Currently in its tenth year, this radio program/podcast began airing on KZSU 90.1 FM in 2011 with the aim of highlighting various cultural productions from/about the Arab world, with a special focus on indie/alternative music. The show is presented in English with commentary by its host, Stanford Lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti.
With the beginning of the pandemic back in March 2020, the show has had to change formats and is now available as a series of audio-visual YouTube interviews with groundbreaking Arab musicians, poets, artists and more. To stay up to date with the latest episodes, please subscribe to Arabology's YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/RamziSalti
We are looking forward to resuming the audio posdcats as soon as the radio station reopens this year inshallah. In the meantime, feel free to peruse/enjoy all previous Arabology podcasts by listening below or going to https://soundcloud.com/arabology/sets/podcasts
Below is a YouTube playlist featuring all 12 of Arabology's audio-visual interviews which were conducted by Dr. Ramzi Salti in 2020-21. Click on the icon in the top right of the video window for the entire playlist or go to this link.
In lieu of my annual podcast in which I usually count down the Top 30 indie/alternative songs of the year, I am sharing this year a YouTube Playlist which includes Arabology's Top 30 songs of 2020. Playlist starts with Number 1 and goes down to 30.
You can listen to the songs, in order, on Spotify below (scroll down after list) or watch all 30 music videos on YouTube.
Listen to the Spotify list below (scroll down after list) or at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0JNZRpmJuZ3ZIXjm5t3NDP Note that #13,14,29,30 have been replaced by songs by same artist since they are unavailable on Spotify
Best Indie/Alternative Arabic songs that came out of the Arab world in 2020
1. Emsallam ft. Adan Wakeem - Aref Innak مسلّم مع عدن واكيم - عارف إنك
2. E M E L - Holm (A Dream) آمال مثلوثي - حلم 3. Bu Kolthoum - Mamnoun بو كلثوم - ممنون 4. Elsayed Agamy ft. Yusor - Raka W Raka السيد عجمي مع يسر - راقة و راقة
5. Omar Kamal - Ya Rayeh Sawb Bladi عمر كمال - يا رايح صوب بلادي 6. 47SOUL - Dabke System السبعة و أربعين - دبكة سيستم 7. Faraj Suleiman - Questions on My Mind فرج سليمان - في أسئلة براسي 8. Shabjdeed - NKD GLG (Prod. Al Nather) شب جديد - نكد چلچ 9. Cairokee - Kan Lak Ma’aya كايروكي - كان لك معايا 10. The Synaptik X Maysa Daw - Jowa Beiti السينابتيك مع ميساء ضو - جوا بيتي
11. Hamed Sinno - Mashaniq حامد سنو – مشانق 12. Aziz Maraka - Mafi Mennik عزيز مرقة – ما في منك 13. El Far3i - Dry Clean (P. Arab Keyz) الفرعي - دراي كلين * إنتاج عرب كيز 14. Lynn Adib & Zeid Hamdan - Ya Habibi Ta’ala - يا حبيبي تعالَ 15. Autostrad - Istana Shwai أوتوستراد - استنى شوي 16. Marwan Asad Ft. The Synaptik X Mohamed Mansour - Qamarhen قمرهن 17. Shabjdeed - MANTIKA (Prod. Al Nather) شب جديد - منطقة 18. Tania Saleh - Ya Reit (I Wish) تانيا صالح - يا ريت 19. The Synaptik (Ft.الفرعي- El Far3i) - Dari- السينابتيك - داري
20. Ramy Essam – Ya Habayebna (Oh You Loved Ones) رامى عصام - يا حبايبنا 21. Souad Massi - Wakfa سعاد ماسي - واقفة 22. Nour Khan - Hazeena نورخان - حزينة 23. Jamaet Khair Ft. Aziz - El Hob El Bekir جماعة خير مع عزيز - الحب البكر 24. Tamer Nafar - Ili Al-Haq (تامر نفار - إلي الحق (وين بصرفوها هاي؟ 25. Kuwaisiana (Ft Plus Aziz) - Bara7a (براحة) 26. Naima Shalhoub - Four (Roumieh Prison Blues) (feat. Excentrik & Marcus Shelby) 27. Massar Egbari (ft Asmaa) - Raghm El Masafa رغم المسافة - مسار اجباري مع أسماء أبو اليزيد 28. Chantal Bitar - Bel Haijr El-Sehi شانتال بيطار - بالحجر الصحّي 29. E M E L + Various Artists - Kelmti Horra (My Word Is Free) - Quarantine Session 30. Layth Sidiq – Grief Is a Journey (Instrumental) ليث صديق – الحزن رحلة
I am proud to share this radio interview which I conducted on Feb 21, 2018 with Jordanian novelist فادي زغموت Fadi Zaghmout whose first two novels, both best sellers in the Middle East, managed to defy and subvert various notions of gender and sexuality in the Arab world. In this interview, Fadi talks about his 2 groundbreaking novels (both available in English translation) while giving us a preview of his third, forthcoming novel "Laila and the Lamb."
Fadi Zaghmout is a gender activist, blogger, and author. His first two novels were best-sellers in the Middle East, and his third novel "Laila and the Lamp" is forthcoming from Egyptian publisher Kotob Khan. Fadi holds an MA in Creative Writing and Critical Thinking from Sussex University in the UK. He blogs at thearabobserver.wordpress.com and tweets as @fadizaghmout
The latest episode of Arabology (aired February 2018) featured the Top 20 Alternative/Indie Arabic Songs of 2017--according to an unofficial poll of selected Stanford students and KZSU 90.1 FM listeners. You can listen to the show below or at https://soundcloud.com/arabology/top2017
Now in its 7th year, Arabology is a radio program that is hosted by Dr. Ramzi Salti, Lecturer at Stanford University, showcasing music and other cultural productions from/about the Arab world. The program airs on KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University) and previous podcasts can be found here.
The massive amount of talented musicians from the Arab world who emerged and re-emerged in 2017 made for a particularly competitive chart this year and included fiercely independent musicians and singers from all over the globe, including Muzdawaj (Jordan), Amine Souikra + Khawla Kayour (Morocco), Alsarah & the Nubatones (Sudan), Ahmad Zoubi (Jordan), Mahmoud Badrawy (Egypt), Temenik Electric ft Mehdi Haddjeri (Algeria), Mahmood Jrere and Tamer Naffar (Palestine/Israel), 47SOUL (Bilad El Sham), Blaak Heat (France/USA) Ft Fareed Al-Madain (Jordan), Mirage (Jordan), Hana Malhas (Jordan), Kabreet (Yemen/Germany), Tamer Qarrain (Jordan) Ft Lara Elayyan, Mashrou' Leila (Lebanon) + Hercules and Love Affair (USA/Belgium), Mike Massy ft Malek El Yaman (Lebanon), Emsallam (Jordan), Yasmine Hamdan (Lebanon), Tania Saleh (Lebanon), and Maryam Saleh (Egypt) + Tamer Abu Ghazaleh (Palestine) + Maurice Louca (Egypt).
The show also featured amazing instrumentals (which served as soundbeds) by The Spy from Cairo, Rasasawt (ft Kamel Badarneh), City of Djinn, Blaak Heat, Maghnatees, Hello Psychaleppo, DJ Lethal Skillz & Beatlalipos, Abdullah Miniawy, Ramy Mishriky, and Imed Alibi. These instrumentals will be played in full on a future show.
Here is the list of Arabology's Top 20 Songs of 2017 (starting from #20 and ending with #1)
Arabology 11.4: Top 20
Alternative Arabic Songs of 2017
Counted down from #20
to #1 Song of the Year (last row)
Chart Position
Artist
Song
Album
Label
Intro Music:
Spy from Cairo “Sahir” from Nothing New Under the Sun on
Wonderwheel Recordings
#20
Mashrou Leila + Hercules & Love Affair
Are You Still Certain?
Omnion
Big Beat/ Atlantic Rec
#19
Muzdawaj
Ala Bali (Vocal Mix)
على بالي
Muzdawaj
Khaled Nweiran
Music:
Spy from Cairo “Sirens of the Nile” from Open Sesame on Wonderwheel
Recordings
#18
Amine Souikra Ft Khawla Kayour
7ali Ma3ak
حالي معك
The Code
Amine Souikra Ezzanaidi
#17
Alsarah & the Nubatones
Ya Watan (Captain Planet Remix)
Manara Remixed
Wonderwheel Recordings
#16
Ahmad Zoubi
Ghorbeh غربة
Single
Ahmad Zoubi
Music: Spy from Cairo “Open Sesame” from Sirens
of the Nile/Open Sesame on Wonderwheel Recs
#15
Mahmoud Badrawy
Mati7sibhash
ماتحسبهاش
(Acoustic)
Single
Richard Elhaj
#14
Temenik Electric Ft Mehdi Haddjeri
Zakia
Inch’Allah Baby
Nomad Café Production
Music: Rasasawt (ft Kamel Badarneh) “Qalandia
Gate” from Music for Checkpoints album
#13
Mahmood Jrere
I’m from There
انا من هناك
Rhythm of the Tribe
أيقاع القبيلة
Mahmood Jrere
#12
Tamer Naffar
Johnny Mashi
Single
Tamer Naffar
Music: City of Djinn “Hakawati” from City of Djin on Somnimage (1:06:02)
#11
47Soul
Mo Light
رف الطير
Balfron Promise
Cooking Vinyl Limited
Music: Blaak Heat “Al-Andalus” from The
Arabian Fuzz 7” on Svart Records
