Acclaimed pianist Michael Garin captivates audiences Tuesday through Saturday on the Roxy Bar’s Steinway grand. But he’s also found a fertile following with another project, his world music group the Habibi Kings. Get to know more about them below, and make sure to catch them Saturday August 2^nd at 8 PM! Reserver HERE.

 

Tell us the origins of your genre-bending band The Habibi Kings?

From the 1950s to the 1980s, there was a vibrant Middle Eastern club scene in New York City. Mostly in Manhattan and Queens. Egyptian, Israeli, Greek, Turkish, Armenian, and Lebanese clubs with bands and dancing. They’d go till dawn and were tons of fun. The Habibi Kings try to recreate that vibe.

 

What prompted you to start the band?

I wanted to see what an acoustic piano would add to the traditional sound. Plus I missed playing the music and the sheer fun of how much people loved it. I learned the repertoire playing keyboard and singing at the Cafe Feenjon in Greenwich Village.

 

What does each member bring to the group that is unique?

Samir Shukry, our violinist and vocalist, is a big star in Israel. He is an Arab and Muslim. Mardie Millit is a half-Italian Episcopalian dazzling vocalist from Ohio. Seido Salifosky, our percussionist, is a master of the Doumbek and a Muslim Macedonian Roma. Sira Melikian, our fabulous Belly Dancer, is an Armenian Christian. Me? I’m the bandleader, pianist and vocalist, and I’m a first generation Israeli-American Jew. We each bring our history and mutual respect for the cultures and music that got us here.

 

Were you exposed to this kind of world music at an early age?

I grew up listening to Israeli folk songs by artists like Theodore Bikel, along with classical musicians like Isaac Stern, so no. But being from the Washington DC area, I ended up playing guitar in bluegrass bands, and strangely, that prepped me for Middle Eastern and North African music better than you’d think. The musical vibe of the Habibi Kings can arguably be described as the intersection of Salsa and Bluegrass.

 

What’s the strangest song in your repertoire?

We once adapted “Goldfinger” with a Hebrew, Arabic, and English rewrite. We might bring that back. But at any given show, we might veer from Om Kalthum to the Stones, Mozart, or Michel Legrand without warning.

 

How do crowds typically react?

They go wild. One night we had Israelis, Kuwaitis, Iranians, Saudis, Lebanese, families from North Carolina and Texas who had never heard the music before, and gay theater and cabaret performers there to see Mardie Millit — all dancing together and having an absolute blast.

 

And you have a belly dancer to boot!

Sira is as focused on our ethos as the rest of us, and what her artistry brings to the experience is essential.

 

Tell us about your musical background? How did you learn to mash-up Madonna and Julio Iglesias so seamlessly?

I started off as an actor and song and dance man. Eventually, I made piano music the focus of my career. One of my goofy and wonderful gigs was pianist in the VIP Room at the Limelight disco, where I played for the likes of Frank Zappa, Grace Jones, and Matt Dillon. Checking out the DJ on my breaks taught me the value of mashups. Turns out the DJ was Moby.

 

What can listeners expect on Saturday 8/2?

The Habibi Kings mission statement is….”If Musicians ruled the world, there’d be no more war. Nothing else would get done, either.” For a few hours, everything that’s gone wrong can be set aside and a new way of accepting and enjoying our differences can be seen and heard. Provided you wear comfortable shoes.

 

Can we expect a recording of the band anytime soon?

In the words of Fats Waller, “One never knows, do one?”