Listen like an Egyptian

If your only exposure to Egyptian music is Steve Martin singing "King Tut" ("buried with a donkey") on "Saturday Night Live," you really should go hear the real thing. Tonight, the Arabesque Music Ensemble, with musicians from the US, Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Israel, will pay tribute to three of Egypt's renowned 20th-century composers: Zakariyya Ahmad, Muhammed al-Qasabji, and Riyad al-Sunbati at "The Music of the Three Musketeers." The program will feature pieces from the '30s and '40s, known as the golden age of Egyptian music, played on Middle Eastern and Western instruments. 8 p.m. Free (tickets required). Tufts University, Distler Performance Hall, Granoff Music Center, 20 Talbot Ave, Somerville. 617-627-3679. tufts.edu/musiccenter