logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
58m 14s

Jordanian Grunge | Akher Zapheer

AFIKRA
About this episode

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 shares his personal mixtape for the best alternative bands from around the Middle East.

Basem Sayej is the frontman, guitarist and vocalist of Akher Zapheer, a Jordanian grunge Arabic rock band from Amman. The band’s name literally translates to ‘last exhale’.

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, across genres, from musicians of and from the Arab world. This series is similar to NPR’s All Songs Considered that is focused on the Arab world. afikra will be inviting musicians of all genres, as well as music historians, to help better understand the music that they perform or study. In this series, the guests will be invited to talk about their work and play their music, whether live or recorded, in three segments. The series will host current musicians who play contemporary and modern, including alternative scene or hip-hop, electronic, classical music, among other genres. The musicians will also be from different geographies.

Join the live audience: https://www.afikra.com/rsvp   

Follow

Youtube - Instagram (@afikra_) - Facebook -Twitter 

Support 

www.afikra.com/support

About afikra:‎

afikra is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region- past, present, and future - through conversations driven by curiosity. 
Read more about us on  afikra.com

Hosted by: 
Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/?hl=en-gb

FOLLOW & RATE THE AFIKRA PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-afikra-podcast/id1529437743
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5nafoF1Zs7F48mGZjlhrze
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1014643869

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK 
Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl5xaTkBDrUKLCulvoCE8ubX&feature=shared

ABOUT AFIKRA
afikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.
📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters
🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts
⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership
🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_
🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official
🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Up next
Today
Curator Hiba Abid | Niyū Yūrk at the New York Public Library
<p>Curator of "Niyū Yūrk: Middle Eastern and North African Lives in the City", Hiba Abid, joins us to talk about the exhibition, housed at the New York Public Library's iconic 42nd Street building, which challenges dominant narratives by presenting New York as a city deeply inter ... Show More
52m 26s
Nov 17
Bernard Khoury | On Karantina, Solidere & Practicing Architecture in Lebanon
<p>We visited renowned architect Bernard Khoury in his studio in Karantina, who offered a critical, unvarnished look at the reality of practicing architecture in Lebanon, contrasting it with the sugarcoated story of the "Phoenix coming out of its ashes". He discusses his career b ... Show More
45m 24s
Nov 10
Nurturing Authentic Voices in Filmmaking in the Arab World | Rana Kazkaz
<p>We delve into the evolving landscape of filmmaking in the region, the importance of authentic, locally rooted narratives, and the critical role of institutions like the Doha Film Institute in fostering emerging talent. Award-winning filmmaker and associate professor at Northwe ... Show More
44m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
Zeid Hamdan | Indie Music in Lebanon & Beyond
<p>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.</p><p>Zeid Hamdan is a Lebanese music composer. For the last 2 decades, he's been p ... Show More
53m 59s
Sep 2023
Producing for Arab Pop Stars: Metrics & Mental Health | Sleiman Damien
<p>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<i> </i>matter to him, and ... Show More
1h 1m
Feb 2024
Arabic Music in the Age of Digital Distribution | Ghaliaa
<p>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 als ... Show More
51m 2s
Feb 2024
A Journey Through Arabic Percussion | Karim Nagi
<p>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 ... Show More
49m 31s
Jan 2024
Omar Offendum & Hadi Eldebek at Habibi Fest 2023 | Quartertones Live at Joe's Pub
<p>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. </p><p>Each night we taped live conversations with the art ... Show More
26m 25s
Feb 2024
Clarissa Bitar & Sofiane Saidi at Habibi Festival 2023 | Quartertones Live at Joe's Pub
<p>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.</p><p>Each night we taped live conversations with the arti ... Show More
1h 2m
Mar 2024
Can Beirut's Haunted Buildings Help It Heal From Its Civil War? | Mayssa Jallad
<p>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 i ... Show More
1h 10m
May 2023
Mark LeVine, "We'll Play Till We Die: Journeys Across a Decade of Revolutionary Music in the Muslim World" (U California Press, 2022)
In We'll Play till We Die: Journeys across a Decade of Revolutionary Music in the Muslim World (University of California Press, 2022), Mark LeVine, Professor at University of California, Irvine, dives into the revolutionary youth music cultures of Muslim societies before, during, ... Show More
1h 9m
Mar 2023
Introducing Season 2 of Khatt Chronicles: Stories on Design From the Arab World
This episode is the official launch of Season 2 of the Khatt Chronicles podcast. In this episode  Afikra host, Mikey Mhanna, introduces the Khatt Chronicles hosts, Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès (Founding director of the Khatt Foundation), Yasmine Nachabe Taan (professor at the Leban ... Show More
58m 6s