Arab World

New Sounds from Cairo

By Thomas Burkhalter on May 3, 2013

By Thomas Burkhalter on 3 May 2013 in VIDEO

Pictures, videos and tracks from a recent fieldtrip to Cairo – including Mahragan, Electronica, Sound Art, Egyptronica, Experimental Music …

Posted in VIDEO, XFEATURED | Tagged 100copies, Ahmed Basiony, Arab World, Bosaina, Cairo, Cairo Liberation Front, Dossier Arab World, Dossier World Music 2.0, Egypt, EKA3, Electro-sha‘bi, Hussein El-Sherbini, Islam Chipsy, Ismael Hosny, Maghragan, Mahmoud Refat, Maryam Saleh, Maurice Louca, MC Amin, Middle East, Mohammed Antar, Nadia Mounier, Ola Saad, Quit Together, Sadat, sha'bi, Sherine Amr, Society for Arab Music Research, Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, Wetrobots, Yara Mekawei, Zuli | Leave a response

Festival of Experimental Music in Lebanon

By Tanya Traboulsi on April 9, 2013

By Tanya Traboulsi on 9 April 2013 in BLOG

Photography from Irtijal 2013, our favorite festival for experimental music in the Middle East. Plus two comments by festival co-organizer and musician Sharif Sehnaoui.

Posted in BLOG | Tagged Alexandre St-Onge, Alvise Seggi, Anthony Von Seck, Arab World, Balazs Pandi, Beirut, Dao, Dossier Arab World, Gert-Jan Prins, Irtijal Festival, Jim Quilty, Lebanon, Lukas Ligeti, Mazen Kerbaj, Miles, Omar Dewachi, Osman Arabi, Paed Conca, Piero Bittolo Bon, Rabih Beaini, Sam Shalabi, shalabi effect, Sharif Sehnaoui, Thomas Burkhalter, Tommaso Cappellato, Upperground Orchestra, Will Eizlini | Leave a response

Local Music Scenes and Globalization – Transnational Platforms in Beirut

By Thomas Burkhalter on December 18, 2012

By Thomas Burkhalter on 18 December 2012 in ACADEMIC

This book offers the first in-depth study of experimental and popular music in Beirut.

Posted in ACADEMIC | Tagged Abu Arab, Aks’ser, Arab World, Assy Rahbani, Ayat, Beirut, Bellydance, Charbel Haber, Charbel Rouhana, Civil War, Cynthia Zaven, digitalization, Dossier Arab World, Dossier World Music 2.0, Elias Rahbani, ethnography, Ethnomusicology, Exoticism, Fairuz, Garo Gdanian, Ghada Shbeir, globalization, Hizbullah, Joelle Khoury, Katibe 5, Khaled al-Habre, Lebanese Forces, Lebanon, Mahmoud Refat, Mahmoud Turkmani, Mansour Rahbani, Marc Codsi, Marcel Khalife, Mashrou’ Leila, Mazen Kerbaj, Munma, Muslimgauze, Norient, Paed Conca, Popular Music Studies, Praed, Propaganda, Psychedelic Music, Raed Yassin, Rayess Bek, Raymond Azoury, Ruptured Sessions, Sabah, Scrambled Eggs, Sharif Sehnaoui, Soap Kills, Tarab, Tarek Atoui, The Arcane, The Kordz, The New Government, The Sea-ders, Thomas Burkhalter, Toufic Succar, Trauma, Weeping Willow, World Music 2.0, Yasmine Hamdan, Zad Moultaka, Zeid Hamdan, Ziad Sahhab, Ziyad Rahbani, Ziyad Sahhab | 4 Responses

Rewriting Arabic Songs

By Ahmad Zatari on July 5, 2012

By Ahmad Zatari on 5 July 2012 in STORIES

Using folk songs from Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine, and Kuwait, Yasmine Hamdan’s self-titled new album revives the music of the region with an unheard of frankness and freshness.

Posted in STORIES | Tagged Ahmad Qaboor, Arab World, Beirut, Darine Hamze, Dossier Arab World, Elia Suleiman, In Kana Fouadi, Kwaidan Records, Laila Murad, Lebanon, Marc Codsi, Marc Collin, Mohammed Abdel Wahhab, Nouvelle Vague, Paris, Rima Khcheich, Soap Kills, Umaima al-Khalil, Ya Habibi Taala Lhaeni, Yasmine Hamdan, Zeid Hamdan | Leave a response

Not Inspired by Butterflies

By Thomas Burkhalter on May 12, 2012

By Thomas Burkhalter and Simon Grab on 12 May 2012 in AUDIO

Rapper La Gale is half Swiss and half Lebanese. In our Norient Podcast she talks about her political message and her first CD.

Posted in AUDIO | Tagged Arab World, Christian Pahud, Diaspora, Globale Nischen, Karine Guignard, La Gale, Larytta, Lausanne, Lebanon, Rap, Sonic Traces: From Switzerland | 4 Responses

Mapping Cairo

By Torie Rose DeGhett on April 2, 2012

By Torie Rose DeGhett on 2 April 2012 in VIDEO

The multimedia-webdocumentary «The song of Tahir square. Music at the heart of revolution» by Hussein Emara and Priscille Lafitte invites to dive in contrasting places of music in Cairo. An interactive approach.

Posted in VIDEO | Tagged Ahmad Fouad Negm, Ali Al-Haggar, Arab World, Arabian Knightz, As-Salam City, Cairo, Documentary Film, Dossier Arab World, Egypt, Electro-sha‘bi, Eskenderella, Fathy Salama, France24, Haitham Said, Hip Hop, Hosni Mubarak, Hussein Emara, MC Deeb, Priscille Lafitte, Ramy Essam, Revolution 2.0, Revolution Records, Tahir, Wael Ghonim, webdocumentary, Wellsbox Productions | 1 Response

Criticising the Syrian Regime with Finger Puppets

By Norient on February 4, 2012

By Norient on 4 February 2012 in BLOG

Daring young Syrian filmmakers, toiling in anonymity in a Damascus basement, have crafted an award-winning film critiquing with bold humor the brutal repression occurring around them.

Posted in BLOG, XFEATURED | Tagged Arab World, Bashar Al-Assad, beeshu, Masasit Mati, Protest, puppet, Revolution, Syria, YouTube | Leave a response

I love hip-hop in Morocco

By Miriam Gazzah on January 4, 2012

By Miriam Gazzah on 4 January 2012 in STORIES

This is a story about the empowering force of (Moroccan) hip-hop. Screened on Thursday 12.1.2012 at the 3rd Norient Musikfilm Festival.

Posted in STORIES | Tagged 3. Norient Musikfilm Festival 2012, Arab World, Brown Fingaz, DJ Key, Documentary Film, Dossier Arab World, Fnaïre, H-Kayne, Hip Hop, I Love Hip-Hop in Morocco, Josh Asen, Marrakesh, MC Bigg, Morocco, Mot de Passe, Rap | 3 Responses

Music Samples from Syria

By Manuel Sánchez on December 19, 2011

By Manuel Sánchez on 19 December 2011 in AUDIO

A new samples selection from the archives of the DJ Cinnamoon project.

Posted in AUDIO | Tagged Arab World, DJ Cinnamoon, Dossier Arab World, Dossier World Music 2.0, Middle East, mixtape, New Wave Dabké, Palestine, Popular Music, Syria | 1 Response

Golden Beirut-New Sounds from Lebanon

By Norient on December 5, 2011

By Norient on 5 December 2011 in BLOG

The first CD release by norient and Outhere Records focuses on a young generation of musicians from Beirut that is tired of war, fed up with politics, sick of religious madness, and angry about Euro-American exoticism.

Posted in BLOG | Tagged Arab World, Beirut, Dossier Arab World, Katibe 5, Lumi, Malikah, Mashrou’ Leila, Outhere Records, Praed, Rayess Bek, Release, Scrambled Eggs, Soap Kills, The New Government, Zeid Hamdan, Ziyad Sahhab | 23 Responses

Moroccan Mixtape

By Norient on November 23, 2011

By Simone Bertuzzi on 23 November 2011 in AUDIO

My new tape mixes fieldrecordings from Morocco and a mix done by Dj Rupture and Maga Bo.

Posted in AUDIO | Tagged Arab World, Beyond Digital, DJ Rupture, fieldrecordings, Maga Bo, Master Musicians of Joujouka, mixtape, Morocco | Leave a response

Music from Saharan Cellphones

By Norient on September 28, 2011

By Norient on 28 September 2011 in BLOG

A compilation of music collected from memory cards of cellular phones in the Saharan desert. And it’s coming to vinyl.

Posted in BLOG | Tagged Abidjan, Africa, Algier, Arab World, Bamako, cellphones, Dossier Arab World, Northern Africa, Sahara | Leave a response

An Italian in Casablanca

By Norient on July 29, 2011

By Simone Bertuzzi on 29 July 2011 in AUDIO

Blogger Simone Bertuzzi wrote us from Morocco where he tried to release new recordings of the Master Musicians of Joujouka. The cassettes did not arrive yet. But he brought us nice tracks and pics.

Posted in AUDIO | Tagged Arab, Arab World, Casablanca, DJ Rupture, Lemchaheb, Maga Bo, Master Musicians of Joujouka, Morocco, Palmwine | 1 Response

Arab Awakening Mixtape

By Norient on June 1, 2011

By Moses Iten on 1 June 2011 in AUDIO

Our friends Moses Iten and Marc Peckham from Melbourne collected sounds and quotes from Radio National broadcasts in the Arab World.

Posted in AUDIO | Tagged Ahmed Basyoni, Arab World, Boykutt, David Fanshawe, Ibn Thabit, Khaled Ben Yahia, La Tribu Hérisson, Little Egypt, Marc Peckham, Mark Gergis, Moses Iten, Protest Music, Revolution, Zemeken | 1 Response

‘Martyr Pop’ – Made in Egypt

By Norient on May 19, 2011

By Daniel J. Gilman on 19 May 2011 in VIDEO

During the 2011 revolution, most Egyptian pop singers said nothing. Now they are back and praising the national martyrs in song. A PR gaffe or more?

Posted in VIDEO | Tagged 25 January 2011, Ahmed Basyoni, Amr Diab, Arab World, Aziz al-Shaf‘i, Baligh Hamdi, Cairo, Dossier Arab World, Egypt, Hamada Helal, Hany Shaker, Hosni Mubarak, Khaled Said, martyr, martyr pop, Mohamed Fouad, Ramy Gamal, Ramy Yusef, Revolution, Sally Zahran, Tamer Hosny | 7 Responses

The Value of Listening

By Thomas Burkhalter on April 11, 2011

By Thomas Burkhalter on 11 April 2011 in AUDIO

Charles Hirschkind, author of the book “The Ethical Soundscape: Cassette Sermons and Islamic Counterpublics”, talks about Cassette Sermons, YouTube-Clips and the Value of Listening in Egypt.

Posted in AUDIO | Tagged Abdul Basit Abd us-Samad, Arab World, Charles Hirschkind, Dossier Arab World, Egypt, Global Prayers, Imad Rami, Islam, Seth Ayyaz, Soundscape | Leave a response

Sonic Traces: From the Arab World

By Norient on February 13, 2011

By Norient on 13 February 2011 in EVENTS

An Audio-Visual Performance about Music, Sound and Noise from the Arab World. By Norient. Book now!

Posted in EVENTS | Tagged Arab World, Beirut, Dossier Arab World, Experimental, Lebanon, Lecture, Performance, Sonic Traces, Sonic Traces: From the Arab World, Transdisziplinarität | 5 Responses

Egyptian Celebration Videos

By Norient on February 11, 2011

By Norient on 11 February 2011 in VIDEO

Hosni Mubarak stepped down today. We celebrate with a mix of new and old, alternative and commercial video clips from Egypt. Send us more!

Posted in VIDEO | Tagged Abdel Halim Hafez, Ali Hassan Kuban, Arab World, Asmahan, Bob Azzam, Egypt, Hakim, Halim al-Daph, Halim El Daph, Ismail Yassin, Karima Nayt, Machine Eat Man, MTV Arabia, Mustafa Said, Nile, Ruby, The Devil's Anvil, Wust El Balad | Leave a response

Hip Hop Against the Government

By Norient on February 11, 2011

By Michael Spahr on 11 February 2011 in AUDIO

Egyptian rapper Ramy Donjewan has written a song for the revolution: Against the Government…!

Posted in AUDIO | Tagged Arab World, Egypt, Hip Hop, Hosni Mubarak, Ramy Donjewan, Revolution | Leave a response

Versatile scales and textures

By Norient on December 16, 2010

By Thomas Burkhalter on 16 December 2010 in AUDIO

«Wanbani»: The new CD of Kamilya Jubran and Werner Hasler is the remarkable result of a long-standing collaboration.

Posted in AUDIO | Tagged Arab World, Globale Nischen, Intercultural, Kamilya Jubran, Liechtenstein, Maqam, Palestine, Switzerland, Tarab, trans-cultural, Werner Hasler | Leave a response

An infinitely crazy world

By Thomas Burkhalter on November 19, 2010

By Thomas Burkhalter on 19 November 2010 in AUDIO

The Swiss-Italian musician and composer Paed Conca and Lebanese artist Raed Yassin have been working together since 2005 as Duo Praed. The two perform in Turnhalle Bern, this Wednesday, 21.11.2012.

Posted in AUDIO | Tagged Annihaya, Arab World, Beirut, Bern, Dossier Arab World, Dossier World Music 2.0, Free Improvisation, Globale Nischen, Lebanon, Mahmoud El Husseini, Paed Conca, Porta Chiusa, Praed, Raed Yassin, Sonic Traces: From Switzerland, Switzerland | 3 Responses

Tarek Atoui: Digital Bricolage

By Norient on September 18, 2010

By Thomas Burkhalter on 18 September 2010 in STORIES

Reflections on the new multi-local musical Avant-Gardes of the 21st Century. An essay on the Lebanese musician Tarek Atoui, Luigi Russolo, Mazen Kerbaj and many artists more.

Posted in STORIES | Tagged 2006war, Ahmad Qaboor, Arab World, Avant-Garde, Beirut, Christine Sehnaoui, Cynthia Zaven, Dossier Arab World, Dossier World Music 2.0, Futurism, Globale Nischen, Iannis Xenakis, IRCAM, Khaled al-Habre, Lebanon, Luigi Russolo, Marcel Khalife, Mazen Kerbaj, Musique Concrète, Orientalism, Peter Brötzmann, Philemon Wehbe, Psychedelic Music, Raed Yassin, Scrambled Eggs, Sharif Sehnaoui, Tanya Traboulsi, Tarek Atoui, Violence, War, Xardas | 3 Responses