The Fifth String: Ziryab's Passage to Cordoba

Golden Thread in San Francisco presented a livestreaming performance of The Fifth String: Ziryab's Passage to Cordoba livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Saturday 17 May at 8 p.m. PDT (San Francisco) / 10 p.m. CDT (Chicago) / 11 p.m. EDT (Toronto).

Meet Ziryab, the 9th-century musician and cultural icon, in this family-friendly new play with live music: a musical genius, a star of the Baghdad court, and a fashion innovator. The Fifth String playfully tells the story of his beginnings in Iraq, his life as an immigrant to Cordoba, and his lasting contributions in music, fashion, and culture that continue to reverberate today. Widely credited with adding a fifth string to the oud and with introducing Persian and Arabic influences to Spanish music, his life becomes an inspiration for this modern retelling as a story-within-a-story in the tradition of 1001 Nights.

Written & directed by Torange Yeghiazarian, The Fifth String is collaboratively created with an ensemble of actors, musicians, and clowns. Production design by Mokhtar Paki. Original music composed by Faraz Minooei. Featuring live music performed by Gari Haggerty on oud & Ali Bazyar on percussion. The acting ensemble features: Munaf Alsafi, Camila Ascencio Betancourt, Jamie Coventry, Deborah Eliezer, Majd Murad, Maruf Noyoft, & Naima Shalhoub.

About HowlRound TV

HowlRound TV is a global, commons-based peer produced, open access livestreaming and video archive project stewarded by the nonprofit HowlRound. HowlRound TV is a free and shared resource for live conversations and performances relevant to the world's performing arts and cultural fields. Its mission is to break geographic isolation, promote resource sharing, and to develop our knowledge commons collectively. Participate in a community of peer organizations revolutionizing the flow of information, knowledge, and access in our field by becoming a producer and co-producing with us. Learn more by going to our participate page. For any other queries, email [email protected], or call Vijay Mathew at +1 917.686.3185 Signal/WhatsApp. View the video archive of past events.