This Side of Fifty: TAYF: Sahrit Saffron

I went to my third TAYF Concert on April 23, 2026. This one was at the Color Club Ballroom on Chicago’s Irving Park neighborhood. The concert was titled Sahrit Saffron which is an “expansive cultural night steeped in SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) roots and rhythms". The theme and the concert sought to evoke the warmth and light of saffron, acting as a celebration of existence, tradition, and cultural preservation.

In light of the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, the notions of existence, tradition, and cultural preservation are much more serious and precious. This did not escape the producer and musicians of TAYF as they crafted the concert pieces and presentation. The first half of the show was more somber and lamenting. Songs, poems, and dances of lament is something that many SWANA cultures, sadly, have perfected and created in great numbers due to the history of the region. The second half of the concert was more hopeful which is, of course, what buoys these same cultures to persist, honor traditions, and embrace their cultures. TAYF delivered all this most in a beautifully crafted concert.

I have attended three TAYF concerts. The first was their inaugural concert at the Old Town School of Music. The second was in October of 2025, TAYF: From Ash to Bloom. All three concerts were wonderful and enjoyable. The group has evolved and grown with each concert. In the concert last night, they took it to another level entirely. I was really blown away.

They were in one word tighter. In few other words, they were more comfortable on stage. Tighter and more comfortable with each other, being on stage, and the music is part of the formula for musical excellence. The arrangements were wonderful, highlighting each and every performer. The interplay of the vocalists in leads, back-ups, and harmony was very well done. The meld of music and Phaedra’s improvisational dancing was perfectly in-sync. The group was noticeable tighter than the other concerts I went to. There were zero mistakes that I noted. Everyone seemed more confident and they were not only ready for the stage last night. I also believe they were ready for the recording studio and bigger stages.

TAYF members at the Sahrit Saffron Concert:

C Mikhail – Bass, Vocals
Sham Abyad –Vocalist
Karl El Sokhn – Guitar, Riq, Drums, Vocals
Dr. Aliah Ajamoughli, PhD – Cello
Phaedra Darwish – Flute, Vocals, Dancer
Dr. Shayna Silverstein – Violin
Yasmeen – Dancer
Pan Fayang – Guest flute, ney

None of this happens without a lot of hard work and practice. While the credit goes to the ensemble, the driving force and creator of TAYF, C Mikhail, clearly deserves a lot of credit. C sets the tone, creates a beautiful culture for the group that nurtured and sustained their dedication to the group, and arranged all the songs except one for this concert. Their arrangements were impressive in terms of fullness and texture. I was most impressed by the way C highlighted the talents of Aliah, Shayna, Phaedra, and Pan that were notable in various passages throughout concert. My ears perked up to very noticeable lush cello lines, soprano violin riffs, and beautiful flute adornments. This kind of arranging added so much color and intricacy to the music.

Here is the musical line-up for the evening.

Morghe Sahar
Hadi ya bahr
Ya msafer wahdak
Ala Tariq
Kifak Inta
Intermission
Dak khilkeh
Shou hal ayyam
Baatilak
Talfan Ayyash
Ayshe wahda balak

I was impressed with C’s vocal skills. For the opening musical piece, C sang Morge Sahar, a song regarded as an ‘anthem’ against injustice in Iran and the signature piece of the famed Mohammed Reza Shajarian. C sang it in Farsi, not a language they are fluent in, while playing the bass. It was beautiful. C’s bass playing was also showcased in an engaging bass taksim. C and Sham teamed up for a beautiful lament of just voice and bass. It was very moving, maybe the highlight of the first half of the show. Karl sang two songs and has become something of specialist in singing in the style of Ziad Rahbani. Both Karl and Phaedra sang chorus parts in other songs as well.

I cannot comment on TAYF without praising Sham’s amazing singing. She is something very special and her rich vocal stylings, alone, are reason enough to come to attend a TAYF concert. Abdo Timejardine-Zomeño, a clarinet player in the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble (MEME), praised Sham after a MEME concert with perfect sentiment: “I could listen to this Queen sing all night.” Indeed! To me, she is ‘the Fairuz of Chicago.’

Queen Yasmeen and Phaedra’s dancing added a beautiful visual dimension to the performance. Queen Yasmeen danced elegantly and gracefully to recorded music to both kick-off and end the concert. Phaedra danced, interpretively, to pieces played by the ensemble. It was art music and dancing embracing Arab culture.

The crowd of friends and fans absolutely loved TAYF. Probably a third were MEME members. Every member of TAYF either is currently in MEME or once was. Everyone in attendance loved each and every music and dance offering. They showed it with loud, sustained, and enthusiastic applause.

The entire evening was curated and produced by BIYA BIYA Productions founded by Yasmeen Zacaria Mikhaiel, another MEME member. Yasi made the evening more than just a concert, they had a bazaar of local merchants and organizations with tables on the periphery of the concert hall, there was photo booth with a live photographer, and a DJ dance party after the TAYF concert. It was all very well done and made for a great evening all around. BIYA BIYA Productions and TAYF are about the same age as both were founded just a few years ago. Their teaming up was natural, and their growth has had the same trajectory. This was the best TAYF to this point. This was the best curated and produced TAYF event as well. TAYF has solidified as an ensemble and were more natural and comfortable on stage, the same could be said about Yasi as well from her opening remarks and to how they interfaced with the audience, band, and staff. I look forward to seeing this partnership grow and blossom.

The future looks very bright for TAYF and BIYA BIYA. I will be the first in-line to buy a TAYF CD and, who knows, maybe even a TAYF World Tour 2028 hoodie.

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