New York Concert for Island Aid

PRESS RELEASE FOR DISTRIBUTION

Please join us at
CONCERT FOR ISLAND AID
Presented by Paul’s Imports
A Benefit for Ongoing Tsunami Relief
www.island-aid.org
featuring:

VLADA TOMOVA & BALKAN TALES
GAMELAN DHARMA SWARA
KAREN ZASLOFF SHADOW PUPPET THEATRE
ALIZA WEINMAN, MD., MPH

Friday Nov. 10th 2006 7PM-10:30PM

Patrons Reception: 6:30-7:30PM
THE SANCTUARY
Broadway Presbyterian Church
114th and Broadway
New York, NY

Tickets (thru Ticketweb www.ticketweb.com):

Advanced. Gen. Adm.: $12
Adv. Concert + VIP Reception: $25
Adv. Reserve-A-Pew: Group of 8 Tickets: $120
Adv. Reserve-a-Pew + VIP Reception (8 tickets): $224
Walkup at the door: $15 (suggested donation: $20)

On December 26, 2004 Indonesia was rocked by one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history. The tsunami that followed is still having devastating effects on the region. ISLAND AID ORGANIZATION (then called Electric Lamb Mission, after their home built sailboat—the first relief vessel to reach Aceh), with few resources, but abundant inventiveness and determination, managed to be one of the first relief organizations to travel to the hardest hit areas including remote mountain villages, and to the conflict-laden Aceh province.

Since the coastal roads were wiped out by the tsunami, many of the better established NGOs were stuck in the devastated urban areas while the Island Aid ship was able to access remote coastal areas by sea, thus bringing more expedient relief to thousands of stranded and desperate people.

In the first six months of operation alone, IAO distributed over 650 tons of emergency supplies, facilitated the treatment of more than 7,700 patients, received US $475,000 in donations, and deployed over 180 volunteers. IAO has continued to offer support by desalinating wells, restoring fishing vessels, rebuilding schools, rejuvenating crops, and continuing essential medical aid in the areas still recovering two years later. Currently, they are preparing to launch a flying doctor service in partnership with Troppodoc's Dr Derek Allen.

Troppodoc's Dr Derek Allen is both a helicopter pilot and surgeon.

IAOs ongoing efforts have been documented in the 2006 Webby Award Winning website NOT SEEN NOT HEARD – A Document of Indonesian Recovery and Sustainability.

CONCERT FOR ISLAND AID will feature a full concert by hypnotic, multilingual Bulgarian vocalist VLADA TOMOVA and her ensemble BALKAN TALES and a presentation and dialogue with Island Aid Organization front-line volunteer and Emergency Medicine doctor ALIZA WEINMAN, MD, MPH, whose persistence and desire to simply help during the crisis took her from Morningside Heights through the red tape of international relief organizations and overwhelmed NGO's to the most devastated regions of western Sumatra.

VLADA TOMOVA, who has been described as a "Bulgarian vocal sorceress" is a world caliber, multilingual singer and vocalist. Her magnetic stage presence and "phenomenal acrobatic vocalizations" (The Boston Globe), have graced Central Park's Summer Stage, Joe's Pub, Symphony Space, the European Dream Festival, the 2006 Montreal International Jazz Festival, and Toronto's Small World Festival.

She is the leader of New York’s Bulgarian Women’s Choir, Yasna Voices and her work with Balkan Beat Box has received international acclaim. Tomova's international music ensemble, BALKAN TALES churn traditional, old world Bulgarian songs into a passionate array of music, language, cultural textures and moods--ranging from fado to raga--blending fiery vocals, mournful taqasims, driving percussion, and complex harmonies. On Thurs. Nov 9 (a day before the concert) Vlada is slated to be a featured guest on WNYC's venerable daytime music-talk show, SOUNDCHECK hosted by John Schaefer, where she will promote the concert as well as the cause.

GAMELAN DHARMA SWARA is a group of over thirty dancers and musicians studying and performing traditional and new works for Balinese gamelan throughout the tristate area and around the Northeast. They are a member of Arts Indonesia, a not-for-profit organization, and operate under the generous support of the Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia. For Concert For Island Aid, Dharma Swara’s Indah Handoko, Ketut Mariyati Dawkins, and Ketut Gde Arthana will be performing.Sekar Jagat ("Flower of the World", a welcoming dance) and Kebyar Duduk (“sitting kebyar”).

ALIZA WEINMAN, MD, MPH, Island Aid's New York representative and international volunteer, is a New York-based Emergency Medicine physician who trained at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center. When the earthquake that rocked South East Asia sent a massive tsunami across the region, Aliza dropped everything and sought to volunteer on the front lines of devastation. After sending out hundreds of emails and applications to the overwhelmed NGOs, her persistence finally paid off when she came across a Newsweek article that mentioned a small grass-roots organization based in Sumatra named the Electric Lamb Mission (now called Island Aid Organization).

A few emails and phone calls later, Aliza was on a plane headed halfway around the world for Sumatra. The very night she arrived, Island Aid’s chartered 800 ton relief ship set sail for Aceh province.

CONCERT FOR ISLAND AID will take place in the beautiful, acoustically excellent SANCTUARY of the Broadway Presbyterian Church at 114th and Broadway in the heart of New York’s Morningside Heights neighborhood. This diverse area of Manhattan features many cultures, shops, restaurants, a major university (Columbia) with students and faculty from all over the world, and no less than 5 youth hostels/travelers hotels.

For information, to volunteer, or to contribute, please contact:

Paul Assimacopoulos
Paul's Imports Presents
cell 917-526-6862
paul@paulsimports.net

Dr.Aliza Weinman
Island Aid Organization
alizaweinman@gmail.com


Event links:

Island Aid Organization www.island-aid.org
Vlada Tomova www.vladatomova.com
Gamelan Dharma Swara www.dharmaswara.org
Paul’s Imports www.paulsimports.net
Not Seen Not Heard www.notseennotheard.com
Ticketweb www.ticketweb.com

2nd Operation Date Set

Dr Derek has confirmed that the girls will have their next operation on the 28th of November.

They are healing very well and are very happy. The staff at Rumah Sakit Harapan are fantastic and they have arranged temporary accommodation for Sotarian's father who is acting as guardian.

The two moderate quakes that stuck the West coast of Nias yesterday and this morning have not cause a tsunami nor have there been any reports of injuries. Dr Fasa said that the quakes were strong but that there is no damage reported in Gomo.
Clearly we are in for a long period of seismic adjustment in this area. Our focus remains on preparing for the worst in our part of the central coast.

Troppodoc's helicopter is at last cleared through Indonesian customs and Dr Derek arrived Friday by truck from Medan. The engineers will arrive on the 18th to assemble the R22 and test all systems. We are working on license and permit issues needed to start our Island Flying Doctor service.