypt.

This is a ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org

UCSB Middle East Ensemble - Welcome to Egypt!

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The University of California Santa Barbara Middle East Ensemble arriving to a warm, musical welcome upon arriving in Cairo, Egypt.

The University of California Santa Barbara Middle East Ensemble has been invited by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture to perform a series of concerts in Cairo and beyond this July 2010.

We are now in Cairo! After a ten hour flight we were greeted at our hotel with mizmar, trumpets and drums. These guys played for about an hour and made us forget all about our jet lag! The director of our ensemble, Scott Marcus, had arranged for the mizmar player Kamil Mitwalli (featured in the above video) and his zaffa (wedding procession) band to greet us. Scott has worked with Kamil on previous research trips to Cairo and he has written about him in his book Music in Egypt.

This is a ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org

Noam Chomsky - The Conscience of America

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For more than 30 years author, scholar, and political activist Noam Chomsky has been one of America's most outspoken critics. Some consider him the most important intellectual living today. Noam Chomsky joins Allan Gregg to discuss the conscience of America.

UCSB Middle East Ensemble Warm Welcome to Cairo Egypt

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The Univeristy of California Santa Barbara Middle East Ensemble arriving to a warm welcome upon arriving in Cairo, Egypt.

The University of California Santa Barbara Middle East Ensemble has been invited by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture to perform a series of concerts in Cairo and beyond this July 2010.

We are now in Cairo! After a ten hour flight we were greeted at our hotel with mizmar, trumpets and drums. These guys played for about an hour and made us forget all about our jet lag! The director of our ensemble, Scott Marcus, had arranged for the mizmar player Kamil Mitwalli (featured in the above video) and his zaffa (wedding procession) band to greet us. Scott has worked with Kamil on previous research trips to Cairo and he has written about him in his book Music in Egypt

Bobby Whittenberg - Hey Hey USA! - No Gods! No Master Sergeants!

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Bobby Whittenberg plays his song "Hey Hey USA!" from his "No Gods! No Master Sergeants!" album released in 2010. Music and lyrics written by Bobby Whittenberg.

This song features Joe Carr on backup vocals.

Visit Bobby's myspace to hear more of his music!
http://www.myspace.com/bobbywhittenberg

&

Visit Bobby's blog to learn more!
http://veteranarchy.blogspot.com/

This video and music was produced and recorded by Jeffry Zavala. www.zgraphix.org

Noam Chomsky - Obama's Imperialist Policies

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Following a NY Peace Action Benefit viewing of Karen Malpede's new play, Prophesy, Noam Chomsky criticizes Obama's rightwing policies, war making, medical care, coziness with commercial interests . He warns of the coming war in Kandahar and Israel's possible attack on Iran that could go nuclear. In the Q & A, moderated by Karen, Chomsky comments on BP's Gulf Oil disaster, the Free Gaza Flotilla incident, urges Guantanamo being returned to Cuba and tortured detainees either being tried or released.

Phyllis Bennis Talks to Austin Activists on Strategies to End the Israeli Occupation

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Phyllis Bennis is a Fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington. She appears as commentator/analyst on PBS, NPR, BBC, and CBC. She's the author of "Before & After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the September 11th Crisis" and "Calling the Shots: How Washington Dominates Today's UN." Her latest books are "Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict" and "Challenging Empire." ;Phyllis Bennis is not new to the political scene. Her knowledge of Arabic language and culture go hand in hand with her in depth understanding of Middle East politics. On a humid, steamy, summer evening on July 10 in Austin, Bennis enjoyed a (mostly) vegetarian feast with local Austinites. She shared her analysis of how the deadly raid on the Mavi Maramara by the Israeli Navy has changed the public opinion so dramatically in our nation, and in Israel.

Grupo Fantasma Live at Threadgill's 2009

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Grupo Fantasma Play at Threadgill's World Headquarters in Austin to a massive audience!

Produced by Jeff Zavala.
A ZGraphix Production.
http://zgraphix.org

The Clear Moon Flower 2010 La Fleur Clair de Lune

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Moonflowers blooming are like radio telescopes tuning in to the moons movement. Just as sunflowers follow the sun, moonflowers follow the moon.

Imagine sitting in your garden on a warm summer evening, a full moon overhead and beautiful moonflowers blooming nearby with their fragrance wafting on a light breeze.

The moonflower opens in mid to late afternoon and blooms right through the night. Its lovely fragrance and large flowers attract night flying insects, like moths, to pollinate it.

When the sun rises in the morning, the moonflower dies. It is replaced by another one the same afternoon until all the buds have flowered and then died as the sun's rays strike them.

This is a ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org

Introduction to The Blooming of a Movement

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Introduction for the new documentary film - The Blooming of a Movement - 2010!

On Saturday, thousands of people converged at the White House for the March 20 March on Washingtonthe largest anti-war demonstration since the announcement of the escalation of the Afghanistan war. By the time the march started at 2 p.m., the crowd had swelled up to 10,000 protesters.

Transportation to Washington, D.C., was organized from over 50 cities in 20 states. Demonstrators rallied and marched shoulder to shoulder to demand U.S. Out of Iraq and Afghanistan Now, Free Palestine, Reparations for Haiti and No sanctions against Iran as well as Money for jobs, education and health care!

Speakers at the Washington rally represented a broad cross section of the anti-war movement, including veterans and military families, labor, youth and students, immigrant right groups, and the Muslim and Arab American community.

Following the rally, a militant march led by veterans, active-duty service members and military families made its way through the streets of D.C. carrying coffins draped in Afghan, Iraqi, Pakistani, Somali, Yemeni, Haitian and U.S. flags, among those of other countries, as a symbol of the human cost of war and occupation. Coffins were dropped off along the way at Halliburton, the Washington Post, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and other institutions connected to the war profiteering, propaganda, and human suffering. The final coffin drop-off was at the White Housethe decision-making center of U.S. imperialism.

The A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition Organized this event;

Visit the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition Website for More Information:
http://AnswerCoalition.org

This is a ZGraphix production.
http://ZGraphix.org
Produced by Jeff Zavala.

Gaza Freedom Flotilla Attack - A Report from Survivors

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Ann Wright and Joe Meadors were passengers on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla that was carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza and was attacked by Israeli forces on Monday, May 31st in international waters killing 9 civilians and wounding dozens of others. They will be speaking on their experience as passengers aboard the Flotilla and on their work as activists.

Wright is a retired Army colonel who in 2003 resigned from the State Department in direct protest of the war in Iraq. Since her resignation she has continued to speak out against the war in Iraq and occupation of Palestine and co-authored Dissent, Voices of Conscience. (More on Ann Wright- http://www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/pgs/portraits/ann_wright.php

Meadors is a retired U.S. Navy signalman who also was on the USS Liberty when it was attacked by Israel in 1967, leaving 34 dead and 173 wounded and the only attack of its kind in US naval history not to be investigated by the US government.( Democracy Now interview w/ Meadors- http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/4/43_years_after_surviving_israeli_attack

When: 5pm Sunday, July 11th, 2010
Where: MEZ 1.306, UT Campus
(Map- http://www.utexas.edu/maps/main/buildings/mez.html)

Sponsored by Palestine Solidarity Committee http://UTPalestine.org and Code Pink http://CodePinkAustin.com

Audio recorded by Allan Campbell from 91.7 FM KOOP Radio
;http://www.koop.org/?page=schedule§ion=peopleunited

A ZGraphix production.
http://zgraphix.org
Produced by Jeff Zavala.

La Fleur Clair de Lune 2010 The Clear Moon Flower 2010

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Moonflowers blooming are like radio telescopes tuning in to the moons movement. Just as sunflowers follow the sun, moonflowers follow the moon.

Imagine sitting in your garden on a warm summer evening, a full moon overhead and beautiful moonflowers blooming nearby with their fragrance wafting on a light breeze.

The moonflower opens in mid to late afternoon and blooms right through the night. Its lovely fragrance and large flowers attract night flying insects, like moths, to pollinate it.

When the sun rises in the morning, the moonflower dies. It is replaced by another one the same afternoon until all the buds have flowered and then died as the sun's rays strike them.

This is a ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org

The Spirit of the Moonflower

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Moonflowers must be among the most beautiful of flowers as well as one with a very romantic name.

Imagine sitting in your garden on a warm summer evening, a full moon overhead and beautiful moonflowers blooming nearby with their fragrance wafting on a light breeze.

The moonflower opens in mid to late afternoon and blooms right through the night. Its lovely fragrance and large flowers attract night flying insects, like moths, to pollinate it. I guess there is less competition in attracting insects at night.

When the sun rises in the morning, the moonflower dies. It is replaced by another one the same afternoon until all the buds have flowered and then died as the sun's rays strike them.

This is a ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org

The Blooming of a Movement - Official Trailer

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The official teaser trailer for the new documentary film - The Blooming of a Movement - 2010!

On Saturday, thousands of people converged at the White House for the March 20 March on Washingtonthe largest anti-war demonstration since the announcement of the escalation of the Afghanistan war. By the time the march started at 2 p.m., the crowd had swelled up to 10,000 protesters.

Transportation to Washington, D.C., was organized from over 50 cities in 20 states. Demonstrators rallied and marched shoulder to shoulder to demand U.S. Out of Iraq and Afghanistan Now, Free Palestine, Reparations for Haiti andNo sanctions against Iran as well as Money for jobs, education and health care!

Speakers at the Washington rally represented a broad cross section of the anti-war movement, including veterans and military families, labor, youth and students, immigrant right groups, and the Muslim and Arab American community.

Following the rally, a militant march led by veterans, active-duty service members and military families made its way through the streets of D.C. carrying coffins draped in Afghan, Iraqi, Pakistani, Somali, Yemeni, Haitian and U.S. flags, among those of other countries, as a symbol of the human cost of war and occupation. Coffins were dropped off along the way at Halliburton, the Washington Post, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and other institutions connected to the war profiteering, propaganda, and human suffering. The final coffin drop-off was at the White Housethe decision-making center of U.S. imperialism.

The A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition Organized this event;

Visit the A.N.S.W.E.R Coalition Website for More Information:
http://AnswerCoalition.org

This is a ZGraphix production.
;http://ZGraphix.org
Produced by Jeff Zavala.

Countdown to Zero - Discussion with Robert Jensen

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A sneak preview of the documentary "Countdown to Zero" took place at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 14311 Wells Port Drive, Austin.

"Countdown to Zero" - which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Festival and is coming to theaters soon - confronts the possibility of nuclear disaster and asks us to consider the consequences for human survival.

University of Texas professor Robert Jensen led the discussion. Admission was free.

The trailer for the film is online at http://youtube.com/watch?v=pQG4oA66uzI

The film opens in theaters July 9.

For more information, contact Robert Jensen at rjensen@uts.cc.utexas.edu

This is a ZGraphix production.
Produced by Jeff Zavala.
http://zgraphix.org

Norman Finkelstein - Gaza Massacre - Alternative Radio

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Gaza is often described as the largest open-air prison in the world. It may be the most densely populated area on earth. Its 1.5 million Palestinians live in a narrow strip with a total area of 139 sq miles or 360 square kilometers. In 2005 Israel dismantled its colonies and withdrew its military forces but retained control over Gaza's land, sea and airspace. Two years later Hamas took political control of Gaza. Citing rocket attacks, Israel imposed a blockade. The International Committee of the Red Cross describes the blockade as "collective punishment" and a violation of international law. There are crippling shortages. Gaza is plagued by frequent power cuts, a ruined economy, and a collapsed health care system. 80 per cent of Gazans lack access to clean water. Israel insists it provides enough "humanitarian aid" to cover Gaza's basic needs.

Norman Finkelstein
Norman Finkelstein received his Ph.D. in 1988 from the Department of Politics at Princeton University. For many years he taught political theory and the Israel-Palestine conflict. He is currently an independent scholar. He is the author of many books including "Beyond Chutzpah," "The Holocaust Industry," and "This Time We Went Too Far: Truth & Consequences of the Gaza Invasion." He is the subject of the documentary "American Radical."

This audio was produced & broadcast by Alternative Radio
Video produced by ZGraphix

*Revisited* The FBI Knocked on My Door! *Censored*

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This version of the video was made because of a privacy complaint made by the FBI to YouTube. The previous versions have been deleted from YouTube, so please spread this to everyone and re-post any comments that were lost.

The Joint Terrorism Task Force Division of the FBI Visits an Austin Peace Activist to Question About Pre-Crimes! On April 21, 2010, two agents of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) came to my house to talk to me, a part time peace volunteer for Palestine. After verifying that they really were with the FBI, I asked them to wait. I shut my door, took a deep breath, and grabbed my video camera.

In an ideal world what prevails is the truth. Therefore, if you are innocent, you have nothing to fear since ultimately you will be found innocent. But the real world is not ideal; and what really counts in this world of ours is the perception of truth. Powerful governmental institutions with insurmountable resources at their disposal in terms of skills, money, manpower, organization, computer systems, etc. can create a perception of truth that ends you up in prisoneven though you are innocent. This is why there are innocent people on Death Row. Consequently, the only prudent answer, when interrogated by government officials, is to exercise your Right to Remain Silent, and request an attorney, specially, during the current times of political agitation and war hysteria.

Just remember that as Voltaire once said, "It's dangerous to be right when the government is wrong" and that "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." -George Orwell

I want to thank Jeffry Zavala for:
* Helping me remain anonymous in this video
* For creating something to help you if the FBI ever knocks on your door to question you about pre-crimes,
* For helping me to tell others about my number one cause: Promoting the "One-State" Solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict, instead of the apartheid-like "Two-State" scenario.

For more information about what to do if you FBI knocks on your door go to:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/8578721/What-to-Do-if-the-FBI-Comes-to-Your-Door

and http://aclu.org

This is a ZGraphix production.
http://zgraphix.org
Produced by Jeffry Zavala.