Dawn Elder never forgot the night her father took her to hear a Lebanese diva. She wanted to make music as pure as that. (Shay Peretz / For The Times)
A.J. Racy | Oud player Born in Lebanon, Racy earned degrees in musicology at the University of Illinois and has been at UCLA since 1978. (Shay Peretz / For The Times)
Salar Nader | Tabla player An Afghani American, Nader performs all over the world, playing locally with DJ Cheb i Sabbah. (Shay Peretz / For The Times)
Adam Basma | Choreographer An award-winning dancer, director and instructor, Basma, who was born in Beirut, owns a Middle Eastern dance studio in L.A. (Shay Peretz / For The Times)
Gamal Gomaa | Percussion player The Egyptian-born Gomaa specializes in North African and Arabic percussion instruments. (Shay Peretz / For The Times)
Dawn Elder steered clear of the belly dance scene in favor of traditional groups such as the Taal Dance Company, led by Neera Chanani. (Shay Peretz / For The Times)
