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.

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.

Recommendations for what to Listen, Watch, Read list from Palestine, featuring Lana Lubany, Karim Kattan and Lina Soualem.

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.

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.

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.

Recommendations for what to Listen, Watch, Read list from Morocco, featuring Bab L’Bluz, Laila Lalami, and Asmae El Moudir.

For classical music lovers and anyone who’s been looking to broaden their musical horizons, get started with what Kareem Roustom’s been listening to lately.

May ‘24’s QuarterTones mixtape is a quintessential Iraqi music compilation by shamokamonet, a platform and collective dedicated to sharing stories inspired by Iraq. 

A review of Palestinian singer Elyanna’s most recent album Woledto by Kiko Gomersall. Listen as you read track by track, as Kiko draws connections between Elyanna’s music, the diaspora, ideas of distance, longing, and the music of Fairuz. Image via Elyanna on YouTube .

Zila Demirijian interviews Philippe Zarif — better known as DJ Boshoco — and Natalie Bahhade — aka DJ Nass, the only woman Djing in Aleppo right now, on Syria’s underground music scene.

A curated Listen, Watch, Read list spotlighting works from Syria. Featuring an album by TootArd, a novel by Khaled Khalifa, and a documentary film by Taim Karesly.

Hamid El Shaeri is an Egyptian-Libyan singer, songwriter and producer who’s considered to be one of the leading figures in Arabic pop – and the “al Jeel” genre. Image via Band Camp Daily.

A curated Listen, Watch, Read list spotlighting works from Egypt. Featuring an album by Dina El Wedidi, a book by Nawal El Saadawi and a film directed by Ayten Amin.