Ramzi Salti's Arabology

قدّم الدكتور رمزي سلطي برفقة الفنانة مي نصر محاضرة جديدة في الاردن بعنوان (الموسيقى المستقلة من الهامش الى الشهرة) وذلك في معهد سجال في يوم الثلاثاء الموافق الثالث عشر 13 من كانون الأول 2022 من الساعة السادسة والنصف حتى الساعة الثامنة والنصف مساءً. انقر\ي هنا لمشاهدة التسجيل الكامل لهذه المحاضرة Many thanks to everyone who attended Dr. Ramzi Salti's talk about indie Arabic music on December 13 from 6:30-8:30 pm at Sijal Institute in Amman, Jordan. This lecture, which featured live performances by singer May Nasr, was titled "Indie Music from the Arab World: No Longer Alternative" and included dozens of samples from a new generation of Arab musicians who, as Dr. Salti stated, prove that “the archive of independent music from the Arab world has grown so vast that it can no longer be defined as alternative.” You can now watch a complete video of the lecture here . Click here to view PowerPoint Presentation or see below لمشاهدة كل لوحات هذا التقديم انقر  هنا    Watch reco

  Watch complete video at  https://youtu.be/vaeJUCuzqGs   You can now watch a complete recording of a new musical lecture by Stanford Lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti titled "Mahraganat Music: The Arab World's Version of Hip Hop" which took place at Sijal Institute in Jordan on Thursday, November 24th from 12-2 PM. Watch below or at  https://youtu.be/vaeJUCuzqGs Playlist to accompany this lecture is at this link . Description:   Over the past 15 years, Egypt has witnessed--and banned--a new musical genre called Mahraganat. This lecture attempts to analyze that phenomenon by dissecting popular song lyrics (in Arabic and English) by musicians who established the genre.  Chapters in this video: Coming soon About Dr. Ramzi Salti: He was born in 1966 in Lebanon. French-educated in Beirut, he completed his high school education in Jordan. In 1983, he moved to the United States where he earned his B.A. in French and English and M.A. and Ph.D. in Comparative Literature (Arabic, French,

Watch video at https://youtu.be/kfQYPcwJnlk Dr. Ramzi Salti's lecture titled “Combining East and West: Jawdat Haydar’s Unique School of Thought” was delivered on November 11, 2022 at the Lebanese American University (LAU). By special invitation by the Department of Communication, Arts and Languages in collaboration with the Friends of Jawdat Haydar. This is an annual event held at LAU to celebrate the late poet Jawdat Haydar.  Watch video below or at https://youtu.be/kfQYPcwJnlk Video includes footage from post-lecture visit to the Memorial Room of Jawdat Haydar at Riyad Nassar Library. Date: Friday, November 11, 2022Time: 4:00 p.m. Place: Adnan Kassar School of Business, Lecture Hall 903, Beirut campus.  Dr. Ramzi Salti has been a Lecturer in Arabic at Stanford University since 1999. He has also taught a wide array of courses in several other universities in the USA and Jordan. His fields of interest include postcolonial theory, Pop Culture, and the use of technology to enhance la

Watch video at https://youtu.be/Q44-47WUxAE Here is the video recording of Dr. Ramzi Salti's talk titled "Global Themes, Language, and Social Implications in the Works of Jawdat Haydar" which was delivered on Tuesday, November 8 at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) in Jounieh, Lebanon. Lecture was followed by a presentation of a short movie about Jawdat Haydar. Watch the video below or at https://youtu.be/Q44-47WUxAE

Lebanese dance group Mayyas مياس  has just won TV's  “America’s Got Talent” 17th season--including its $1 million prize and a headlining show at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.  In doing so, the all-female dance troupe brought much joy and pride to their native country which has been in turmoil for years. In their breathtaking winning performance in the finale, Mayyas brought together traditional belly-dancing techniques from the Arab world combined with influences from India.   Watch at  https://youtu.be/G5MyQdGsQOo During the climactic final number, the group formed a snow-covered cedar tree, Lebanon’s national symbol--a move that left audiences worldwide in awe. Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati congratulated Mayyas on social media, while President Michel Aoun said that he will award the dancers Order of Merit medallions upon their return. Mayyas first excited  AGT fans with an amazing audition in June 2022. Judge Sofia Vergara was so impressed that she gave the

You may already recognize Mo Amer for playing a sidekick on the Hulu hit series Ramy but you’re about to rediscover him as the star of his own Netflix series, Mo , which began streaming on Netflix (USA) on August 24, 2022. Mo  is a semi-autobiographical dramedy about a Palestinian refugee “laughing the pain away” as he tries to navigate life in Houston and the US immigration system. Watch the trailer below or at  https://youtu.be/dtohea4CFbE

Screening and Q&A on Sunday July 31 at 4:30 pm (Opera Cinema Plaza in SF) The critically acclaimed Lebanese film "1982" played in the bay area on Sunday July 31 at the Opera Plaza Cinema in San Francisco.   NOW AVAILABLE: A complete video recording of Dr. Ramzi Salti conducting a Q&A session with Lebanese Director Oualid Moueness following the screening of his film  1982  on July 31 at the Opera Plaza Cinema in San Francisco.  Watch below or at  https://youtu.be/Z7nEOT3i2ts The film stars Lebanese superstar Nadine Labaki ( Capernaum , Caramel ) and Mohamad Dalli (in his acting debut) alongside an extraordinary ensemble cast of professional and non-professional actors (In Arabic and some English, with English Subtitles). 1982 is a life-affirming coming-of-age tale set at an idyllic school in Lebanon’s mountains on the eve of a looming invasion. It unfolds over a single day and follows an 11-year-old boy’s relentless quest to profess his love to a girl in his class. As

Ramy Adly's The Siege is now available on all platforms Egyptian American musician and Master of the Oud Ramy Adly has just released a new album titled  The Siege  in which he is accompanied by an orchestra and the Oud in taking listeners on a musical journey that is fueled with feelings of pride but also despair.  the record is about those lives affected in wars throughout human history. Ramy’s songs include the track Sahara, which takes us along the vast, warm desert, then to the waters of the shores in Alexandria, Egypt.  Listen to this track below or at this link .   Ramy Adly is an American/Egyptian artist, young master of the Oud, the versatile Guitar- like instrument that shaped Arab classical music. Grounded in the main Middle Eastern, ancient Egypt and the Arab classical styles thanks to rigorous training in his native Egypt, Adly has branched out repeatedly, incorporating jazz idioms and embracing conversations with other large musicians around the world. ​Adly has perf

Yacoub Abu Ghosh's new podcast is now available on all online platforms Yacoub Abu Ghosh يعقوب ابو غوش  has recently launched a new podcast in which he highlights and discusses some of the most influential musicians and singers in the Arab world and beyond. He has also been releasing a slew of groundbreaking music which is now available on most online platforms as well as on his YouTube Channel. Yacoub's new podcast (in Arabic) is called ليش أسمع  [Why Should I Listen] and thus far includes 9 episodes that seek to highlight a slew of influential musicians/singers, ranging from Nancy Ajram to Michael Jackson,  Each episode is eloquently presented by Yacoub who provides detailed info about each artist or genre.  The Playlist for this podcast is available below or at this link .   In addition to his new podcast, Yacoub Abu Ghosh has released an new and exciting 2-part musical project titled اشتقنا للشام  [We Miss Damascus] in which he brilliantly resurrects visual and musical piec

Boy from Heaven (Arabic title ولد من الجنة) is one of very few recent films that have dared to address the increasing tension between religion and state in Egypt today--a fact that was explained by Director Tarik Saleh's comment at Cannes in which he stated that “Egyptians who live in Egypt cannot tell the story. It’s impossible to do so.” Saleh, a Swedish citizen now, took a risk in making this film and, judging from the response that he received at Cannes this year, his efforts seem to have paid off. Tawfeek Barhom as Adam in  Boy from Heaven The setting is Al-Azhar Mosque/University in Cairo is known as "the Seat of all Muslim Learning"--but the film was actually in shot in Istanbul. This new location allowed Saleh to film truly gorgeous and powerful scenes, settings, characters and colors--beautifully edited and interwoven so as to capture and retain the attention of the audience throughout the film (which runs over 2 hours). Tarik Saleh's  Boy from Heaven : Off

The Blue Caftan   (2022) is one of the most moving films I have ever seen, not only in terms of Arabic films but as a global cinematographic gem.   Lubna Azabal (left) and and Saleh Bakri in  The Blue Caftan Directed by Maryam Touzani  (who wrote and directed the unforgettable Moroccan film Adam  two years ago) this film takes on the topic of gay men who, all too often in certain societies, get married to a woman who, sadly, becomes victimized twice over--once by society and once by her troubled husband who cannot reveal the secret of his torment to her. Lubna Azabal (left) and and Saleh Bakri in The Blue Caftan Unlike most such narratives, however, The Blue Caftan spotlights the often dismissed feelings of the wife's feelings in such situations; her experience, for once, transcends her attempt to coexist and/or completely reject her husband's secret love.  Her pain, her view, her empathy--even her flaws--are all brought to the forefront here,  She matters in this film and we

The 2022 Muslim American Contribution Award (MACA) Banquet took place on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at Stanford University.  This year, the MACA award was given to Hussam Ayloush (CAIR-California Executive). "Hussam Ayloush has been [a] lifelong human rights and democracy activist for causes here and abroad. He took his current position as Executive Director of the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) in 1998.  Through his work at CAIR, Hussam engages elected officials, law enforcement, media, and the public to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice. As an expert on American Muslim issues, Hussam regularly appears on local, national, and international media; and frequently speaks at schools, Islamic centers, churches, conferences, and universities." [Source: CAIR website]

Scene from Warsha , Directed by Dania Bdeir I first heard about the Lebanese short film Warsha when its Director Dania Bdeir was awarded the Short Film Jury Award (International Fiction) at the Sundance Festival (2022). Now that I've watched it, I can safely say that it more than lives up to the hype. Everything about this film oozes with originality, from the theme to the cinematography to the acting to the soundtrack in which Umm Kuthum is remixed and resurrected in a subversive way. Scene from Warsha Khansa's performance as the lead is brilliant; although the character never utters a word, he leaves us stunned and amazed through powerful gestures, body movement, and facial expressions. This is a courageous film that tackles issues related to gender, identity and the refugee crisis in a variety of unexpected ways. On a side note, I was delighted to see Khansa in the main role, having interviewed this amazing performance artist/singer for my radio show a few years ago.  Since

Watch at  https://youtu.be/sm4GU10T0E0 Dr. Ramzi Salti recently interviewed Salma's Home Director Hanadi Elyan + Cast Rania Kurdi, Sameera Asir, and the legendary Juliet Awad.  This audio-visual interview was recorded at KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University) on April 13, 2022 and is available below or at  https://youtu.be/sm4GU10T0E0 Salma's Home بيت سلمى film description: Three Arab women living in modern day Jordan must put their differences aside and work together in order to survive. For more info: salmashome.com بيت سلمى من بطولة الفنانة القديرة جوليت عواد و النجمة رانيا الكردي و المبدعة سميرة الأسير اخراج هنادي عليان.  يمكنكم مشاهدة مقابلة الدكتور رمزي سلطي مع مخرجة الفيلم وبطلاته الثلاثة عبر هذا الرابط . Watch this interview above or at  https://youtu.be/sm4GU10T0E0

Dr. Zaina Shihabi's article titled "A Brief Historical and Sociological Examination of Twentieth Century Arab Women Composers and Performers in Egypt" has been published in Part II of The Routledge Handbook of Women's Work in Music (2022). More info at this link . ABSTRACT: From as far back as the turn of the twentieth century, when Egypt was still under British occupation, women in Egypt have been utilizing music as a medium in order to speak out against injustice. This research examines the position of Arab women as composers from a historical and sociological perspective by providing content analysis of online magazine articles, newspaper articles and blogs in both English and Arabic. A literature review identifies a gap in the research, which is the lack of academic scholarship concerning individual Arab women composers and their accomplishments throughout history. Opportunities are identified for further research concerning the history of women in Arabic music o

The Stanford Med MENA program aims to leverage Stanford Med’s expertise in health research, training, and education and apply them to the MENA region. They are building cross-cultural health research and implementation programming that informs policy. The program sends Stanford physicians and trainees to MENA for training, and brings MENA physicians and trainees to Stanford. The team is working to partner locally to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery in MENA. Stanford MENA Health is looking for advisors to join the board, and donors for their two programs. With seed funding from our Stanford President and Dean of Medicine, the new MENA Health Program is focused on understanding and responding systematically to the health needs of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The project heads are Dr. Gary Darmstadt and Laila Soudi from Stanford. They work on three fronts: innovative community-led research, specialized education for health professionals, and regional traini

El Far3i aka Tareq Abu Kwaik After a decade of unequaled creativity and challenges, El Far3i has just completed his acoustic trilogy with his new album “Nas Min Khashab” [People Made of Wood].  In many ways, this album can be seen as the crown jewel of El-Far3i's oeuvre by taking listeners and fans through a musical journey that is filled with upheaval, courage, and an unwavering belief in the power of love. Album cover artwork and design by Samer Saem Eldahr Palestinian-Jordanian artist, Tareq Abu-Kwaik, aka El Far3i  الفرعي , announced the launch of his long-awaited acoustic album “Nas Min Khashab ناس من خشب ” on the 25th of February 2022. The final album in his acoustic trilogy will be released in the year of the 10 anniversary of “Soat Min Khashab  صوت من خشب ”, the first of the trilogy, and the 5th anniversary of the second album, “El Rajol El Khashabi  الرجل الخشبي ”. You can listen to the full album below or at this link in addition to streaming it on many platforms such as

We have received this exciting message directly from Tania Saleh who can be contacted directly via the links below. Logo by Tania Saleh "My name is Tania Saleh. You might know me as a singer/songwriter. I am also a visual artist. I have worked in media and communication for more than 25 years, mainly at Leo Burnett Advertising, MENA and as a freelance illustrator/animator and content creator for various media corporations, brands and artists, including myself. I have recently relaunched my design collective, "Tantune", aiming at creating content for musicians, bands and music-related projects. The services we offer are mainly brand identity, including logo and stationery, album covers, print and online design, photography, photo retouching, music video scripts and storyboards, illustration, and 2D animation. As of this year, I will be celebrating three decades of visual arts work. For that, I just compiled this show-reel edit spanning from 1992 to 2022." Tania Sale

In many ways, the short poem Seize paroles voilées* by Salah Stétié exemplifies the distinct sense of lyricism that characterizes much of the Lebanese writer and poet's prolific oeuvre. Composed in free verse and laden with natural and rich imagery, each of the sixteen stanzas in this poem broaches themes that have long preoccupied Stétié, from the pursuit of love and life to death and the occasional frailties of the human spirit.  Cover of Salah Stétié's "Seize paroles voilées" Dedicated "à un lieu de brûlure" which is never specifically identified, the poem is both deeply allegorical and deceptively simple. As such, it invites the reader not only to unveil each of the "paroles voilées" according to his or her own interpretation and experience, but also to participate in the poet's general celebration of nature and the wide range of human emotions. The oblique illustrations by Jean-Gilles Badaire that accompany each of the different stanzas i