Amal Murkus with a performance by Firas Zreik | Habibi Festival 2023 | Quartertones Live at Joe's Pub
We partnered with Habibi Festival for a six-night celebration of ancient + contemporary sounds from Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria and more! It all took place from October 1-7 at Joe's Pub in NYC.
Each night we taped live conversations with the artists on stage. This special Quartertones episode is the second of six, featuring a conversation with mother-son duo Firas Zreik – who has previously joined us on Quartertones – and Amal Murkus, along with snaps from their performances at Joe's Pub.
Amal Murkus is a Palestinian singer, actress, producer, TV & Radio host. Born and raised in Kufer Yasef in the Galilee, her career has been dedicated to the promotion, preservation and enrichment of Palestinian music and culture around the world. Her music is pioneering in its creation of a post-modern musical style that brings different Mediterranean influences together.
Firas Zreik is an artist, composer, lyricist and educator. A Palestine-born New Yorker, Zreik has revolutionized global perceptions of the Kanun instrument. While still preserving its identity as a vital part of the Maqam tradition, Zreik has "stretched its potential as a cultural chameleon enhancing a range of fresh, evolving sounds." He has collaborated with a number of leaders including Roger Waters, Simon Shaheen, Amir ElSaffar, Fabrizio Cassol and his internationally-renowned mother and frequent artistic partner Amal Murkus, for who he works as musical director.
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.
