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About Wareed
We are a San Luis Obispo–based nonprofit ensemble dedicated to sharing the musical traditions of the Arab world and the greater Middle East through live performance, education, and collaboration. Our work brings these rich, evolving art forms to local audiences while creating opportunities for advanced student musicians to study, rehearse, and perform music which is less often heard in the West.
Our Approach
​Through partnerships with schools, cultural organizations, and local institutions, Wareed blends artistry with education. We curate authentic repertory and interactive lectures where attending students not only hear traditional instruments and rhythms, but engage with them—making what was once foreign, familiar and joyful. By consulting directly with both tradition bearers and scholars, we ensure that our educational events are both well-informed and artistically alive. We also transcribe and document songs from predominantly oral traditions to preserve and share their beauty with new audiences.
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Repertory
Wareed’s recent programs have featured beloved works such as Tila’it Ya Mahla Nurha, Ahu Da Illi Sar, Ya Rayah, Nina Nai Nai, Tsamikos, Nassam ‘Alayna Alhawa, and Zuruni, among others. Each piece is chosen to illuminate the diversity of Arab and neighboring musical cultures, and to invite deeper understanding across communities.
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Our organization strives to create a living bridge between cultures by fostering curiosity, appreciation, and shared humanity through music.