Shamou

About the Artist

Shamou''s music career began at an early age in his native Iran where he also studied and performed with the Iranian National Ballet as a dancer. He began his formal music training in Tehran, studied with teachers from the Royal College of Music in London and continued his training at Berklee College of Music in Boston. A well-known figure in the Boston music scene in the mid-90?s, Shamou was the lead singer and percussionist with several award-winning world music ensembles. Shamou is also known for his collaborative work with dancers including the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Co., Mark Morris Dance Company, ODC/San Francisco, and San Francisco Ballet, among others. Since 1990 Shamou has taught hand drumming, percussion and music for dance in a wide variety of settings including Harvard University, Wellesley College, the Boston and Maine area schools (K-12), ODC/San Francisco, and the Bates Dance Festival, to name a few. From 1999 to 2001 he performed extensively at major venues in San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Las Vegas including Bill Graham Auditorium and the Fillmore West. Shamou continues to teach music in diverse settings and to collaborate with dancers. He has created original scores for choreographers Stephan Koplowitz, Robert Moses and Judy Smith of AXIS Dance Company. In 2004 he conducted residencies at Bates College, University of Southern Florida and Dr Phillips High School creating body music pieces on the students. Also in 2004 Shamou was cast in the History Channel movie productions&#59; The Witch-Hunt, aired in 2004 and The Conquest of America, Southeast, aired in 2005. In 2005 he performed original music for a world premiere production at the Portland Stage Company and for Musica de Filia choir. Shamou has contributed music to several CD compilations and has released his own solo CD entitled Spirits Dance, Shodjah with his former band by the same name, and Live at CCE with his new ensemble Loopin?.