Livia Gazzolo Announces “Gulîstán After Hours,” an Immersive Live Music Series at Café Gulîstán in Harbert, Michigan

 

Commencing in the month of June, world music vocalist and producer Livia Gazzolo, daughter of Ibrahim Parlak, presents Gulîstán After Hours, an immersive live music series on Thursdays from 8–10 PM EST, June 4 through September 24, 2026, at Café Gulîstán in Harbert, Michigan.

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The first Kurdish restaurant in the United States, Café Gulîstán is the realization of Parlak’s journey from a family farm in Kurdistan to Harbert, Michigan. Since its founding in 1994, the restaurant has become a gathering place for food, music, and cultural exchange. In 2026, Gazzolo returned home to manage the family business and expand its artistic programming through Gulîstán After Hours.

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Gulîstán After Hours is an extension of The Land of Roses, a nomadic artist residency producing immersive musical performances under Gazzolo Productions. Visiting artists will contribute performances and site-specific collaborations throughout the season. 

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On Thursday evenings, Café Gulîstán will transform into an intimate performance space featuring immersive sets, rotating musical collaborations and visual storytelling, including silent films. The series will be sponsored and feature specialty cocktails by Fruitbelt Sparkling Tonics.  

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Gazzolo’s performances highlight the resonance of cultures through original arrangements blending jazz with world music traditions ranging from Brazilian Tropicalia to Kurdish, Persian, Turkish, and Arabic melodies. Each week, Livia & Friends will present a different musical style and ensemble, including:

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• Brazilian Tropicalia with Reynaldo Certain (guitar)

• Jazz Fusion with Pat Leary (piano), Jacob Bicknase (drums), and Jeff Wheaton (bass)

• Contemporary Rock/Jazz Fusion accompanying silent films with Ben Kinsinger (piano)

• Jazz Standards with David Lahm (piano)

• Kurdish, Persian, Turkish, and Arabic Music featuring Marwan Kamel (percussion, ney, oud, and buzuq), Eric Novak (reeds), and Mohamed Radwan (oud and qanun)

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“Come for dinner, stay for the music!"