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Quartertones is a music podcast which hosts current Arab musicians from different geographies who play contemporary and modern music, including pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic, classical, among other genres. The guests are invited to talk about their work and play their music – whether live or recorded – in three segments. The audience gets a chance to listen to work from across the region and genres that is defining the scene in the region, and understand the music that these musicians and m ...
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Fadi Tabbal is a Lebanese musician, producer and sound engineer often referred to as "the hardest-working man in Lebanon's alternative music scene." He established Tunefork Studios in 2006 and has produced and recorded some of the most renowned Lebanese and international acts in the contemporary music scene in Lebanon today. Connect with Fadi 👉 htt…
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Laith Hasan, better known as The Synaptik, is a Celebrated Palestinian-Jordanian rapper and hip-hop artist with shows selling out worldwide. He started writing music since he was 17 and living in Jordan and finally moved to Palestine where he currently resides. His albums include Al Qamar Wal Moheet, Ma Qabl Al Tawafan, and Om Al Mawjat. Connect wi…
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Kareem Roustom is a Syrian-American composer whose genre-crossing collaborations include music commissioned by conductor Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Kronos Quartet, arrangements for pop icons Shakira and Tina Turner, as well as a recent collaboration with acclaimed British choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh. A musically …
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Farah Kaddour is a Beirut-based musician and researcher. She holds a master’s degree in Musicology from the Antonine University. She works mainly in the field of folk and classical Arabic music, and attempts to rediscover and experiment with the sound of the Buzq by shedding light on the intersection between the identity of its sound, and the ident…
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DAM is a Palestinian hip-hop group founded in 1999 by brothers Tamer and Suheil Nafar. Maysa Daw joined in 2015. Connect with DAM 👉 https://www.instagram.com/dampalestine/?hl=en Connect with Tamer 👉 https://www.instagram.com/tamer_nafar/?hl=en Connect with Maysa 👉 https://www.instagram.com/maysadaw/?hl=en Sole DXB is an annual footwear, music, art,…
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At Sole DXB in December 2023, Oddisee joined afikra on stage for a live episode of Quartertones. Using his music as an entryway, this conversation journeys from D.C. to NYC all the way to Sudan. We learn about Oddisee's musical influences and how he blends soundscapes from iconic musical eras and his own heritage. With each musical interlude, we di…
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In this episode of Quartertones, musician, architect and urban researcher Mayssa Jallad joins us in the afikra studio in Beirut to talk about her latest, deeply researched work “Marjaa: Battle of the Hotels”. The album brings together her passion for music and her background in urban research and architectural history. She recounts her interest in …
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In this episode of Quartertones, we sat down with Rayess Bek, aka Wael Kodeih, to talk about his varied and vibrant musical career. As we traverse his music projects, personas and styles from over the years, the conversation explores Kodeih's relationship with Lebanon, hip hop, history, war and colonialism. We listen to tracks from his beginnings w…
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On this episode of Quartertones, up-and-coming musician Ghaliaa discusses her love for music, career to date, and finding inspiration in non-fiction. She talks about her childhood, how she came to be so multi-instrumental, and who her Arabic music inspirations are. Ghaliaa also reflects on the influence of TikTok and other social media on the music…
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In this episode of Quartertone, Karim Nagi takes us on a journey into the world of Arabic percussion and rhythm. He talks about his experience as a musician and how the arts – and percussion in particular – have helped him embrace and grow into his own Arab identity. He shares his advice for musicians who are just embarking on their own journeys, a…
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We partnered with Habibi Festival for a six-night celebration of ancient + contemporary sounds from Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria and more! It all took place from October 1-7 at Joe's Pub in NYC. Each night we taped live conversations with the artists on stage. This special Quartertones episode is the last of six featuring a …
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We partnered with Habibi Festival for a six-night celebration of ancient + contemporary sounds from Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria and more! It all took place from October 1-7 at Joe's Pub in NYC. Each night we taped live conversations with the artists on stage. This special Quartertones episode is the fifth of six, featuring …
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We partnered with Habibi Festival for a six-night celebration of ancient + contemporary sounds from Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria and more! It all took place from October 1-7 at Joe's Pub in NYC. Each night we taped live conversations with the artists on stage. This special Quartertones episode is the fourth of six, featuring…
  continue reading
 
We partnered with Habibi Festival for a six-night celebration of ancient + contemporary sounds from Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria and more! It all took place from October 1-7 at Joe's Pub in NYC. Each night we taped live conversations with the artists on stage. This special Quartertones episode is the third of six, featuring …
  continue reading
 
We partnered with Habibi Festival for a six-night celebration of ancient + contemporary sounds from Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria and more! It all took place from October 1-7 at Joe's Pub in NYC. Each night we taped live conversations with the artists on stage. This special Quartertones episode is the second of six, featuring…
  continue reading
 
We partnered with Habibi Festival for a six-night celebration of ancient + contemporary sounds from Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria and more! It all took place from October 1-7 at Joe's Pub in NYC. Each night we taped live conversations with the artists on stage. This special Quartertones episode is one in six, and features a c…
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With a vast discography featuring both emerging artists and some of the biggest names in Arabic music, Sleiman Damien is completely tapped into the region’s pop genre. We asked him what he thinks of the phrase “Arab pop fusion”, which metrics actually matter to him, and why he thinks legacy superstars have more sticking power in today’s fickle indu…
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P-Thugg, one half of music duo Chromeo, shares the secrets to a successful and long-term musical collaboration. On set with us in Beirut, he talks about the experiences that led to his discovering funk and hip hop, growing up between Lebanon and Canada and his changing relationship with the former, and what it’s like attending the VMAs. He tells us…
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DJ Nooriyah’s iconic Boiler room set with her Baba on the oud, growing up between Saudi, Japan and London, and her beloved CDJ 2000s Pioneer decks. We sat down with Nooriyah Qais to talk about everything DJing, her guide to safeguarding yourself in the club industry, and how she transforms a sample into an infectious dance track. We also touch on t…
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The early days of Palestinian hip-hop group DAM, growing up in Lydda, and working with artists across the region and from the diaspora: Suhel Nafar joins us on QuarterTones to discuss his colorful and accomplished musical career to date. We talk about his family’s ‘Bootleg Jackson 5’ group, Palestinian hip hop and his departure from DAM. Suhel Nafa…
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Akher Zapheer’s front-man and longest standing member, Basem Sayej, talks to us about Amman as his muse and a misunderstood city, the Arab rock scene, and his favorite places to perform round the world. We listen to three of Akher Zapheer’s songs from across their albums and get an insight into how Basem approaches song-writing. Finally, Basem shar…
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In this episode of Quartertones, Thanks Joey takes us on a journey through hip hop, Brooklyn music, and his Syrian grandfather’s old records. We talk about working with Omar Offendum and Narcy, his music making process, and what inspired his Lahme song. He gives us a sneak preview of unreleased tracks, tours us round his sampler, and reflects on in…
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John Bakhos talks about forming his metal band, Anuryzm, and the progression of its music throughout the years. In this Quartertones episode, John plays three songs: Cosmos, Neo Luddite, and Ruby Demon. John Bakhos is a Lebanese musician, guitarist, and the founder of the progressive metal band Anuryzm. Born in Beirut, Bakhos started playing the gu…
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Blu Fiefer plays three of her songs: Sharaf, Nazele Big Champagne, and Sint El Ew. She talks about her contribution to hip-hop in Lebanon and how she uses storytelling in her music. Blu Fiefer is a Lebanese-Mexican artist, music producer and director, approaching her art as a multi-faceted platform. Today, Fiefer readies her debut album 'Villain Ba…
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Omar El Ouaer plays three of his songs: Alif Ya Soltani, Aziza, and Mana3ref Win. He tells us about Tunisian music and how he discovered Jazz. Omar el Ouaer, a Tunisian jazz musician. He started his music education at the age of 11, studying Arabic music at the conservatory, and later discovered jazz and modern piano. He participated in various jaz…
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Zeid Hamdan introduces us to the Indie music scene in the Arab region. We listened together to songs he produced: Herzan by Soapkills and Zamel by Bedouin Burger, which he forms with Lynn Adib. Zeid Hamdan is a Lebanese music composer. For the last 2 decades, he's been producing some of the most interesting bands of the Lebanese and regional indie …
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Malika Zarra takes us on a musical journey to discover Moroccan music. She tells about her newest album "RWA (The Essence)" and about who inspires her the most, from Moroccan Hajja Hamdaouia to Lebanese Farid Al-Atrash and Algerian Warda. Malika is a singer and composer who was born in Southern Morocco and raised in a suburb of Paris. Her musical b…
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On this episode of Quartertones we're talking with Nubian-rooted Egyptian singer Nesma Herky who takes us to the origins of her interest in singing. We then listen to her work starting with Amary, continuing with Ne3eesh Be3eed, and end with her rendition of Mohamed Mounir's Ya Marakby. Nesma Herky is a marvelous Nubian rooted Egyptian singer and a…
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Vanessa Paloma Elbaz talked about her research in Jewish music. We listened to Chant Juif pour la Naissance by Mme. Azeroual, Habibi Lawel by Habiba Messika, and La Llorona by Chavela Vargas. Vanessa Paloma Duncan-Elbaz has a Ph.D. from the Sorbonne’s CERMOM research group of the INALCO (Center for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Studies of the Na…
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In this Quartertones event in collaboration with Habibi Festival held at Joe's Pub, we talked to Bedouin Burger duo artists Lynn Adib and Zeid Hamdan. ABOUT HABIBI FESTIVAL Created with the goal of giving a snapshot of contemporary and traditional musics of the SWANA (South West Asia North Africa) region, Habibi Festival aims to take listeners on a…
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In this Quartertones event in collaboration with Habibi Festival held at Joe's Pub, we talked to classical pianist Hatim Belyamani and rapper Mehdi WMD. ABOUT HABIBI FESTIVAL Created with the goal of giving a snapshot of contemporary and traditional musics of the SWANA (South West Asia North Africa) region, Habibi Festival aims to take listeners on…
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In this Quartertones event in collaboration with Habibi Festival held at Joe's Pub, we talked to Kanun player and composer Firas Zreik. ABOUT HABIBI FESTIVAL Created with the goal of giving a snapshot of contemporary and traditional musics of the SWANA (South West Asia North Africa) region, Habibi Festival aims to take listeners on a journey of the…
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In this Quartertones event in collaboration with Habibi Festival held at Joe's Pub, we talked to maqamat and awtaar vocalist Zahra Alzubaidi. ABOUT HABIBI FESTIVAL Created with the goal of giving a snapshot of contemporary and traditional musics of the SWANA (South West Asia North Africa) region, Habibi Festival aims to take listeners on a journey …
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In this Quartertones event in collaboration with Habibi Festival held at Joe's Pub, we talked to Mauritanian griot and singer Noura Mint Seymali and Mauritania/Senegal-based producer and musician Matthew Tinari. ABOUT HABIBI FESTIVAL Created with the goal of giving a snapshot of contemporary and traditional musics of the SWANA (South West Asia Nort…
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Nadine performed three of her songs and spoke about her musical career. Nadine El Roubi is a Sudanese artist who grew up in Virginia, she hopes to expand the understanding of what it means, and looks like, to be Arab Muslim woman. She takes inspiration from icons like Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and more. She debuted in 2018, with her first solo sing…
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Kinan performed three musical pieces and spoke about his work as a composer. Originally from Damascus, Syria Kinan Azmeh is a soloist, composer, and improvisor. He has performed in places such as the Opera Bastille, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Damascus Opera House, and more. Kinan’s compositions include several works for solo, chamber, and orchestra…
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Rahim performed 3 pieces from his work and spoke about his work as a composer and musician. Rahim AlHaj has performed all over the world, on tour with Munir Bashir, his teacher, as well as solo and with his string quartet project, including numerous concerts in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, and France and h…
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Firas performed three songs, spoke about starting Last Floor Productions, and his work in movie/TV composition. Firas Abou Fakher is a Lebanese composer, producer, and writer. While attending the American University of Beirut (AUB), he co-founded Mashrou' Leila with Hamed Sinno, Haig Papazian and Carl Gerges and is the band's composer, guitarist, a…
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Lynn Adib performed three musical pieces: Youmma, Taht El Ward & Autruche followed by a discussion. Born and raised in Damascus, Syria. Lynn Adib is a singer, composer who has been exploring Arabic music and improvisation through Jazz music that she discovered around the age if 19 after spending years in the Choir if Joy in and learning classical f…
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Big Hass performed four musical pieces: Iraq Cypher, Arab Femcee Cypher, Sudan Cypher & Khadsha followed by a discussion. Hassane Dennaoui, aka “Big Hass" is the host of Saudi Arabia's first and only FM hip-hop radio show Laish Hip-Hop? and is also founder of Re-Volt Blog and Re-Volt Magazine. He hosted the radio show Spitter with Big Hass at Sole …
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Youmna Saba performed three pieces: Al Sobh (الصبح), Madd W Jazr (مد وجزر) & Hubut (هبوط), followed by a discussion. Youmna Saba (Beirut, 1984) is a musician and musicologist whose current research focuses on the musical dimension(s) of the Arabic language, as a tool to generate new methods of working with electronics. She released 4 albums to this…
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Toot Ard performed three musical pieces: Moonlight, Trouble Watan & Wanderlust. TootArd, Arabic for "Strawberry", was formed in 2010 by brothers Hasan and Rami Nakhleh. All band members grew up in Majdal Shams. The band started by performing in the Golan Heights, later travelling to Jerusalem, Palestine and Europe. The band's style is mixed. Their …
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Basel Rajoub performed three musical pieces: Tashkent, duclar improvisation & Devil's Whistle. Basel Rajoub is a worldwide known saxophonist and composer. His music can be described as contemporary tradition-based music inspired by Middle Eastern rhythms, melodic modes and jazz. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Them…
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Rima Khcheich performed three musical pieces: Al Sama'a wel Rah, Harram El Noum & Washwishni. Rima Khcheich is well renowned for having given its rebirth to the Andalusian form Muwashah, as well as to the traditional Arabic repertoire of the 19th and 20th Century that she both teaches and explores. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited b…
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In this Quartertones event, we listened to Adnan Joubran as he performed three musical pieces followed by a discussion. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Quartertones: QuarterTones is a music show. It is an opportunity to listen to music, acro…
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In this Quartertones event, we listened to Firas Zreik as he performed three musical pieces: Taksim, Zawraq & Refractions. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Quartertones: QuarterTones is a music show. It is an opportunity to listen to music, a…
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In this Quartertones event in collaboration with Habibi Festival held at Joe's Pub, we talked to Festival Co-Founder and Musical Director Yacine Boulares, Festival Co-Founder Meera Dugal, clarinet player Kinan Azmeh, and Joe's Pub Director Alex Knowlton about the ethos of the festival and opening night performance featuring AJOYO. Learn more at www…
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In this Quartertones event in collaboration with Habibi Festival held at Joe's Pub, we talked to North African dancer and educator Esraa Warda. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Quartertones: QuarterTones is a music show. It is an opportunity …
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In this Quartertones event in collaboration with Habibi Festival held at Joe's Pub, we talked to musicians of the Moroccan band Innov Gnawa. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Quartertones: QuarterTones is a music show. It is an opportunity to …
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In this Quartertones event in collaboration with Habibi Festival held at Joe's Pub, we talked to Sudanese musician Alsarah from Alsarah & The Nubatones and violinist Haig Papazian. Created & Hosted by Mikey Muhanna, afikra Edited by: Ramzi Ramman Theme music by: Tarek Yamani https://www.instagram.com/tarek_yamani/ About Quartertones: QuarterTones i…
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