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
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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.
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.
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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