Program 621: New Music from the Old World
KALW Broadcast Date: January 30, 2022 | Host: Mark Abramson
Program 621 of Music For Other Minds explores new music from the Middle East, Iran and India, including artists from the Arabic diaspora in Europe, Canada and the U.S. Among the transplants are Egyptian Sam Shalabi, now a resident of Canada, the duo 9T Antiope, Iranians now working out of Paris, and Lafawndah, an artist of Egyptian and Iranian descent who now lives in London. We’ll also hear from Michel Banabila, a Dutch composer and sound artist of Lebanese heritage, and Sawarthy Korwar, a US-born, Indian-raised, London-based drummer, percussionist, composer and bandleader. Egyptian artists include Nadah el Shazly, Tamer Abu Gazaleh, Maryam Saleh and Maurice Louca, all residents of Cairo. Two Iranian composers of electronica and sound art, Saba Alizadeh and Siavash Amini, are featured in the second half of the program. And as a finale, we’ll play a collaborative piece composed by Lafawndah with respected Japanese percussionist and minimalist composer Midori Takada called “Le Renard Bleu.” There is a lot of cultural appropriation here, but the direction of the borrowings has been reversed and western musical forms have been used by these artists to create something that reflects their aesthetics and their heritage while arguably making it more accessible to western audiences. Originally broadcast on October 9, 2020.
Program Audio
30-Second Spot
Track Info & Links
Title: Old Prayer (2020)
Composer: Lafawndah
Performers: Lafawndah, voice; Nick Weiss, keyboards; Theon Cross, tuba; Nathaniel Cross, trombone; Valentina Magaletti, percussion
Recording Title: The Fifth Season (2020)
Record Label: Concordia
Catalog Number: LTNC019
Title: Dry Run, Mise En Abyme (2019)
Composer: 9T Antiope
Performers: Nima Aghiani, composer; Sara Bigdeli Shamloo, vocals & lyrics
Recording Title: Grimace (2019)
Record Label: Eilean Records
Catalog Number: 096
Title: Aha, Dol (2019)
Composer: Sam Shalabi
Performers: Land of Kush
Recording Title: Sand Enigma (2019)
Record Label: CST Records
Catalog Number: CST146
Title: The Palm of a Ghost (2019)
Composer: Maurice Louca
Performers: Tommaso Cappellato (Drums/Percussions); Ozun Usta (Drums/Percussions); Elsa Bergman (Bass); Pasquale Mirra (Vibraphone); Piero Bittolo (Baritone Sax/Alto Sax/Bass Flute); Anna Högberg (Alto Sax); Rasmus Kjærgård Lund (Tuba); Isak Hedtjärn (Clarinet/Bass Clarinet); Nadah El Shazly (Vocals); Natik Awayez (Oud); Ayman Asfour (Violin); Maurice Louca (Guitar/Piano)
Recording Title: Elephantine (2019)
Record Label: Northern Spy
Catalog Number: NS 111
Title: Nefsif Akli (2017)
Composer: Maryam Saleh, Maurice Louca, Tamer Abu Ghazaleh
Performers: Khaled Yassine – Drums, Percussions; Mahmoud Waly – Bass Guitar; Maryam Saleh – Vocals; Maurice Louca – Percussion & Beat Loops, Electronics, Synths, Keys, Slide Guitar, Guitar, Harmonium; Tamer Abu Ghazaleh – Ouds, Buzuq, Mizmar, Vocals, Synths, Keys, Synth Bass, Electric Guitar, Bass
Recording Title: Lekhfa (2017)
Record Label: Mostakell
Catalog Number: MST0004
Title: Bismillah, Dreaming (2016)
Composer: Sarathy Korwar
Performers:
Recording Title: Day To Day (2016)
Record Label: Ninja Tune Records
Catalog Number:
Title: Afqid Adh-Dhakira, Palmyra (2017)
Composer: Nadah El Shazly, Sam Shalabi, Maurice Louca
Performers:
Recording Title: Ahwar (2017)
Record Label: Nawa Recordings
Catalog Number: NAWA007
Title: Roba’iyat Shagar El Tout (El Donia) (2012)
Composers: Maryam Saleh, Tamer Abu Ghazaleh
Performers: Shadi El Hosseiny, piano; Mohamed Darwish, guitar; Ayman Mabrouk, percussions, bass; Yacoub Abu Ghosh, guitar, keys; Amin Shahine, Arghoul; Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, Buzuq
Recording Title: Mesh Baghanny (2012)
Record Label: Mostakell
Catalog Number: EKA1202
Title: Imprints, Shift (2018)
Composer: Michel Banabila
Performers: Michel Banabila, turntable & sampler, synth; Oene van Geel, viola
Recording Title: Imprints (2018)
Record Label: Tapu Records
Catalog Number: 024TR
Title: Scattered Memories, Ladan Dead End, Kamancheh Version (2019)
Composer: Saba Alizadeh
Performers: Saba Alizadeh, kamancheh, modular synth, laptop, no-input mixer
Recording Title: Scattered Memories (2019)
Record Label: Karl Records
Catalog Number: KR060
Title: Lustrous Residue, Perpetually Inwards (2020)
Composer: Siavash Amini
Performers: Siavash Amini, guitar, electronics
Recording Title: A Mimesis of Nothingness (2020)
Record Label: Hallow Ground
Catalog Number:
Title: Le Renard Bleu (2018)
Composer: Midori Takada & Lafawndah
Performers: Midori Takada, percussion; Lafawndah, voice
Recording Title: Le Renard Bleu (2018)
Record Label: K7 Records
Catalog Number:
