Ramzi Salti's Arabology

Click  here  to go to  The Native Informant and Other Stories  Facebook Page . Click here to read short story If you are on Facebook you can now read check out Ramzi' Salti's published collection of short stories The Native Informant & Other Stories and to read the first short story "Vivian and Her Son" for free. "The Native Informant & Other Stories" is a collection of six short stories dealing with "unmentionable" aspects of Arab life in parts of the Arab world and in the West. Inspired by such modern writers as Alifa Rifaat, Nawal al-Sa'dawi, and Youssef Idris--authors who have, despite immeasurable odds, managed to emphasize subjects ranging from feminism to homosexuality in their works--these short stories attempt to further engage various social and political issues that remain, for the most part, largely ignored or silenced in modern Arabic literature. Most of the stories in "The Native Informant & Other Stories op

The Taxi band from Egypt made this catchy video/song criticizing the governing regime. Here are the lyrics in Arabic: قالوا مجنون اللى يفكر.. بلدنا دى تتطور... طب فين وازاى و لمين ؟ قالوا مجنون اللى يخلى واحد كابس تملى , من عام 81   قالوا ع اللى جالنا و قال , أكيد هيكون جمال , ما هو قالك هُس خليكوا ساكتين Band members: Mado (lead ,acoustic guitar and vocals) Mohamed kamel (vocals ) Beeno (classic guitar and vocals) Azmy (violin ) Omar (bass guitar) Bebo (Percussion) adham nassef (drums) Taxi is a band of amateur musicians from Egypt with an unusual kind of music that tries to connect the audience with a music free of difficult techniques Lyrics that are mostly written by Mohamed Tawfik.

It's hard to believe that it has been a year since my first  radio  show/spot at KZSU 90.1 FM Stanford. Here are the links to all my Podcasts so far.  Each link takes you to my Playlist for that show and to an arrow at the bottom right of that page that enables you to listen to the podcast for free (or right click to download then "Save Link As" to save on your computer). January 2010 Podcast: http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/39068   April 2010 Podcast: http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/42258   May 2010 Podcast: http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/43084   October 2010 Podcast: http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/45992   November 2010 Podcast: http://radio4all.net/index.php/program/46756 January 2011 Podcast: http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/48808

To download/listen to the Podcast from my January 20, 2011 radio show on KZSU 90.1 FM, please visit this link then simply click on the arrow on the bottom right of that page (or right-click on "Save Link As" to save to your computer): http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/48808 If you have difficulty with the link above then try this link: http://www.radio4all.net/responder.php/download/48808/54839/69493/?url=http://www.radio4all.net/files/author30@gmail.com/4294-1-1-kzsu-dj-ramzi-20-jan-2011.mp3 Many thanks and I hope you enjoy the new selection of songs that I played this week by such artists as مشروع ليلى Mashrou' Leila, Tania Saleh, JadaL, Fairuz, Rim Banna, Lena Chamamyan, Zeid and the wings, and many others. To view my Playlist , see my previous blog entry.. Ramzi Salti, Ph.D.                                           الدكتور رمزي سلطي Lecturer, Author & Radio DJ             كاتب،مذيع ومحاضر في اللغة العربية آدابها   Stanford University              

I will be live on the radio tomorrow (Thursday January 20) hosting the show "Mediterraneans" from noon to 1 PM PST on KZSU 90.1 FM. The show will air live on your FM dial and stream live at   http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/ Please support me by tuning in to the show where I will be spinning and discussing the latest (and hippest!) music f rom the Arab world. You can view my playlist here  or below: Printable playlist Playlist for Mediterraneans Thursday, 20 January 2011  noon - 1pm DJ:  Ramzi S. Artist Track Album/Label Fairuz Ossa Zghire Ktir Eh Fi Amal Fayrouz Productions Rim Banna Malek The Mirrors of My Soul Valley Entertainment Yazan Al Rousan E7na En7abasna Jeeran Music Vol. 1 Jeeran Music Jadal Salma Arabic Rocks Eka3 Mashrou' Leila Fasateen (live version) Leka@eka3 Eka3 Amal Hijazi Wylak Men Alla Wylak Men Alla TB-Record's Lena Chamamian Hawel Ya Ghanam Shamat N/A Tania Saleh (with Tony Hanna) Yabalah Tania Saleh EMI Gospel Amel

For English subtitles, click the UP arrow on the bottom right corner of the screen below and then click on CC. This is one of many creative and poignant videos produced by  Shankaboot- The first Arabic web series from the streets and rooftops of Beirut. If you like it, check out the other Shankaboot videos--including their  critically   acclaimed  web series currently in its 30th episode--at  http://www.youtube.com/user/Shankaboot   In this clip, Teta (Arabic for Granma) is left alone after Yara has left.  In the airport she speaks out as the funny Teta we all know.  She even talks about  Facebook !! تيتا صارت لحالها بعد ما يارا سافرت، بالمطار تيتا بتحبنا عن أسباب هيدي السفرة For English subtitles, click the UP arrow on the bottom right corner of the screen above and then click on CC. Watch all webisodes of Shankaboot (4 seasons) on YouTube at  THIS LINK .

WARNING: THIS VIDEO IS DELIBERATELY OFFENSIVE This is an amazingly poignant parody (SNL style) of certain Lebanese "high-class" ladies and the way they treat/speak about their maids. Yet the actress (Ingrid Bawwab) is so good at getting into character that one could forget that it is a parody! Of course, this is in fact part of a campaign against the mistreatment of domestic workers in Lebanon. The actress in the video does an amazing job of making people aware of this shameful reality while seeming to take herself very seriously. This video clip was cleverly done by Shankaboot- the first Arabic web series from the streets and rooftops of Beirut. IF YOU DON'T SPEAK ARABIC...Click on the Up arrow on the bottom right of the screen while the video is playing and then click on CC. You will get instantaneous English subtitles. After madam Najem 'polished' the image of Lebanon with her views on domestic workers, it is time now for Doulica to speak out. بع

The Fairuz - Aljazeera Documentary from 2007 is now available online on YouTube in two parts. You can watch both below. FAIRUZ DOCUMENTARY PART ONE FAIRUZ DOCUMENTARY PART TWO

Amazing footage of Mashrou3 Leila in concert in Amman, Jordan The album of مشروع ليلى Mashrou' Leila is finally available on iTunes. Support them by downloading it at this link.

Jadal is a Jordanian band who had a hit with this song titled "Salma." The video clip is cute and features little Salma, the singer's niece to whom this song was written and dedicated.

‎"Takhabot" تخبط is a 5 minute animated music film by Ghassan Halwani & Tamer Abu Ghazaleh. The film reflects the political & socio-economic chaos that a modern Arab is continuously witnessing, increasingly day after day. Film by Ghassan Halwani. Song by Tamer AbuGhazaleh from the Album Mir'ah, by eka3. Written & Directed by Ghassan Halwani. Animation by Ghassan Halwani. Lyrics & Composition by Tamer Abu Ghazaleh

Egysptian superstar Amr Diab is interviewed in the current issue of Rolling Stone Magazine (January 2011).  Check it out at your local newsstand or at http://amrdiab.net/forum/showthread.php?t=37521 You can also click on the image below to see it in larger size.

Mashrou' Leila's inventive video clip/song "fasateen" is now available online WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES!  Here are the lyrics in Arabic and you can follow the English translation by watching the video clip above and reading the subtitles. فساتين مشروع ليلى كلمات والحان: حامد سنو تتذكري لما قلتيلي انك بتحبيني بلا فلوس وبلا بيت تتذكري كنتي تحبيني مع اني مش داخل دينك تتذكري كيف كنا هيك تتذكري لما امك شافتني نايم بتختك وقالتلي انسى عنك واتفقنا نضلنا هيك بلا ادوار وبلا طنطنات بلا كرافات وصبحيات مسكتيلي ايدي ووعديتيني بشي ثورة كيف نسيتي كيف نسيتيني وزبطتيلي شعري وبعتيني عالدوام كيف بتمشطي مشطيني مسكتيلي ايدي ووعديتيني بشي ثورة كيف نسيتي كيف نسيتيني تتذكري لما قلتيلي انك ناوية تتركيني بلا فلوس وبلا بيت

"Cheers, To Those Who Stay: Beirut, 20 Years Later" is a gem of a movie about a Lebanese film student who returns to Beirut and reconnects with friends and family. The film can be watched in three parts below (Chapter 1, 2, 3) * Winner of an Honorable Mention at the Los Angeles Movie Awards 2010 * * Winner of a Merit Award at the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood 2010 * Written & Directed by Mounia Akl & Cyril Aris CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3

"Masr" is a beautifully shot short film (less than 5 minutes) by Javier Morgade featuring some amazing scenes of people and places in Egypt. Morgade shot it all himself using a Canon 5d Mark II and a Glidetrack HD. Edited in FCP and graded with After Effects. The main theme song that goes with the footage is called "Ah Men El-Fora2" and performed by MARWAN ANWER. The intro is extracted from a song called "Beirut Goes to Cuba".

Want to learn how to count in Arabic while listening to an amazing song with an instantly addictive beat? Check out the group YAS and their classic hit "Get It right" from their album "Arabology." Y.A.S. - GET IT RIGHT with text (directed by Stephane Sednaoui) HQ from ouiiiii on Vimeo .

Tania Saleh (Lebanon) Live @ El Genaina Theatre (Al Azhar Park) Cairo, Egypt Thursday - August 19th, 2010 تانيا صالح تقدم اولى سهرات برنامج "حي" في الجنينة Here are three of Tania's songs performed live followed by a TV report and interview with tania about her concert in Cairo. Tania sings "Wehde" live "أيَّ واحدة بَدَّك ما فيك تضلَّك وحدك صار لازم تلاقى واحدة توقف حدَّك فى واحدة تفهم عليك تتحمَّلَك... تكونوا سوا طول الزمان... فى واحدة وطنية بنت عيلة و بنت حلال" Tania sings "Salwa" live Tania sings "Omar wa Ali" live TV Report about Tania's legendary performance in Cairo Tania Saleh - Vocals Haytham Shalhoub - Bass Jad Aouad - Drums Miran Gurunian - Guitar Walid Nasser - Tabla/Req taniasaleh.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_F9C5pX0aw Meet FareeQ el Atrash, Lebanon's newest Hip Hop band. their debut CD is already a classic.

The first trailer from the producers' first trip to Beirut, featuring some of the best local artists and music by Zeid Hamdan / ShiftZ feat Hiba el Mansouri, Scrambled Eggs, DJ Lethal Skillz, LUMI & Fareeq el Utrush. directed by Farid Eslam produced by Farid Eslam & Dana Wilson camera: Prokop Soucek sound: Ladislav Greiner editor: Darina Moravcikova & Jakub Vomacka art director: Ivy E. Morwen special thanks to Serge Akl from the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism in Paris and Lenka Drnkova from Turkish Airlines in Prague and Hussein M. Dajani. Also featured: Rayess Bek Slutterhouse Trash Inc. The Invincible Voice (I-VOICE) RGB Katibe 5 Ashekman Eileen Khatchadourian Youmna Saba Charles Makriss Fish & Rat special appearances by Ziad Nawfal, Tanya Traboulsi and Kinda Hassan from EKA3. Unfortunately we couldn't fit in all the great artists we filmed so far, namely Ramallah Underground, Mashrou3 Leila, The Incompetents, Fadi Tabbal, Ziyad Sahha

Zeid Hamdan (Zeid and the Wings) releases a new video clip denouncing politicians and corruption in Lebanon. the song, taken from his latest EP, is called "general Suleyman"

A very old song by Nazim El Ghazali, remixed by Zeid Hamdan and recorded by Hiba El mMnsoury along with her amazing video clip.

Walid Tawfic's new hit song for Beirut is being used by the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism to encourage tourism to the country. Check out his lively video clip of Beirut!

Nancy Ajram is going ape for the new hot guy that has come to her village. But how is she going to make herself stand out over the other village girls? Watch her latest video clip "Sheikh El Shabab" to find out!

Haifa Wehbe's brand new song "Yama Layali" has been remixed by David Vendetta and the video clip pays homage to Indian pop culture. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlZzUOJbhQ8

Rare studio recording of Fairuz, 75 years old, recording the title track from her new album "Eh fi Amal" in Beirut, Lebanon.