How Orshina is Trying to Preserve Aleppo’s Culture
The past few years have seen a steady resurgence of cultural events in Aleppo. Despite the radical changes the city has undergone and the setbacks they presented, some individuals have taken it upon themselves to preserve its history. Co-founders Aram Habeshian and Yaman Najeh established Orshina to highlight Aleppo’s vibrant culture, and from Orshina came Project 1500-KILOWATT —a unique event that emphasizes the importance of localization and preservation. Zila Demirijian spoke to Habeshian and Najeh about their project and what it means for the city.
Daftar Digest
We select the best from the Arab world each month, and put it in your inbox.
Curated Recommendations
Every time a guest joins us on one of our podcast series, they leave us with breadcrumbs to further explore some of the topics that they covered in the episode. Browse through some of the best recommendations for films, books, and music from the Arab world.
Staff Pick: Podcast Episode
Sonja Mejcher-Atassi
We did a deep dive into this episode of our This Is Not a Watermelon podcast with the author of "An Impossible Friendship: Group Portrait, Jerusalem Before and After 1948," professor Sonja Mejcher-Atassi.
Tsawwar
Tsawwar is a visual series enclosed monthly in our Daftar Digest and explores the stories behind a photograph taken in the region or by an Arab photographer.
Memories for Khaleeji Music
The short timespan between 2005 and 2008 holds tons of memories for Khaleeji music. Artists were more experimental with their production selections and musical arrangements: you could hear Indian and North African influences in many albums released at the time. Music was more upbeat even when the lyrics were sad. These tracks took over the Kuwaiti airwaves, making every drive to college memorable and fun for me. I'm sure that any Khaleeji listening to this playlist will have a connection with these songs or – at the very least – enjoys them as much as I did then and now.
Listen, Read, Watch: Palestine
Recommendations for what to Listen, Watch, Read list from Palestine, featuring Lana Lubany, Karim Kattan and Lina Soualem.
QUARTERTONES MIXAPEThis mixtape is a collaboration with music creator and producer DJ Bonita (Farah A Bishara) who writes: "The short timespan between 2005 and 2008 holds tons of memories for Khaleeji music…”
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