In this afikra podcast episode, we chat with self-taught Jazz pianist and award-winning composer about high-Art music and tradition, keeping a balance between Jazz piano and Arabic music, and finding inspiration in Khaleeji desert and Afro-Tarab music. We discuss the limitations of the piano and Western music systems, playing Sharqi music instruments, music ... Show More
Nov 24
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
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
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
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
Nov 2019
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Joan Baz
Khatt interviews Joan Baz, designer, illustrator, and animator about her professional journey and process as an illustrator and animator. Baz discusses her involvement with Waraq, an interdisciplinary collective focused on creating projects that activated public space in experime ... Show More
18m 11s
Jul 2019
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Hatem Imam
Khatt interviews Hatem Imam from Studio Safar talking about design as a tool for cultural production and effecting change. A talk about alternative publishing, breaking rules, Arab comics, translation, experimental music, and the importance of this to the Arab design community.** ... Show More
49m 40s
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
Nov 2019
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Lina Ghaibeh
Khatt interviews Lina Ghaibeh, illustrator, animator, and comics artist about her practice and the potential of graphic narratives in giving voice to unheard and unexpected narratives from the Arab world. Ghaibeh believes in the power of visual storytelling and of expressing thro ... Show More
35m 55s
Sep 2022
Khatt Chronicles in Conversation With Foundland Collective
Ghalia Elsrakbi is a design professional, researcher, and design educator. After obtaining her a Master's degree in Design at the Sandberg Institute, Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam, she joined the post-academic interdisciplinary program " Design Negation" at Jan van Eyck A ... Show More
35m 20s