In this episode of the Quartertones podcast, we sat down with Rayess Bek (aka Wael Kodeih) to talk about his varied and vibrant musical career. As we traverse his music projects, personas and styles from over the years, the conversation explores the Lebanese music composer, producer, and performer's relationship with Lebanon, hip hop, history, war and coloni ... Show More
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 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 2023
Chromeo: From Beirut to Planet Funk | P-Thugg
<p>P-Thugg, one half of music duo Chromeo, shares the secrets to a successful and long-term musical collaboration. On set with us in Beirut, he talks about the experiences that led to his discovering funk and hip hop, growing up between Lebanon and Canada and his changing relatio ... Show More
1h 3m
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
Jun 2023
Hip Hop, the Lahme Song & Making Beats From Old Syrian Vinyls | Thanks Joey
<p>In this episode of Quartertones, Thanks Joey takes us on a journey through hip hop, Brooklyn music, and his Syrian grandfather’s old records. We talk about working with Omar Offendum and Narcy, his music making process, and what inspired his Lahme song.</p><p>He gives us a sne ... Show More
1h 17m
Oct 2021
Violin & Maqam | Layth Sidiq
<p>In this Quartertones event, we listened to Layth Sidiq as he performed three musical pieces, of which two are composed by him and talked to him about these pieces.</p><p>Created & Hosted by<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/%E2%80%8E"> Mikey Muhanna</a>, afikra </p><p ... Show More
30m 1s
Jan 2022
Playing the Qanun | Firas Zreik
<p>In this Quartertones event, we listened to Firas Zreik as he performed three musical pieces: Taksim, Zawraq & Refractions.</p><p>Created & Hosted by<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mikey_mu/%E2%80%8E"> Mikey Muhanna</a>, afikra </p><p>Edited by: Ramzi Ramman</p><p>Theme musi ... Show More
29m 34s
Feb 2023
The Soul of Music: Meklit Hadero tells stories of migration
This episode is part four of The Soul of Music—Overheard’s four-part series focusing on music, exploration, and Black history. Our guest this week is Meklit Hadero, a Nat Geo Explorer and Ethio-jazz musician. Meklit is the creative force behind the transmedia storytelling project ... Show More
40m 18s
Feb 2023
The Soul of Music: Rhiannon Giddens excavates the past
This episode is part one of The Soul of Music—Overheard’s four-part series focusing on music, exploration, and Black history. Our guest this week is two-time Grammy award winner Rhiannon Giddens, a singer, songwriter, and banjo and fiddle player. A self-described “armchair histor ... Show More
35m 14s