Ramzi Salti's Arabology

https://soundcloud.com/arabology/arabology913 Arabology 9.13 aired on November 20, 2015 and was hosted by Dr. Ramzi Salti along with co-host Ahmed Hashem.  The episode featured indie Arabic Ballads, Instrumentals, Jazz and Sufi Music. Listen/Download the podcast below or at  https://soundcloud.com/arabology/arabology913 Playlist for Arabology (Artist/Track/Album) 1. Hawa Dafi/Faragh (Space)/Our Story (Qissitna) 2. Abdulrahman Mohammed + Mohab Omer/Peace (Salam)/Single 3. Bachar Mar Khalife/ Ya Balad /Ya Balad 4. Tareq Yamani/ Lamma Bada Yatathanna/ Lisan Al Tarab: Jazz Conceptions in Classical Music 5. Zig Zag & Maestrix/ Ya Tayr/ Single 6. Mawlay Ensemble/ Firaq Mahtoum/Live 7. Asim Gorashi/ Al Qubba/ Single 8. Mahmoud Badrawy/ 7afi w 7or/Single 9. Youssra El Hawari/ El Soor/ Single 10. Janan/ El 3esh2 7ala/ Single 11. Yarub Smeirat/ Balad Al Mahboub/ Ya Salam 12. Sharaka Ensemble/ Never Again/ Never Again 13. Mohamed Najem/ Hal Asmar El-Loun/ Floor N

Listen at  https://soundcloud.com/arabology/arabology912 Arabology 9.12 aired on November 5 and included many new indie/alternative Arabic tracks including the debut of Mashrou' Leila's new song and exciting tracks by other artists listed below.  The show also featured a live interview with musical genius Gurumiran (promoting his new 'Aberrance' CD) and a chat with 'Kalam Nawaem' Host Nadia Kamal. You can listen to the podcast below or at  https://soundcloud.com/arabology/arabology912 Playlist for Arabology (Artist/Track/Album) 1, Zeid Hamdan & Marc Codsi/Wein El Ahweh/Café Super Brasil 2. Sadat and Fifty/ 3ammi ya khal/ Generation Bass 3. DAM/ Who You Are (Meen Inta)/ Single 4. Khebez Dawle/ Bet'ammer/ Khebez Dawle 5. Ashara Gharbi/ Masry/Single 6. Kamel Badarneh/ The Aesthetics of Chaos/ Single Project 7. Interview with Nadia Ahmad, Host of 'Kalam Nawa3im' 8. Gurumiran / She Is/ Aberrance 9. Interview with Gurumiran (M

Left to right: Rabbi Albert Guigui, Imam Khalid Benhaddou, Bishop Johan Bonny (Bpost/Lieve Blancquaert)  Belgium is issuing a stamp that includes 3 different religious leaders together along with the slogan "“Everybody equal, everybody different.” The stamp is meant to promote unity and tolerance by featuring Rabbi Albert Guigui with Imam Khalid Benhaddou and the Bishop of Antwerp Johan Bonny touching hands as a gesture of inter-faith unity. The three were photographed Antwerp by Flemish photographer Lieve Blancquaert.

Mashrou' Leila performing in San Francisco Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila's concert at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on October 27, 2015 was truly an event of electrifying proportions.  The band performed a slew of hits from their first 3 albums to a sold-out audience that included people of all ethnicities and backgrounds,   Though they do not play any tracks from their Ibn El Leil upcoming CD, the band did surprise their fans with an impromptu version of Britney Spears' "Toxic" sung in Arabic with lyrics that were as catchy as they were naughty. One week before their SF performance, the band's lead singer Hamed Sinno spoke to Arabology about the band's US tour where he shared his thoughts on the band's iconic status both in the Arab world and abroad.  That interview can be heard at  https://soundcloud.com/arabology/hamesinno2015 . Here are some pictures from the SF concert, including a backstage collage of the band with

Arabology 9.11  aired live on KZSU 90.1 FM on Oct 13, 2015 and included tons of new indie music from the Arab world + interview with the Arab Film Festival's Artistic Director Deana Nassar. Listen to podcast below or at soundcloud.com/arabology/arabology911 Playlist for Arabology 13 October 2015 DJ: Ramzi S. (Artist/Track/Album/Label) 1. DJ Pretentious/Get Lucky (Oriental Chillout Remix)/DJ Pretentious 2. Rayess Bek/ Emta Hataref (Asmahan)/ Love and Revenge/ Wael Kodeih 3. Jowan Safadi/Untie Me/Single/Jowan Safadi 4. Mashrou' Leila/3 Minutes/Single/Mashrou' Leila 5. Alif/Dars Min Karma Sutra/ Aynama Rtama/ Nawa Recordings 6. Mohamed Mansour (ft Nathalie Saba)/ Ahlamna El helwa (Sweet Dreams)/ Single/100 Copies 7. Interview with Deana Nassar/ Artistic Director of Arab Film Festival/ Arabology/KZSU 8. Interview with Deana Nassar/ Arab Film Festival Artistic Director/Arabology/KZSU 9. Mahmoud Badrawy/ Ighsil Albak (Cleanse Your Heart)/Single/Mahmoud B

Tunisian singing legend Emel Mathlouthi, whose music has been credited for fueling the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions, will be performing at the following venues in the US this October: Sept 25th & 26th: Globaquerque Festival, Albuquerque, New mexico Oct 1st: Skirball Center, Los Angeles, California Oct 12th: National Sawdust, Brooklyn, New York Oct 16th: Herbst Theatre, San Fransisco, California Oct 29th: Stewart Theatre, Raleigh, North Carolina Emel Mathlouthi kindly granted Arabology radio host Dr. Ramzi Salti an interview which you can hear below or at  https://soundcloud.com/arabology/emelmathlouthi About Emel Mathlouthi: In 2007, the Tunisian singer, guitarist, and composer, Emel Mathlouthi, fled the home country that banned her songs and moved to France. There, she further developed a repertoire that vented a yearning for freedom. With lyrics provided by Amin El Ghozzi, she wrote and performed "Kelmti Horra" ("My World Is Free&q

Zuhal Sultan, founder of the National Youth Orchestra of Iraq , gave a series of talks at Stanford this week that centerred on the way she has managed to bring together a group of 43 young musicians from all across Iraq - Shia, Sunni, Kurdish, Christian - to perform together in perfect harmony. Zuhal gave a talk in Arabic at noon where she spoke about her journey. The talk was introduced by Stanford Professor Alexander Key and sponsored by the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, the Stanford Language Center, and the Euphrates Institute. That talk was followed by a lecture, in English, that was additionally sponsored by AMENDS and included a musical intro by the Stanford Middle East Ensemble. See pics below. Zuhal Sultan with Professor Alexander Key Zuhal Sultan at Stanford Zuhal also granted ِ Arabology radio host Dr, Ramzi Salti an interview which was recorded at KZSU 90.1 FM.  You can hear the interview below or at  https://soundcloud.com/arabology/zuhal

Egyptian political satirist Bassem Youssef spoke to a sold-out audience at Stanford University on September 28, 2015--an event that was co-sponsored by the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) and OpenXChange.  The talk was moderated by Larry Diamond, former director of the CDDRL and senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. The political satirist, also known as the “Arab Jon Stewart,” shared with the Stanford community his thoughts on why political satire has come to embody an important element of modern day politics. He also reflected on his own experience as the co-founder and host of the internationally acclaimed political satire talk show “Al-Bernameg.” Youssef  discussed the challenges and obstacles he faced in providing the Egyptian public alternative viewpoints on politics not represented by the mainstream news media. Bassem Youssef with Dr. Ramzi Salti at Stanford Named one of TIME’s “100 most influential pe

REORIENT THE WAY YOU SEE THE MIDDLE EAST WITH GOLDEN THREAD PRODUCTIONS (SEP. 10–OCT. 4) ReOrient Festival presents eight fully-produced short plays in two repertory series, including award–winning Iraqi-British playwright Hassan Abdulrazzak’s U.S. debut, new works by Middle East America winners Yussef El Guindi and Mona Mansour, as well as world premieres by emerging voices like Nahal Navidar. ReOrient Forum (Oct. 3 and 4) includes panels and presentations featuring artists, activists, and scholars from around the world. Festival includes a Fairytale Players Double Bill:  Two family-friendly short plays inspired by Middle Eastern fables presented in one afternoon.  Music lovers can enjoy Syrian-American soprano Saousan Jarjour’s reminagining of Arabic folk songs. “The annual cavalcade of short plays about the Middle East that has itself provided, in addition to a dependable variety of aesthetic pleasures, crucial space for public consideration and dialogue.” –Rob Avila, San Francisc

The Arabian Shakespeare Festival is presenting 4 Short Plays created with inspiration from one of Shakespeare's Sonnets or the Poetry of Sidi Abderrahman el Mejdub and Abeliziz Al Magrouhi (arab poets from the same period). Actors and directors will put the play up with well under 10 hours of rehearsal! New works written by Barry Eitel, Elmaz Abinader, David Graham and Deema Shehabi. For more info and tickets, see http://m.bpt.me/event/1582798

Oud Master Ramy Adly will be in concert at the Kennedy Center on August 28th, at 6pm,  His performance aims at highlighting the Oud instrument  and the way it has always featured within the canon of Arabic/Middle Eastern music. 

Interviewing Nadia Ahmad  https://soundcloud.com/arabology/nadiaahmad Arabology is proud to share Dr. Ramzi Salti's interview with Nadia Ahmad  who co-hosts the TV show 'Kalam Nawaem' (the Arabic version of 'The View') on MBC1.  The interview was conducted in English at Stanford on July 21, 2015.  Listen below or at  https://soundcloud.com/arabology/nadiaahmad Nadia Ahmad is an acclaimed Arab Media personality and actress whose experience intersects theatre, film and television. She has performed with great panache on stages in Kuwait, Beirut and New York, winning wide spread acclaim from theatre stalwarts and critics alike. As a producer and director, she continues to develop major musical theatre productions in association with the National Council of Arts and Culture and the Amiri Diwan in Kuwait. As an Activist, Nadia helped co-found the non-profit organization, the Lothan Youth Achievement Center ( www.loyac.org ) in the wake of September 11, 2

Watch the video at https://youtu.be/VMgvU0Kaxqk Dr. Ramzi Salti, Lecturer at Stanford + Radio Host of 'Arabology' on KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM, was recently interviewed by Suad Asfour (AATV) about his teaching, his publications and his radio show.  The taping took place on July 14, 2015 at the ABC TV News/CreaTV  Building in San Jose, California. You can watch the video below or at  https://youtu.be/VMgvU0Kaxqk

Tinariwen solidifies Saharan Blues Tinariwen is a Grammy Award-winning group of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. The band began in 1979 in Algeria and started to gain a following outside the region in 2001, leading to performances at such world festivals as Festival au Désert and the Roskilde festival in Denmark. They received global acclaim for the release of their Aman Iman in 2007.  Tinariwen's sound features Berber music from northern Algeria, rai music, pop, and Egyptian music. They are also influenced by Dire Straits, Santana, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Kenny Rogers and Don Williams.  Their style sounds like a blend between the blues and West African music, Here is one of their hits titled 'TOUMAST TINCHA' ( https://youtu.be/bvFrCulCvgM ) Here is their entire concert at WOMAD ( https://youtu.be/uUS0-0Fv7c8 ) For more info: Tinariwen YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/Tinariwen Ti

Silk Road Rising has been awarded ArtPlace America’s National Grant to support their civic engagement and new play project, Jamil Khoury's Mosque Alert! Silk Road Rising (formerly known as Silk Road Theatre Project) creates live theatre and online videos that tell stories through primarily Asian American and Middle Eastern American lenses. In representing communities that intersect and overlap, they aim to advance a polycultural worldview. Mosque Alert is an artistic and civic engagement project that dramatizes the difficulties Muslims face across the country (see  https://youtu.be/Ojvgm7r4KU8 ).  Last summer, Jamil Khoury and Malik Gillani—the founders of Silk Road Rising—found the ideal site for their fictional mosque: The Old Nichols Library in downtown Naperville. Working with ten community partners in downtown Naperville, they plan to use Mosque Alert to generate community-wide conversations that will examine fears associated with the building of this fictional mosqu

Golden Thread’s upcoming ReOrient Festival  in San Francisco is well known for innovative, spirited, and thought-provoking theatre from and about the Middle East. With short plays by playwrights from Iraq, Iran, Egypt, England, and the U.S., the latest ReOrient promises to be a one-of-a-kind exploration of this unique region and its theater, stories, and artists. The festival will feature 8 short plays by leading and emerging Middle Eastern writers (see below). The month-long festival of short plays, which will begin on September 10, 2015, will conclude with a FREE weekend Forum, a convening of artists, activists and scholars aimed at expanding the dialogue on theatre and the Middle East . THE PLAYS: LOST KINGDOM by Hassan Abdulrazzak, directed by Michael French When a Lebanese-American FBI agent is called in to interrogate a fallen dictator, a twisted tango ensues that complicates black and white notions of good and evil. PICKING UP THE SCENT by Yussef El Guindi, d

Syrian-American Director Faisal Attrache is currently working on a new short film that deserves much attention and support. Titled 'From the Mountain' this Arab western short focuses on Sultan Basha Al Atrash's fight for freedom against colonial oppression.  Here is the film trailer:

Syiran-American pianist/composer Malek Jandali was honored today as a 2015 Great Immigrant - The Pride of America by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  Established in 1911, the Carnegie Corporation of New York is honoring a distinguished group of accomplished immigrants who have helped advance and enlighten our society, culture, and economy. Both The New York Times and The Guardian will feature the 38 honorees and their accomplishments on Independence Day, July 4,2015. The 2015 Great Immigrants come from more than 30 countries around the world and represent leadership in a wide range of professions. They include Nobel laureates Arieh Warshel and Thomas C. Südhof; Google Engineering Director Craig Nevill-Manning; Metropolitan Museum of Art Director Thomas Campbell; Atlanta Braves coach Eddie Pérez; Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin; Pulitzer Prize-winners Geraldine Brooks and Anne Telnaes; actress Sofía Vergara; singer Thalía and television game show host Alex Trebek. Last month Ma

Check out this amazing event which is coming up on July 19-25 at Pleasure Point FDC in Santa Cruz, CA. Registration form and detailed schedule at THIS LINK . This is a weeklong celebration of Arabic Music with instruction, workshops, performances in Arabic singing, instrumental music, percussion, and even a bit of dance. Instructors this year include Antoine Lammam for percussion, Elias Lammam, voice, maqam theory, ensemble, Arabic music history and subgenres, rhythms, improvisation and taqsim, Sarah Michael, assistant music director, Janelle Rodriguez, oriental dance, Carolé Acuña, flamenco, and Tina Enheduanna, oriental dance. This year there will be two phases of the week-long event: a two-day Bootcamp for musicians new to Arabic music (less than 3 years experience) on July 19-20; and a four-day intensive for more advanced students of Arabic music. The week will end with an evening of performances for family, friends and the public. There will be additional performance oppor

TWO events for Ballroom dancing legend Pierre Dulaine were planned at Stanford on Friday May 29 (see flier below): 1. Noon Lunch Talk at Language Center (Building 30-102): SEE VIDEO BELOW Mr. Dulaine discussed his 'Dancing Classrooms' method which he applied in his award winning documentary Dancing in Jaffa to bring Arab and Jewish children together through dance. Mr. Dulaine spoke about the film, his journey into the world of dance and his experience as a Judge on the Arabic version of the TV show 'So You Think You Can Dance.' Includes audio-visual intro by Dr. Ramzi Salti.  See video at  https://youtu.be/h2aQzq4H1qk 2. 7pm Screening of Dancing in Jaffa + Q&A with Pierre Dulaine (Building 260-113): Arrive by 6:30 pm for a live performance by the Stanford Middle East Ensemble, followed by a screening of the film at 7 pm + Q&A with Mr. Dulaine (moderated by Ramzi Salti). Dinner Provided.  Watch video below or at  https://youtu.be/uEQ1NAz6beo Even

Stanford Lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti gave a talk about Lebanese Poet جبران خليل جبران / Khalil Gibran this Friday on May 22 at 6 pm at Stanford Markaz Resource Center at Stanford University.  The evening focused on Gibran's poems in Arabic, followed by elaboration and explanation in English--plus various musical renderings by Fairuz. Here is a video recording of the event ( https://youtu.be/B7vEClRcDKs ) followed by pictures from the talk. Pictures from Gibran Poetry Night at Stanford:

Arabology 9.10 Podcast  https://soundcloud.com/arabology/arabology910 This episode of 'Arabology' aired on May 12, 2015.  The podcast includes new music by Algerian singer Souad Massi (based on Al Motanabi poem and translated to English) + the latest track by Egypt's Badrawies Project + Jordanian indie music by El Morabba3-المربّع and ZA'ED NA'ES زائد ناقص (ft. Muhammad Abdullah) + Morocco's OUM + various songs by Mike Massy and Maya Waked (both of whom are also interviewed). This podcast includes an inspiring interview with Hamza Chraibi, Founder of Arab Excellence, and an interview with writer Maisaa Al-Hatemi including a reading of one of her daring short stories in Arabic and English. Also includes a chat with Serge Bakalian, Executive Director of the Arab Film Festival, and a conversation with Adam Eltoukhy and Waleed Mohsen, Founders of Mohsen Arts Foundation + interview and Oud music by this year's grant winner Bangin Kanjo. Listen below o

Intima is a fusion of visual art, dance, and music that investigates themes of self-discovery, conflict, loss and resolution. The cultural history of Syria, ranging from the Gilgamesh myth to the current, tragic war, inspired Tayeb Al-Hafez to bring these artists together.  This event is premiered on May 8 and 9 at Z Space in San Francisco. Here is my interview with some members of the Intima Creative Team, recorded backstage after their SF premiere, featuring Tayeb Al-Hafez, Ilyas Iliya, Ali Kaaf, and Ashraf Kateb: " Intima brings together artists with mutual respect and a shared vision.” —Gregory Dawson, Choreographer “Exploring the relationship between man, space, and death has always been a focus of my work. Intima enhances this exploration by incorporating the physical body at every step. Movement is an ever-present feature of the total performance, giving the visual display a unique dynamism.” —Ali Kaaf, Visual Artist “For me, Intima addressed many que

https://soundcloud.com/arabology/1450am Arabology radio host and Stanford Lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti was recently interviewed by Maya Waked for her Lebanese radio show which airs on CHOU 1450 AM in Canada. Listen to an excerpt below or at https://soundcloud.com/arabology/1450am

Legendary ballroom dancing champion Pierre Dulaine, who stars in the critically acclaimed documentary Dancing in Jaffa documentary (where he brought Arab and Jewish children together through his dancing method) will be at Stanford on May 29, 2015 for two events:  A talk at noon in 30-102 and a 7 pm screening of his film + Q&A with Mr. Dulaine himself in 260-113. See details below. Co-Sponsored by the Center for Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, The Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, Taube Center for Jewish Studies, The Arab Film Festival, Stanford Language Center, Division of Literatures Cultures and Languages, Department of Comparative Literature, The Department of Theater & Performance Studies (TAPS), ITALIC, Arab Students Association at Stanford, Hillel, Jewish Student Association and a generous artsCatalyst grant by the Stanford Arts Institute. Lunch event with Pierre Dulaine at the Language Center Building 30-102 at 1-2 pm: Talk by ballroom danci

Sin Visa is an independent, poignant film that broaches the topic of immigration in a powerful, thoughtful and unique way.  At a time when immigrants seem to be systematically portrayed en masse by so many media outlets, this film succeeds in humanizing the immigrant experience by reminding us all of the individuality and uniqueness of every immigrant that has ever crossed the border. Sensitively written, in Spanish, by Bassam Kassab, this 81-minute drama takes us upon the often horrifying journey of Marco, a 17-year old Mexican who crosses the border in search of work, security, and a better life.  What he finds instead is that the road ahead is filled with treachery, exploitation, and a total lack of humanity. This is not to say that this film does not offer hope, for the script does introduce us to characters that actually help Marco in overcoming various obstacles while adjusting to his new life.  These multi-ethnic characters serve to underline the need for various immig

https://soundcloud.com/arabology/arabology99 Arabology 9.9 aired on March 31, 2015 and included and interview with Bassam Kassab (who spoke about his film Sin Visa) as well as with 2 Arab women photographers whose work is currently exhibited at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford: Rania Matar and Tanya Habjouka. The show also premiered a new song by Mike Massy titled 'Ya Immi' as well as Mashrou' Leila's new track called '3 Minutes.'  Other featured singers included Oum (Morocco), Macadi Nahhas (Jordan), Haifa Kamal (Jordan), Maya Waked (Lebanon/Canada), +Aziz (Kuwait), Rim Banna (Palestine), Zein Aljundi (Syria) and Aswat: the Bay Area Arabic Music Ensemble. Listen to the podcast below or at  https://soundcloud.com/arabology/arabology99