Strunz and Farah return to UTB-TSC

Before world music became a familiar genre, Jorge Strunz, of Costa Rica, and Ardeshir Farah, of Iran, were making music that blended traditions from two continents.

Strunz and Farah will return to Brownsville for the fourth time on Nov. 14 to perform at the Jacob Brown Auditorium at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

The pair said that the Texas-Mexico border, with its strong tradition of guitar-rich Norteño, Tejano, and country music, has always been one of their favorite places to perform.

"It's great to come back to Brownsville, the reception there has always been wonderful," Farah said.

The musicians, who perform on Spanish-style guitars, met in Los Angeles in 1979 and have been performing their unique blend of Middle Eastern, Latin American, and Afro-Caribbean music ever since.

"When we first started playing there wasn't even a category for our kind of music," Strunz said. "Today, it's common to find collaboration between musicians from different backgrounds."

Now, Strunz says, media travels with greater ease than ever before. Their music has been transported to corners of the globe as diverse as their own backgrounds.

"Now we're being asked to perform in Bulgaria and Dubai," Strunz said. "It's wonderful to be able to present our music to new people and expand our horizons."

Strunz and Farah will perform as part of the UTB-TSC Arts and Entertainment Season on Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. For more information, contact the university at (956) 882-8200.