Ramzi Salti's Arabology

"What Do the Women Say?" is a wonderful event celebrating International Women's Day and hosted by Golden Thread Productions, America's only theater company dedicated to staging plays from and about the Middle East. The event will showcase the work of Middle Eastern women artists on Friday, March 8 at La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley, CA. Here is the line-up: Layla Modirzadeh joins Minneapolis-based playwright, Kathryn Haddad and Bay Area hip hop artist, Tru Bloo in celebrating the poetry and performance of Middle Eastern women artists. Modirzadeh performs her solo-con-puppet comedy, "Lubbock or Leave It!: exploring themes of home and nationalism through satire. Haddad shares excerpts from her futuristic super hero play, "Zafira the Olive Oil Warrior." And commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Iraq Invasion, Tru Bloo performs poetry from the recently published anthology, "Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here," a tribute to Baghdad’s f

Emad Burnat attended the Oscars on Feb 24, 2013 with his family   Many people were caught by surprise when Emad Burnat's documentary '5 Broken Cameras' was nominated for Best Documentary at tonight's Oscar Ceremony. Few, however, were surprised that it did not win--taking comfort instead in the fact that the film was nominated at all. The first-ever Palestinian film to be nominated for best Documentary Feature, the critically-acclaimed 5 BROKEN CAMERAS is a deeply personal, first-hand account of life and non-violent resistance in Bil’in, a West Bank village surrounded by Israeli settlements. Shot by Palestinian farmer Emad Burnat, who bought his first camera in 2005 to record the birth of his youngest son, Gibreel, the film was co-directed by Burnat and Guy Davidi, an Israeli filmmaker. Structured in chapters around the destruction of each one of Burnat’s cameras, the filmmakers’ collaboration follows one family’s evolution over five years of village uph

The web site #arabic problems ( http://arabicproblems.tumblr.com /) has taken a very creative approach to the difficulties that most American students face when learning Arabic. The web site states that "Learning Arabic is problematic, yo" and goes on to humorously demonstrate some of the resulting frustrations, word play, and more. The content is particularly funny for those students who studied using Al-Kitaab Fii Taallum Al-Arabiyya. Check out the site at http://arabicproblems.tumblr.com/

The Feb 7, 2013 edition of 'Arabology' features a 3-part interview (in English) with Lebanese alternative singer Tania Saleh and a special message by artist Rachid Koraichi who received the Jameel Prize in 2011 for his works that were inspired by traditions of Islamic craft and design.  The show also features great alternative Arabic music (along with commentary in English) by Ahmed Rock (Revolution Records) , Ibn Thabit, Ramy Essam, Dal'ouna, Ramzi Aburedwan, May Matar. Listen to Full Podcast below or at at https://soundcloud.com/arabology/arabology-s4-episode-4?in=arabology/sets/arabology-season-4-podcasts Listen to Full Podcast below or at at https://soundcloud.com/arabology/arabology-s4-episode-4?in=arabology/sets/arabology-season-4-podcasts OR Instantly Listen to Tania Saleh Segment Only at  http://tinyurl.com/tania-saleh

The Noise of Cairo is a cinematic adventure, following the interplay between art and the revolution in Egypt. Protest of any kind was punished violently in pre-revolutionary Egypt and artistic expression was considered nothing but a threat to the status quo. But since the fall of Mubarak, the art scene in Cairo is flourishing once again. How did the revolution of 2011 change Egyptian artists and their work? Twelve influencers from Cairo's cultural scene lead us on a journey to understand the unique role artists played during the revolution in Cairo. This documentary bears witness to Cairo's vibrant artistic underbelly, as it raises its voice once again. The artists of Cairo, who refused to quiet down, come together to be heard. These individuals create THE NOISE OF CAIRO." Here is a trailer located at  http://youtu.be/TxrPmCIoBk8

This Spring, Zawaya brings you Aswat, the Bay Area’s Premier Arab Music Ensemble, in a concert celebrating the first ladies of Arab music: Umm Kulthum of Egypt and Fairuz of Lebanon فيروزيات و كلثوميات The concert will take place on Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 3:00 PM at San Mateo College Theatre, located at 1700 W. Hillsdale Blvd. in San Mateo, CA 94402. Ticket sales will commence mid-February on brownpapertickets.com

'Arabology' Program Examines Egyptian Revolution, 2 Years Later by Arabology on Monday, February 4, 2013 at 7:39pm · The most recent two episodes (Jan 24 & 31) of my weekly program 'Arabology' (which airs on KZSU 90.1 FM on Thursdays 3-5 pm PST) focused on marking the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution by featuring music from the Arab Spring plus exclusive interviews with Khaled Sayed (the Egyptian Director of the award winning documentary Egypt: The Story behind the Revolution ) and Egyptian Fulbright scholar at Stanford Samar Ahmed who witnessed the revolution form the beginning while living in Cairo. Both podcasts are available for free downloading at the links below. * The January 24, 31 Arabology was the first in a 2-part series dedicated to the second anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution, and included my interview with Egyptian documentary filmmaker Khaled Sayed. This episode also showcased songs by artists who provided the 'soundtrack'

Mike Massy will perform in New York on April 25, 2013 (c) Mike Massy Lebanese singer/songwriter/performance artist Mike Massy--whose album 'Ya Zaman' has received much critical acclaim--will be performing live at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York on Thursday April 25, 2013 at 8 pm. See below to purchase tickets for this unique event. John Paul II Mission Presents MIKE MASSY accompanied by Pianist Marc Abou Naoum . Date: Thursday April 25th 2013 Time: 8 p.m. Location: Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center 129 W 67th St- NEW YORK- NY 1023 for reservation please call: 212 501 3330 or Online at www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org General admission: 25$ - 50$- 75$- 100$ Concert Facebook Page at  https://www.facebook.com/events/134479830047652

Arab American Stories: New PBS Series in the USA Description ARAB AMERICAN STORIES is a 13-part series for Public Television that features stories of Arab Americans of all walks of life to put a human face on the Arab American experience. Hosted by NPR’s Neda Ulaby, each half hour episode centers on a particular theme and features three character-driven short documentaries which profile Arab Americans making an impact: in their community, their profession, their family or the world at large.  Arab Americans have been immigrating to this country since the mid-19th century, they come from over 20 countries, practice many different faiths and live in all 50 States. While ARAB AMERICAN STORIES will not visit all 50 states, it will highlight the diversity of the Arab American experience in an attempt to educate, enlighten and entertain American audiences. All the episodes can be watched online on YouTube at THIS LINK .  See below for the description of each episode and a li

Various Artists--Rough Guide to the Arabic Revolution (2013) Label: World Music Network CD will be released in March 2013 This double CD compilation showcases Arab singers and musicians whose songs have provided the ‘soundtrack’ to the Arab Spring. CD 1 mainly features Egyptian, Tunisian, Libyan and Palestinian singers while CD2 strictly showcases the music of Ramy Essam, a young Egyptian singer who is known for playing his guitar and singing against the Mubarak regime in the streets of Cairo, leading to his arrest and torture. His best known song (oddly not included in this compilation) is “Irhal” [Depart] in which Mubarak is urged to resign. That track is referred to as the anthem of the revolution. --All Tracks are FCC CLEAN— CD1 (Compilation; Artist/Song) **1. Ramy Essam/ Taty Taty: Features Egyptian singer/activist Ramy Essam, accompanied by his guitar, sarcastically singing about democracy in Egypt.  2. Emel Mathlouthi/ Kelmti Horra (My Word Is Free): Tuni

Here is a gorgeous brand new video clip titled "Ghayyer Lawn Ouyounak" [Change the Color of Your Eyes] by Lebanese singer/songwriter/musician/performance artist Mike Massy مايك ماسي.  This track is available on Mike Massy's CD ' Ya Zaman '--an album that can only be described as a true musical masterpiece. Mike Massy - مايك ماسي "Ghayyer Lawn Ouyounak" - غير لون عيونك http://youtu.be/-A1Om3jJMxQ For other video clips and performances by Mike Massy, check out the Falak Productions YouTube Channel at  http://www.youtube.com/user/Falakproductions Mike Massy's debut CD 'Ya Zaman' For more on Mike Massy see my previous blog entry at  THIS LINK . Mike Massy's CD 'Ya Zaman' is available for sale on iTunes , CD Baby , and other online retailers.

The following video titled 'Al-Fusha Mofida' [Classical Arabic Is Useful] was creatively and humorously made by students at the Middlebury Arabic School 2012.  Kudos to Jesse McConnell! http://youtu.be/QuwYq49tIFo

Ramzi Salti (right) with Fulbrighter Samar Ahmed (Jan 31, 2013) On this week's episode of 'Arabology'--a weekly radio show hosted by Dr. Ramzi Salti, Lecturer at Stanford University--we continue our commemoration of the 2nd anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution by featuring an exclusive interview with Egyptian Fulbright scholar to Stanford Samar Mostafa Ahmed who recounts her experiences during the initial uprising and beyond. This show also showcases Arabic songs that have fueled the Arab Spring, including tracks by Ramy Essam, Emel Mathlouthi, Rim Banna, Mustafa Said, Donia Masoud, El Tanbura and others. Download and Save this Podcast at http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/65960 OR Listen Instantly at http://www.radio4all.net/files/author30@gmail.com/4294-1-Arabology_S4E3.mp3 Playlist for Arabology Thurs 31 Jan 2013 3 - 5pm DJ: Ramzi S. Artist/Track/Album/Label 1. Maryam Saleh/ Islahat/ Beirut Hotel/ Lfp Les Films Pelléas **2. Interview with Sam

Noel Nasr (Lecturer, Notre Dame University – Louaize, Lebanon) delivered a talk at Stanford on Feb 1, 2013 which he titled "Freedom Before Expression": The Political Limits on Creative Practice in Lebanon. In this roundtable discussion, Noel Nasr, Lebanese photographer and lecturer at Notre Dame University-Louaize, Lebanon, reflected on the different ways in which freedom of expression through art is limited in Lebanon, with a focus on the structural as well as informal ways in which freedom of "creation"--creative practice itself--is constrained by politics. Drawing on his own experiences in working on diverse artistic projects in Lebanon--illustrated by a vivid slide show of photographic work--Nasr showed how censorship is only one of a myriad ways through which politics subjugates freedom of expression in Lebanon. PICTURES FROM THE EVENT: Photographer Noel Nasr at Stanford (Feb 1, 13) Noel Nasr (3rd from left) with some of the attendees To le

Habibi's Entertainment presents: Arab Women of Comedy (Show in ENGLISH) Comedians: Maria Shehata - Egyptian American Mona - Palestinian American Marie-Therese Abou-Daoud - Lebanese American Eman - Palestinian Canadian Show Host: Mike Batayeh - Jordanian American To learn more about Comedians, click here for Press release When: Friday, Feb 15th Doors open at 7 PM 1st show: 8 PM 2nd show: 10 PM Where: Club Fox, 2223 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA www.clubfoxrwc.com Cost:  $35 main floor $25 balcony Details: 21 and over Show in English Facebook Event Page Reservations: Click here for 8 PM online tickets sales or here for 10 PM online tickets sales Or call: Samer Elbandak (415) 519-4460 Eyad Shqair: (415) 305-2165 Or you can buy directly from your community organization if they are part of the pay back to the community program.