logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2022
29m 34s

Playing the Qanun | Firas Zreik

AFIKRA
About this episode

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, 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

FOLLOW & RATE THE QUARTERTONES PODCAST:
» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afikra-quartertones/id1646407556
» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/26VHvC6yVOxlRFjeOts6uf
» Anghami: https://play.anghami.com/podcast/1044639452

THIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK 
Explore all episodes in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl7FiLcdH_iSgv4RiXEy4GAh

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
Nov 19
Rasha Nahas With a Performance by Maii Waleed | Habibi Festival 2025
<p>Experience day two of the fifth edition of Habibi Festival, hosted at Joe’s Pub in Brooklyn. The evening begins with the festival co-founders, Yacine Boulares and Meera Dugal, welcoming the audience and reflecting on the festival’s mission of celebrating the living, breathing ... Show More
1h 48m
Nov 12
Layale Chaker at Habibi Festival 2025 With a Performance by Maii Waleed | Habibi Festival 2025
<p>Habibi Festival is back for a fifth year with performances and talks on stage hosted by afikra, which we'll be releasing on our Quartertones series. Day 1 opens with a solo performance by Maii Waleed, an artist from Alexandria, Egypt, in her debut at Joe's Pub. She sings track ... Show More
1h 56m
Sep 17
On the 78-Stringed Instrument | Syrian Qanun Player Maya Youssef
<p>Musician and composer Maya Youssef takes us on her unique journey with the qanun. Currently based in London, Maya delves into her early musical upbringing in Damascus to challenging traditional perceptions of the 78-stringed Instrument and developing her own innovative approac ... Show More
56m 56s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Palestinian Music in Exile: Voices of Resistance | Louis Brehony
In this episode of This Is Not a Watermelon, we talk about positioning Palestinian music within a global music scene, cassettes as precious as diamonds, music and resistance, and reiterations of traditional folk music. Global scholar of Palestinian music, activist, and musician L ... Show More
1h 19m
Jul 2025
Maknana at DAF: Glossary of New Media Art From the Arab World | Ala Younis & Haytham Nawar
<p>Live from Diriyah Art Futures in Riyadh, we're joined by Haytham Nawar, the director of Diriyah Art Futures, and Ala Younis who co-curated its latest exhibition, which delves into the New Media Art scene in the Arab world. They explore the lack of recognition for Arab names in ... Show More
1h 2m
Jan 2019
Session #121 (Feat. EZZYLAND)
EZZYLAND (Dubai/Chennai, India) Sidharth Ezhilan blends colorful storytelling as ìEZZYLANDî. The Dubai resident migrated to the motherland earlier this year on a mission: to raise the bar and change the game in the growing indie music scene so as to eventually make India one of t ... Show More
30m 38s
Oct 6
148-Renaissance Music Pt.2 (Late)
Continuing from episode 144, Renaissance Music Pt.1 (Early-Mid), we will now get into the late Renaissance period! In this episode, we will cover the composition techniques and musical stylings of composers, such as Thomas Weekles and Giovanni Palestrina, and how their music infl ... Show More
57m 9s
Aug 29
Music Hat
<p>With this episode, we’re putting on our music hat. For a program that relies so much on scoring and sound, it’s not often we talk about the musicians and the music they make that inspire us. Today, that changes. Today, we bring you two stories. Each about musicians that our fo ... Show More
31m 24s
Apr 2021
Richard C. Jankowsky, "Ambient Sufism: Ritual Niches and the Social Work of Musical Form" (U Chicago Press, 2021)
Ambient Sufism: Ritual Niches and the Social Work of Musical Form (University of Chicago Press, 2021) by Richard C. Jankowsky (an Associate Professor of music at Tufts University) is a rich ethnographic study of the sonic and ritual landscapes of complex religious communities in ... Show More
59m 58s
Sep 19
Anastasia Kobekina on Bach's Cello Suites | Gramophone Podcast
In this week's Gramophone Podcast, cellist Anastasia Kobekina talks about her new recording of one of the most revered series of works for her instrument - Bach's Solo Cello Suites. While the album isn't released by Sony Classical until next Friday (September 26), three movements ... Show More
38m 25s
Oct 2
Dana Salah: Falahi Pop, Tatreez & Cultural Resistance | Sumud Podcast
🎙️This week on the Sumud Podcast, recorded live at ADC’s ArabCon, we welcome Jordanian Palestinian singer, songwriter, and producer Dana Salah. Known for blending traditional Palestinian folklore with global contemporary sounds, Dana has pioneered a genre she calls Falahi Pop. H ... Show More
26m 4s
Apr 2025
SESSION #334 (Feat. Awaaz)
AWAAZ (INDIA) Awaaz is the live electronic project of Ro, launching this summer with a genre-bending set that blends ethnic, afro, tribal, and organic house with deep roots in Indian musical tradition. Armed with Ableton Live and an extensive hardware setup, Awaaz brings a rare, ... Show More
30m 50s
Jun 2025
Select 335: Mixed by NeighborsByMusic
For our latest Select, we have Lebanese vinyl maverick, NeighborsByMusic. Her penchant for discovering new sounds has led her to build an extensive repertoire over the years, blending diverse music styles from different cultures. Her sets often incorporate influences from orienta ... Show More
3 h