Hosted by Stanford Lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti, Arabology is a podcast, blog and YouTube program showcasing indie Arabic music and other cultural productions from/about the Arab world.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
News Report (in Arabic) about the various pro-Fairuz Protests
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Beirut's Jam Is Mashrou' Leila's 'Embembelela7' (NPR)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128668709\
NPR (National Public Radio) web site features a great article on Mashrou3 Leila (Lebanon's hippest band) and other summer music from Beirut.
The Spin: Beirut's Jam Is Mashrou' Leila's 'Embembelela7'
Tanya TaraboulsiMashrou' Leila's "Embembelela7" borrows its main lyric from a Lebanese nursery rhyme and sets it to a harsh drumbeat.
ZIAD NAWFAL'S SUMMER PLAYLIST
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Queen Rania of Jordan Encourages You to twisit Jordan
Queen Rania of Jordan is offering this amazing opportunity to anyone who has not visited Jordan yet:
Message from Queen Rania:
Be part of Queen Rania's Tourist Swap: 2 people from Jordan will swap locations with 2 tourists for 1 week. How? Well, if you’ve never been to Jordan, we'll pay for you and a friend to come and visit the country. If you live in Jordan, we’ll swap you and a friend (temporarily!) with the other winners and take you on a tour of their country. It’s cross-cultural dialogue with air miles!
Huge Fairuz Protests in Beirut Today
Fairuz Protests
http://www.fanoos.com/reports/fairuz_protests.html
On the 26th of July 2010, Hundreds of Fairuz fans from around the world protested in front of the Lebanese National Museum in Beirut.
The Committee for commemoration of Fairuz and the Rahbani brothers, stood in solidarity with Fairuz, they had one message to say "No to preventingFairouz singing" .
Loudspeakers blared songs and excerpts of plays for Fairuz, in the presence of a number of artists such as Elham Shahin who flew from Cairo to take part in this protest. According to Shahin, Fairuz is one of the Legendary singers who gave a lot to the Arab world.
Other artists were present as well such as Julia Boutros, Liliane Nemri, Roula Hamadeh, Asaad Abou Khalil, Claudia Marchillian, Nidal Al Ahmadieh, Roula Saad and a lot of media presence, as well as local and foreign enthusiasts of Fairuz.
The demonstrators waved pictures of Fairuz in black and white, and distributed the statement to the participants explaining how the children and heirs of Mansour El Rahbani are restricting Fairuz, and accusing her of theft.
The dispute between Fairuz and the heirs of Mansour Rahbani began in 2008 when Mansour El Rahbani, alive at that time, sent warnings for Fairuz to stop the performance of the play (Sah El Nom) which was held in the Opera House in Damascus, Syria.
After the death of Mansour El Rahbani, on the 13th of Januray 2009, his children Ousamma Rahbani and Ghady Rahbani continued the fight against Fairuz, asking her to stop performing any of the Rahbani Brothers works without getting their permission and giving them a share in the profit.
The Ministry of Culture was also asked to act and do its duty to help Fairuz win this case.
The statement said: "We Lovers of Fairuz in Lebanon and the world are asking the Ministry of Education to respond to the request of Fayruz who is asking to have the Rahbani Brothers as a unique entity without distinction between them her husband Assi and his brother Mansour. "
The protesters also asked for Fairuz to come back soon on stage and give all the fans what they have longed for, a magical voice and a unique presence.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Banners in Support of Fairuz
Friday, July 23, 2010
Tamer Hosni Releases Song in Support of Fairuz
من غير صوتك يا حياتي
The Arab World Supports Fairuz
http://www.waleg.com/archives/020710.html
After long years of fame and many generations who grew on loving Fairouz worldwide, Fairouz the legend have been banned by the Rahbani brothers through a lawsuit from meeting up with her fans in Lebanon and abroad, Assi and Mansur left the talented Diva alone to face their gold digging sons.
Fairouz’s phenomenal voice amazed us over the years through her brilliant performances; she survived a hard life with her late husband even though he helped establish the legend Fairouz through his soft compositions and had the copyrights for the Rahbani Brothers. Rumor has it that he spent most of the money she earned in her glory years on gambling but her love for her made her forgive him and when he first got sick she sang for him in a concert ‘sa2aloni el nas’ which brought tears to the crowd. Now after many years of his death his family wants to still control her?
The stars and celebrities of the Arab world are holding a peaceful sit-in with Lady Fairouz to support her against the Rahbani brothers in Beirut on the twenty sixth of this month. Celebrities from all over the Arab world are expected to be part of it like the Egyptian actress Elham Shaheen who flew especially for the occasion from Egypt to Beirut.
Tamer Hosni the youth’s idol is supporting Fairouz in his own way, he composed, wrote and sang a song with the title of her name ‘Fairouz’ that is currently been broadcasted over most of the Lebanese radios, what a noble artist!
The Rahbni Brothers took Fairouz copyright over the years and they are still getting paid for any of Fairouz songs that are broadcasted all over the media. Haven’t they had enough all these past years? Can’t the most famous living Arabic singer work with someone else and enjoy the few years left in her life? Everyone deserved to retire at some point and our lady has had enough of the Rahbni Brothers and deservers the freedom to sing wherever and whenever she wants. Even though she might have signed contracts ages ago it’s time for The Rahbani Brothers to Respect her wish, after all she is an essential part of the family, it’s a shame that such issues have to reach courts.
Our love for the spark of the Lebanese national pride (Fairouz) makes us very upset to see her going through such a difficult time. We should all unite and protest against this.
What do you think about this scandal? Doesn’t Fairouz deserve her freedom?
“Ya maresal maraseel 3l day3a l areebi khdli bdarbak hal mandeel w ati la habibi”
Hope the message reaches to ‘habibtna’ Fairouz and she finds out how much we her fans support, appreciate and love her.
By guest writer Tam
10th Anniversary of Dr. Ramzi Salti's Arabology Program Features All Episodes on Soundcloud + YouTube (Click here)
All 13 seasons of Dr. Ramzi Salti's Arabology podcasts are now available on Soundcloud, for a total of 101 episodes. Additionally, al...

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Tamer Al-Ahmar displays some of his art in Amman, Jordan I first stumbled upon Tamer Al-Ahmar's art when I was in Jordan in the su...