Here’s the thing (IN ANY REGION OF THE WORLD): governments can be terrible, so can non-state actors; economies can be unstable; societies can be fragile.
So if you look at the Arab world and only see those things, if you refuse to look at the cultural significance of a region with 370 million people– 20% of whom are between the ages of 15 and 24– you’re missing out on so much.
I’m a white, middle class girl from Wisconsin. I’m not speaking from an Arab perspective. I can’t. But I can speak as an outsider who’s been hugged and welcomed and fed and danced with by the Arab world.
And I can’t just sit around and watch millions of Americans convince themselves to fear a culture that could bring them so much joy. I can’t just sit here screaming at the internet and not write something. So here we are.
There are a million things I want to tell you to try– there are so many books you should read (anything by Elias Khoury), so much art you should admire (Lalla Essaydi is my fav), and so much food you should eat (my girl Fareeda Zikry has an Instagram blog dedicated to shawerma).
But for the sake of brevity, I’ll stick to music recommendations.
Jammin to some gnawa music in the Sahara. Photo by Jacob Axelrad.
Music Recommendations
Scroll to the bottom of this post for a playlist
My personal favorite Arabic band is a Lebanese group, Adonis. They make probably the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard. They describe themselves as pop-rock but for me their music eludes description. If you listen to them with your eyes closed– even on a bus in the middle of winter — you could convince yourself that you’re lying (or dancing) in the grass watching fireflies light up the summer twilight and dance in the quiet breeze.
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In a similar but more rock-y vein, the alt-rock band Mashrou’ Leila is genius. They’re unafraid to challenge political and social norms in both their art and lives– and were recently banned from playing a show in Jordan for just that. Also their music is just plain great and they’re coming to NYC and DC soon so if you live there, go check them out.
The Algerian band Babylone brings some super-chill North African vibes to the table. We’re talking acoustic-guitar-on-some-beautiful-Mediterranean-beach music.
Going for a completely different sound, Shadia Mansour is just an absolute Palestinian, girl-power dream. She’s known as ‘the first lady of Arabic hip hop’ and she’s a force and absolutely fearless.
Also ya gotta give some love to the Arabic pop industry. To be honest, it’s been way too long since I’ve been in the Arab world and I don’t know who’s popular right now. BUT you can never go wrong with a little Nancy Ajram.
Oh! They’re such staples that I almost forgot, but we’ve gotta go old-school for moments of Fairuz and Um Kalthoum appreciation.
Arab culture is beautiful and warm and complex. So while you’re riding the bus, sending emails at work or chilling at home give this playlist a try.
P.S. This playlist starts super chill and builds to hype so listen backwards if you’re feeling more upbeat:
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