Tracy Chahwan's bold and vibrant posters have become a common fixture of Beirut's walls, and her colorful illustrations are known and loved by people across the Arab world and beyond. For this episode of the afikra podcast, she joined us in our Beirut-studio to reminisce on the early days of her career, and discuss key influences and what it means to remain ... Show More
Jun 1
Tobacco, Soap, Beer & Cars: 100 Years of Egyptian Print Advertising | Professor Bahia Shehab
Egyptian print media has historically functioned as a cultural barometer, shifting from the early official bulletins of the 20th century into a relentless and aggressive form of capitalism on steroids. Professor Bahia Shehab discusses her book, "A Trade in Dreams: A Century of Eg ... Show More
1 h
Aug 2025
Palestinian Singer Lina Makoul: Unmuted, Radical & Community-Built
<p>Palestinian singer Lina Makoul delves into the responsibility of artists to translate public sentiment, the worsening situation in Gaza and the West Bank, and the impact of the 900 new checkpoints added by the occupation on day-to-day Palestinian life. Makoul talks about her j ... Show More
1h 10m
Nov 2025
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
Jan 2024
Amal Murkus & Firas Zreik 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
14m 44s
Dec 2024
Taktouka at Habibi Festival 2024 | Quartertones Live at Joe's Pub
<p>After a moving performance at Habibi Festival, we sit down with the members of Taktouka to hear about the band’s journey from vocalist Alia Haju, beginning with how it came together after she fled Beirut with her cousin, Bashar Farran, the ensemble's bassist. The rest of the b ... Show More
59m 31s
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
May 2024
Your Ancestry Is Only a Thread Away | Hana Almilli
Hana Almilli is a multimedia artist, textile designer, and poet based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Her research-based practice explores the idea of recreating affected, and resurrected identities through the material culture of textile and assemblages. Belonging to Turkish, Syrian, K ... Show More
53m 37s
Oct 2022
Nadine El Roubi | Sudanese Rap
<p>Nadine performed three of her songs and spoke about her musical career.</p><p>Nadine El Roubi is a Sudanese artist who grew up in Virginia, she hopes to expand the understanding of what it means, and looks like, to be Arab Muslim woman. She takes inspiration from icons like La ... Show More
55m 35s
Sep 2025
The Brush that Carried a Homeland - Sliman Mansour (Arabic Episode)
<p>Few artists have captured the soul of Palestine the way Sliman Mansour has. His paintings featuring olive trees, stone terraces, mud, and the steadfast women of the land have carried Palestine across generations and borders. </p><p>In this conversation, Mansour looks back on h ... Show More
50m 42s