25 min. for 6+ year old
Once upon a time, during Bagdad’s golden era, there lived two brothers. The older, Kassim was wealthy men while his younger brother Ali Baba, was very poor. One day, while looking for firewood, Ali Baba heard the sound of hooves. He knew that thieves and robbers were common in this part of the forest, so he quickly hid his mules and climbed up the nearest tree.
The horsemen, forty of them altogether, were indeed robbers!
He watched a bandit carry bags of plunder to a stone wall and shout: “Open Sesame!” As if by magic, a door opened in the rock…
This well-known tale, from the collection “1001 Arabian Nights” tells the story of Ali Baba and his discovery of a cave of wonders as well as the dangers that he encountered and bested, with the help of his servant, Morgiana.
Jason Gray, composer
Jason Gray received his Bachelor of Music Composition from Texas Tech University (2001), his Master of Music Composition at Arizona State University (2005) and currently is completing his Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition at the University of Toronto where he serves as a graduate teaching associate in music theory.
The composer has collaborated with artists and ensembles in a variety of mediums including orchestral and choral concert music as well as music for live dance, Internet media, and film. Jason, who has recently immigrated to Canada, currently resides in its largest and most musically vibrant city, Toronto.
Rima Al-Juburi, illustrator
Rima Al-Juburi was born in Austria and grew up between Baghdad and Europe. She initially studied architecture but soon turned to the painting and design of ceramics and porcelain.
Her work has been shown all over the world; from Vienna to Amman; Baghdad, San Francisco, and Abu Dhabi. Rima finds inspiration in a variety of Arabic symbols, in particular, the Iraqi date palm to which she likens the Iraqi woman: “roots deep in the earth, head held high with pride towards the sun; uneasy to defeat or bend over time”.