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Jon Balke's and Amina Alaoui's Album "Siwan"

The Free Spirit of Al Andalus

As opposed to medieval Europe, the arts in Muslim Spain, were free. Now the album "Siwan" celebrates the music and the spirit of Al Andalus, demonstrating that Islamic civilization is one of the cornerstones of Western culture, as writes Richard Marcus
New West-Eastern Jazz Divan

A Humanist Consensus for a Multicultural Society

Back in the seventies, when the first experiments bringing Western and Eastern music together in jazz were taking place, musicians trusted in the power of the sounds themselves. Since 9/11, such experiments have taken their orientation from religious, literary and philosophical texts, as Alessandro Topa found out when he listened to three new releases on the ECM label
The Music Group Cyminology

A Global Sound, but without the Global Clichés

Persian poetry from the Arabian Nights meets modern, urban jazz – it may sound bizarre, but it works beautifully. The music of Berlin-based band Cyminology manages to be experimental while at the same time dodging the pitfalls of the world music genre. By Suzanne Cords
Interview with Youssra El Hawary

Music of a Quiet Revolution

In the wake of Egypt's Revolution, Youssra El Hawary suddenly came to fame with her song about a wall, "El Soor". Despite her insistence that she is non-political, her music is – in a quiet and unobtrusive way – unique and revolutionary. Marian Brehmer met the artist in Berlin
Arian Fariborz: ''Rock the Kasbah''

Pop Music and Protests in the Islamic World

Music is playing a key role in the political upheaval in the Arab world because angry Arab youths are using it to spread their political message. In his book Rock The Kasbah, journalist Arian Fariborz has written about numerous young Arab musicians whom he visited in their native countries
Pop Music and Social Protest in the Arab World

The Echo of Revolt

The popular uprisings in the Arab world have spawned a whole new line-up of musicians who clearly denounce the political and social inequities in their countries. Yet, this protest culture is not a completely new phenomena, as Arian Fariborz reports
Lebanon

Arabic Rock Music of International Caliber

Rock music in Lebanon reached a low point in 1997 after the suicide of one of its fans. One of the most promising young bands then broke up. It is now celebrating a brilliant fresh start under the name Blend. By Christina Förch
Tunisian Rapper Balti

"I Was No Good in School"

Not only in Morocco and Algeria, but in Tunisia as well, a young music scene has established itself that draws on global forms of expression such as Hip-Hop and Rap. Tunisia's most successful rapper is 30-year-old Balti.
Palestinian Hip-Hop

"Put down the Stone, Pick up the Mic"

After he was shot at by an Israeli soldier, the young Palestinian Muhammad al-Fara decided words were a better way of opposing the occupation than stones. But people in the Gaza Strip have a hard time accepting this musical form of resistance. By Peter Schäfer
Blumentopf Tours the Middle East

German Hip Hop Culture in the Holy Land

Sponsored by the Goethe Institute, the German rap group Blumentopf has embarked on a five-country tour designed to promote interest in German language and culture in the Middle East. Adam Allington reports