There’s music from Arab-American artists whose music blends traditions, scales, and instruments with the sounds of western pop, hip hop, and classical. Hear new music by Syrian-American hip-hop artist Omar Offendum; Tunisian singer Emel’s electronically-enhanced pop; Lebanese-American violinist Layale Chaker and her chamber jazz; and Iraqi-American trumpet and santur player Amir ElSaffar.
Syrian American hip-hop artist, designer, poet and peace activist Omar Offendum makes music that combines his love for hip-hip and his desire to connect it to his Arab roots, specifically the poetic tradition of the Arab world. Listen to music from his show, “Little Syria”, which premiered at the Kennedy Center and had runs at BAM, UCLA, in Chicago, and other places.
Then, listen to music from Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi, who made waves with her protest songs during the Arab Spring and whose songs pair electronica, pop, and hip-hop with North African references and traditional Tunisian instruments. Her forthcoming 2024 album, MRA, lifts up the sisterhood and spotlights the fight against [the] patriarchy, and veers into more pop and hip hop than ever before.
Also, from Palestinian-American composer and oud player Simon Shaheen, hear a work from his tribute album to the Egyptian composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Then, listen to Palestinian multi-instrumentalist Tareq Abboushi, who plays “Arabic alternative music” using traditional instruments like the buzuq folk-lute and classical melodic modes known as maqam in a non-traditional way.
There’s more music by Lebanese-born, New York-based violinist and composer Layale Chaker whose music often blends Arab and Western classical sounds together with jazz. Plus, listen to New York-based Iraqi-American trumpeter, santur player, and vocalist Amir Elsaffar and his Two Rivers project, named for the Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq. The project celebrates the two streams of influence in Elsaffar's work, the near-eastern classical and the western jazz. All that, and more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4869, Arab-American Music (First aired 4/11/2024)
ARTIST: Omar Offendum
WORK: The Little Syria Show [:45]
RECORDING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPLdys6hJ_k
SOURCE: YouTube
INFO: https://offendum.bandcamp.com/
ARTIST: Omar Offendum
WORK: The Little Syria Show [6:23]
RECORDING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPLdys6hJ_k
SOURCE: YouTube
INFO: https://offendum.bandcamp.com/
ARTIST: Gaida
WORK: Bint ElBalad [5:21]
RECORDING: Levantine Indulgence
SOURCE: Palmyra Recordings
INFO: Available at Spotify, Amazon.com, AppleMusic, YouTube Music
ARTIST: Emel
WORK: Layem [4:25]
RECORDING: Ensen
SOURCE: Partisan Records
INFO: https://store.partisanrecords.com/release/122934-emel-ensen?lang=en_US
ARTIST: Simon Shaheen
WORK: Sittel Habayeb [6:33]
RECORDING: Music Of Mohamed Abdel Wahab
SOURCE: Axiom 422-846 754
INFO: billlaswell.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Layale Chaker & Sarafand
WORK: Ushaq [3:59]
RECORDING: Inner Rhyme
SOURCE: In a Circle Records
INFO: https://layalechaker.com
ARTIST: The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma
WORK: Kinan Azmeh: Wedding [3:27]
RECORDING: Sing Me Home
SOURCE: Sony Music Masterworks
INFO: Available at Amazon.com, AppleMusic, Spotify, YouTube
ARTIST: Amir Elsaffar/Two rivers Ensemble
WORK: Al-Badia [5:51]
RECORDING: Inana
SOURCE: Pi Recordings 41
INFO: pirecordings.com
ARTIST: Tareq Abboushi & Shusmo
WORK: Dal'ona [4:41]
RECORDING: Mumtastic
SOURCE: Tareq Abboushi
INFO: Available at Spotify, Amazon.com, AppleMusic, YouTube Music