The Guy Mendilow Band

The Guy Mendilow Band, which last performed in Elmira in 2008, returns for a concert on Thursday, November 4, 2010. Known for inventive arrangements and creative instrumentation, Guy Mendilow’s music takes audiences on a journey to the places Mendilow has called home--from Israel and South Africa to Mexico, Brazil, and the United States--as well as destinations that exist only in the group's imagination. Because the music combines elements of many different musical traditions, it appeals to multiple constituencies and to audiences of all ages.

The band will perform at Congregation Shomray Hadath auditorium, 1008 West Water Street, in Elmira, at 7:30 p.m. The performance is sponsored by the Jewish Center & Federation of the Twin Tiers and Valley Folk Music, and is made possible in part by funds from the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, administered through the Arts Council of the Southern Finger Lakes, and by donations from JCF members.

The Guy Mendilow Band consists of five classically-trained musicians who perform in a variety of styles and on an exceptionally wide variety of instruments. Its founder, Guy Mendilow, grew up in Israel, Great Britain, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States, and draws musical inspiration from these traditions and others. In his hands, a bow, made from a branch, wire from a car tire, and a gourd becomes a full drum kit, the Brazilian berimbau. To vocals, woodwinds, and strings, the band adds percussion, jaw harps, an electrified thumb piano, and Mendilow’s award-winning overtone singing.

In a single concert, the band might perform songs in English, Portuguese, Hebrew, Arabic, and Ladino, sometimes mixing languages and musical traditions in unexpected ways--for example, a melody from Burkina Faso sung in Hebrew, or a song containing sounds of many different languages.

Guy Mendilow has recorded three CD albums, the most recent of which, Skyland, was released in 2009. He is especially known for overtone singing, a technique associated with Central Asian music that allows one singer to produce multiple pitches.

The concert is open to the public. Admission at the door is $10 for adults, $5 for students, and free for children under age 13 attending with an adult. Information is available from the Jewish Center & Federation (607) 734-8122.

Visit their Web site at: www.guymendilow.com