The Organisation Open Asia and the Théâtre du Soleil
present

Sima Bina
The diva of Khorassan

Tuesday 9 December 2003
at 8:00 p.m

The Théâtre du Soleil
Cartoucherie

Concert for the benefit of the project
"Afghanistan: one child one book"

Sima Bina
The diva of Khorassan

Concert for the benefit of the project
"Afghanistan: one child one book"

Tuesday 9 December 2003 à 8:00 p.m.
Théâtre du Soleil - Cartoucherie

Sima Bina, the voice of Khorassan (East of Iran), will sing secular sthrenodies of her natal province on stage at the Théâtre du Soleil for the benefit of the "Afghanistan: one child one book" project created by the organisation Open Asia. All proceeds will go to financing this project. Tickets are available as of today from the Théâtre du Soleil and the cost is 20 Euros (normal rate), 15 Euros (reduced rate), 25 Euros or more (donor's rate) and free for children of less than 12 years of age.
Afghan dishes will be served as of 7:00 p.m.

Sima Bina is one of the most renowned traditional Persian singers. As a true anthropologist of Khorassan music, (a region located at the borders of Iran, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan), she has been compiling for years a traditional repertoire from this province. Singing in Persian, but also in Turkish and Kurdish, she perpetuates a tradition of folk music which praises nature and love, and which evokes nostalgia and the changing times. Her arrival in France is exceptional because she remains one of the rare Iranian interpreters performing abroad.

For Open Asia, an international not-for-profit development organisation supporting development of civil society in Middle Asia, the equation is simple: a gift of 2Euros equals one book. Furthermore, Open Asia is currently raising funds for an independent publishing house in Afghanistan (4,000 Euros are needed merely for the official registration of the publishing house and for the purchase of necessary material). In this way Open Asia hopes to publish, quickly and at the lowest possible cost, books for the youth of this country, devastated by book-burners at the time of the Taliban dictatorship. In the year 2003, Open Asia already published two collections of poems in Afghanistan with the support of UNESCO, including one exclusively for children entitled "Caravan of light", and made up of previously unpublished works written by authors from forty countries. Created in 1996, the organisation has offices in France, Denmark, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, as well as a network of correspondents in Middle Asia.

Practical information

Ticket Reservation: 01 43 74 24 08

Performances:

The theatre opens at 7:00 p.m.. Afghan food (paying menu) will be offered to the audience before the commencement of the show. The show will start at 8:00 p.m.

Access:
By metro: "Château de Vincennes" station, exit from the front of the train towards the bus stop where a shuttle (which stops along the avenue) conducts its first trip at about 1h15 minutes before the beginning of the show, and the last trip, 10 minutes beforehand.
By auto bus: line 112 until the stop "Cartoucherie". After the show, the shuttle will make several trips to the metro.
By car: Esplanade du Château de Vincennes then follow the signs. Free parking will be available inside the Cartoucherie.