Next Event
- Date: Saturday, June 27th, 2026
- Time: 6:00 PM (Doors open at 5:30 PM)
- Location: Lone Tree Rec Center, 10249 RidgeGate Circle, Lone Tree, CO 80124
Join us for a night of Middle Eastern (MENAHT) melodies and rhythms both classical and otherwise, complete with two hours of live music and over a dozen Belly Dance acts from local artists, international performers, performance groups, and dance professionals!
Orientale is a Denver-based quartet composed of four professional musicians. Orientale represents diasporic and traditional Middle Eastern music, including rhythms of Egypt, Persia, Turkey, and more. Led by head dancer and manager Angela Merlano, Orientale offers a beautiful cultural experience to audiences around the globe.
The Band
Orientale is a Denver, CO based music and dance ensemble specializing in a wide variety of Middle Eastern music from the classic music of the Egyptian Golden Era of Belly Dance to the folk music of Andalusia, Egypt, the Levant, Turkey, and much more, including the music of giants; Uum Kulthoum, Warda, Fairouz, Abdel Halim Hafez, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, and many others.
Orientale as a name has a romance origin, ultimately being derived from the Latin orientalis, meaning “of or belonging to the east,” and in many Romance languages, the art of Belly Dance is referred to as a variant of “Danse Arabe” or “Danse Orientale.” More deeply, the name pays homage to the popular theatrical style of Egyptian Belly Dance style called Raqs Sharqi, which means “Eastern Dance” or “Dance of the East” in Arabic.
In the past, Orientalism was used as a tool of enforcing European ideas of cultural superiority. As an ensemble of many heritages; Palestinian, Latin, European, and otherwise, we aim to reclaim the meaning of “Oriental” and—via the twin pillars of song and dance—showcase the cultural richness, musical depth, and artistic grandeur of the Middle East.
Orientale has played at a variety of events and venues from Belly Dance showcases all over town, to casual performances at restaurants and cafes, to community events, and entertaining in the open streets of Denver and Boulder; breathing life into music which—especially in the context of Belly Dance—is often only played from a recording.
We look forwards to continuing to serve the wider Denver, Boulder, and broader Central US areas with our song and dance, providing a unique perspective on the Middle East!
Meet Our Artists
Charlie is lead musician of Orientale and is a Denver based saxophonist with over 15 years on the sax and over 4 years experience immersed in Middle Eastern music and rhythms.
Charles has studied under a number of teachers, comes from an improvisational Jazz background, while also being a pianist and novice drummer.
Korey Wylie is an expert on the Oud, and also plays Ney (a kind of reed flute used by humans for over five millennia) and other woodwinds such as Zurna (a double reeded Middle Eastern wind instrument).
Korey has been playing for many years across a variety of ensembles, and ultimately coming from a classical background.
Theo Hunt is a Wyoming based drummer specializing on the Darbuka, and brings a deep knowledge of Middle Eastern music and rhythms honed through many years of performance and study.
Theo plays frequently, and often provides his music directly to the streets and parks of Denver, Boulder, and Laramie, and delights audiences year round.
Jim is a master hand drummer and veteran of the Colorado Middle Eastern music and Belly Dance scene, and has been making the world move for decades with his rhythm.
Jim has studied under many teachers both from the Middle East and abroad, and continues to provide us with his experience and deep love of Middle Eastern music and culture.
Angela is a reknowned Belly Dancer, and also has experience in Salsa, Bachata, Cumbia, Colombian Folkloric, and Ballet.
Angela has Indigenous American, Colombian, and Palestinian blood in her veins, and honors her heritage through her love and appreciation of dance Middle Eastern and otherwise.
Angela is a wonderful performer and is currently teaching dance to all ages all over the Denver Area.