Ramzi Salti's Arabology

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 summer of 2016.  His work--showcasing such cultural icons as Fairuz, Sabah, Um Kulthum and Dalida--immediately caught my eye and I resolved to meet this fine young artist who, several months later, agreed to speak with me via Skype about his work and background. Tamer told me that had been interested in art ever since he can remember and, growing up, initially wanted to be a fashion designer.  In school, his drawings would be displayed and admired by students and faculty alike and he even had a private Facebook group where he drew memorable caricatures for selected friends who urged him to publish his work in different media. Despite the fact that he majored in Business at the University of Jordan, Tamer always participated in art workshops and became very interested in the digital medium. Here, he credits Professor Alia Nemeh Haddad for recogni

Emel Mathlouthi at Cafe du Nord, SF on May 16, 2017 Legendary Tunisian singer/songwriter/producer Emel Mathlouthi, whose early songs served as the soundtrack to the Tunisian Revolution and the Arab Spring, performed to a full crowd at San Francisco's Cafe du Nord on May 16, 2017.  The evening was one to remember for a long time to come. Although this one-night only bay area performance mainly served to promote Emel's latest CD, titled Ensen , the performer did not shy away from singing some of her older hits, including her legendary song "Kelmti Horra"--a performance that brought the house down. But perhaps the highlight of the evening was the impromptu songs that Emel sang with the audience which seemed quite content to sing along--even in Arabic--while demandeing encore after encore.  One of those priceless moments was captured in the video below where the Tunisian songstress, deluged by requests for more songs, was happy to oblige. Video Highlights f