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.
Journey Into Raï
As Cheb Mimo writes about the mixtape he curated for us this month: "Raï is a music genre that originates from the rich cultural tapestry of Algeria. It uses the language of the streets to articulate views about life in urban settings. Raï music places a significant emphasis on lyrical improvisation, often incorporating diverse musical influences to create its unique sound.
Roadtrip Through the Arab World
Travel through geography, space and time in this roadtrip playlist that crosses genres, eras, regions and covers that celebrate the Arab world and being on the road.
First Impressions: Fairuz on the Radio
Fairuz not only lived and thrived through radio, but she also grew out of it. Her career in the 50’s can tell us a bit about why radio stations are not as relevant as they once were.
Arab Jazz: What To Listen To
We put together an Arab Jazz mixtape that we hope is more accurate than what’s out there already. Here’s a little introduction to the big names you should know in Arab Jazz.
Quartertones Mixtape: May '24
May ‘24’s QuarterTones mixtape is a quintessential Iraqi music compilation by shamokamonet, a platform and collective dedicated to sharing stories inspired by Iraq.
Music From Sudan
A superb mixtape celebrating old and new tunes from Sudan, compiled by our very own Khaled Malas who you know from the afikra Community team.
Quartertones Mixtape: March '24
This month's mixtape, compiled DJ Amen Ra (aka Ramy Abou El Oyoun), introduces us to Egyptian sounds and artists we should have on our radar. The first half of the playlist focuses on the instrumental side of the producers featured & the second half highlights some of his favorite hip-hop artists.
Quartertones Mixtape: February '24
Our mixtape this month was compiled by record store owner Mohamad Rifaï (aka Rifo) who's behind The Lick Records in Beirut, and features some of his favorite Arabic interpretations of international hits that even your grandad might know.
Quartertones Mixtape: January '24
A five and half hour long mixtape created by music writer and curator Danny Hajjar to celebrates the voices of some of the best up-and-coming (but also some old favorite) musicians from the Arab world. Make sure to play it at your next party.
Quartertones Mixtape: December '23
To round off what has been a difficult end to 2023, December’s mixtape is dedicated to Palestinian sounds, old and new.
Quartertones Mixtape: November '23
November’s mixtape is dedicated to Palestinian sounds, old and new.
Quartertones Mixtape: October '23
A selection of music from across Libya and Morocco, with tunes from all kinds of genres.
Quartertones Mixtape: September '23
A playlist of all the songs we’ve been loving in September. Featuring artists from across the region and the diaspora, all through the decades.
Quartertones Mixtape: August '23
A playlist of all the songs we’ve been loving in August. Featuring artists from across the region and the diaspora, all through the decades.
Quartertones Mixtape: July '23
A playlist of all the songs we’ve been loving in July. Featuring artists from across the region and the diaspora, all through the decades.
Quartertones Mixtape: June '23
A playlist of all the songs we’ve been loving in June. Featuring artists from across the region and the diaspora, all through the decades.
QUARTERTONES MIXAPE
This 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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