Kareem Roustom | Defining Classical Arabic Music with the Emmy-Nominated Composer
Emmy-nominated composer Kareem Roustom joins us on Quartertones to discuss all things Arabic music. With musical interludes from across his albums, we talk about the origins of Arabic Classical Music, current and previous perceptions around it, and the pioneers of the genre including Sayed Darwish and Sabah Fakhri. We get to grips with what defines Arabic music, hear about what it's like to get an Emmy nomination, and whether it was fun to work with Shakira and Tina Turner.
Kareem Roustom is a Syrian-American composer whose genre-crossing collaborations include music commissioned by conductor Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Kronos Quartet, arrangements for pop icons Shakira and Tina Turner, as well as a recent collaboration with acclaimed British choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh. A musically bilingual composer, Roustom is rooted in the music of the Arab near-east but his music often expresses beyond the confines of tradition. The themes of a number of his works often touch issues of those affected by war and instability.
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QuarterTones
This podcast series hosts current Arab musicians from different geographies, who play contemporary and modern music, including folk, pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic, classical, among other genres. Discover some of the most interesting work across the region and genres, and understand the music that these experts perform or study.
