Music
Heritage Symphonies
A Yemeni maestro is giving his country’s music a second life, blending folk songs from Hadramawt province with Western orchestras to create something entirely new.
A Royal Band of Orphans
Armenians the world over remember their close link with Ethiopia, symbolized by the royal adoption of 40 orphan musicians. The legacy of this act endures: Ethiopian music, exported around the world, still reflects this Armenian influence.
The Ballad of Fadel Chaker
Once the “King of Emotion,” the Lebanese singer Fadel Chaker’s career was derailed by his association with a radical cleric and alleged involvement in violent clashes. Yet despite his arrest this weekend, he’s topping charts again and is defended by legions of fans.
Coffins, Champagne and Status in Lagos Nightclubs
Nigeria’s nightclubs have turned into theaters of wealth, with coffin parades, sparklers and hype men’s chants. But away from the champagne shows, raves are bringing back the old spirit of nightlife.
The Arab World’s First Indie Record Label
The rise and fall of the Baidaphon music label is a story of entrepreneurship and inventiveness, spanning countries at a time of global upheaval, and of love and friendship among Arabs and Jews amid growing racism and antisemitism. But above all, it is the story of the Baida family.
The Ziad Rahbani Generation
Ziad Rahbani, the recently deceased Lebanese composer and playwright, greatly influenced Arab culture and identity through his unique blend of satirical commentary and musical innovation, shaping how the region was understood.
In Paris, Arab Music Is a Form of Protest
Last May, I attended a special concert by the duo Bedouin Burger at the City of Paris Museum of Modern Art, titled “A Nomad Ballad.” The celestial voice of Syrian singer Lynn Adib filled the air at the exhibition, which was dedicated to Arab artists. By her side was her…