The SHARQ Ensemble was created by Egyptian musician Karim Nagi in 1999. The word "Sharq" means "East" in the Arabic language. The goal of the group was to present authentic Arab vocal and instrumental music, using the traditional acoustic instruments. The group originally specialized in medieval Arabic music from the Andalusian and Ottoman periods. Over the past decade, the ensemble added 20th century classics from Egypt and Syria, plus regional Arabic folklore from North Africa and the Eastern Arab countries. The focus of the group has always been to revive the repertoire, style and presentation of Arab music. The Ensemble is lead by Karim Nagi, a native of Cairo Egypt, master percussionist and proponent of traditional Arab folkloric dance. Nagi tours all over the world 45 weeks per year performing and teaching, and has authored 12 CDs and 5 DVDs. Aboud Agha is the groups lead vocalist and Oud (Arab lute) player, originally from Aleppo Syria. Agha was a premier concert and special event vocalist in the Boston area, and is now studying for a Masters in Ethnomusicology at Northern Illinois University. The ensemble is completed by Boujemaa Razgui from Marrakech Morocco. Razgui is a multi instrumentalist who has had careers in Morocco, France, Canada, and now the USA with the Sharq Ensemble.