A round-up of the cosmopolitan classical musical culture in Iran. Starting with music scholars of the Qajar era (1796–1925) and ending with the global music scene of the 21st century, from both the diaspora and from home.
The audiovisual artist Shaahin Peymani and his family share a long history of migration from Iran to Germany and back. Here he maps the route from his German grandmother’s migration diary alongside one of his own compositions.
The audiovisual artist Shaahin Peymani and his family share a long history of migration from Iran to Germany and back. Here he maps the route from his German grandmother’s migration diary alongside one of his own compositions.
A poetic encounter with the different family histories of poet Tanasgol Sabbah and bassist Reza Askari. Weaving together experience, memory, and narrative, this piece switches between languages, and allows uncertainty about what is said and what is imagined.
Kamwangi Njue traces the story of political (i.e. conscious) music in Kenya, drawing on his own biography. He asks: Can conscious music achieve the impact it seeks when it has to play in the same sphere as popular music made purely for entertainment?
Don’t believe the hype. Despite its reputation as a global city, Nairobi is a mostly chaotic, starkly unequal place, with the majority struggling to get by. Emma Nzioka’s photography captures this inequality, accentuated by musical selections by Kamwangi Njue.
Listen to this playlist of artists from Nairobi, Kenya. It traces different genres and schools and it features music released between 2001 and 2022.
Listen to this playlist of artists from war-torn Kharkiv, Ukraine, and their current releases. Curated by Andrii Symonovych from Kyiv, during the invasion by Russia, 2022.
Listen to this playlist of artists from Palestine and their current releases.
Episode 10 of the «Timezones» podcast series reflects the digital reality of being together as a people, thus shedding light on the challenges of working as a Palestinian artist today.
Since the advent of COVID-19, Algerian youth, artists, and studios have taken to TikTok to sell and promote the latest raï hits. One unique way for young people to engage in musical sociality is through so-called «sonic gifts».
