Bandoleros | en

Founded by Johnny Shabandar and Wesam Isho in 1997. Distinct repertoire combining rhythmical styling and sounds of the Caribbean and Mediterranean nations. Bandoleros has a distinctive international flair and charisma. Released CD’s: Habibi in 2000, Bandolero 2002, Maximo 2004, A Part of Us 2006, Compas de Fuego 2008. "Guaranteed good time!" (Fox News in the Morning) "Chicago’s most eclectic band (ABC 7’s Janet Davies), Chicago’s premiere televised magazine show. Coveted Award of Honor for Contribution to World Beat Music at the 2003 Chicago Music Awards. Johnny Shabandar (lead vocalist, guitarist, songwriter); Wesam Isho (lead vocalist, songwriter, percussionist), Ashur Isho (lead guitarist, songwriter, background vocalist), Mauro Frosio (Keyboards). To see a video from their 2008 New Year's Eve performance in Chicago, as covered by Chicago's ABC 7, go to www.theclubchicago.com and click on the HD video.

Chicago’s Hottest Multicultural Music Makers Return from World Tour to Open their Own West Loop Restaurant-Lounge

(Chicago, IL) March, 2009 - What do you do when you’re Chicago’s most renowned Middle Eastern, Spanish flamenco and Latin rhythm band, and you want the best Saturday night venue for your music? If you’re Bandoleros, the Chicago-based musical band known around the world for its intoxicating blend of multicultural rhythms, you open your own restaurant-lounge. Bandoleros announces that the band will be the new owners of Pasha in Chicago’s West Loop and the regular Saturday night headliner.

“Bandoleros had an amazing eight-year run at Pasha before it closed two years ago, and we were looking for the best Saturday night venue we could find, both for the band and for the huge Chicago following we have.” said Ron Levine. “Band members talked with longtime friend and former Pasha owner, Bobby Sengi, and the solution became obvious: Bandoleros reopens Pasha and makes it the hottest Saturday night show in town.”

The grand opening of their new Pasha venue is slated for June 2009. For more information, go to the Bandoleros website at www.bandoleros.com.

World Tour Success

Bandoleros just wrapped their most recent world tour, which included performances in Malaysia, India and Dubai. While in Dubai, the group recorded songs with top new artists from the Middle East Broadcasting Corporation. Bandoleros is also finalizing plans to perform this September at the Beirut Music Festival in Lebanon. A true international phenomenon, the band has an enormous fan base around the globe due to its unique multicultural musical repertoire, which includes songs sung in such diverse languages as Arabic, English, Spanish, Italian, Greek and Turkish.

Their notable global reach has generated some special opportunities for the band. Last year Bandoleros performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Chicago 2016, the official local Olympic Committee dedicated to bringing the Olympics to Chicago in 2016. The recording was presented to the International Olympic Committee in Beijing during the 2008 summer Olympic Games, offering a resonant example of the sheer energy and diversity of life and music in Chicago.

Now back in Chicago, Bandoleros are putting the finishing touches on its newest record, Gipsy Arabia, which is a collection of 15 new songs and a dynamic collaboration between Bandoleros and members of their unique world music family: Los Reyes, Patchai from the Gipsy Kings, and the Gipsy King Family.

To find all local, national and international concert information, as well as announcements for the grand opening of Pasha in June, go to the band’s website at www.bandoleros.com. Performance dates listed are subject to change and can be verified on the website.

About Bandoleros: Chicago-based Bandoleros, featuring members Johnny Shabandar (composer, vocals, lead guitar), Wesam Isho (vocals, percussion), Ashur Isho (guitar, vocals, sound engineer) and Mauro Frosio (keyboards), and Ronny Dawood (drums), continue to draw fans and critical praise across the U.S. Their record credits include Habibi (2000), Bandolero (2002), Maximo (2003), A Part of Us (2005), Ashur Solo (2006), Compas de Fuego (2008), and Gipsy Arabia, scheduled to be released in June, 2009. For more information, please contact band manager Ron Levine at 847-272-6000 or email [email protected]. .