STATS
Instruments: Qanun and Voice
Song: “Felasteen” by Najat Brigui
Movie: Jenin, Jenin



1. What comes easier to you — the qanun or singing?
Throughout the years, I’ve worked hard on both instruments and balanced the time I spent practicing on each, to keep both of them alive and up to date. And now after 11 years I’ve reached the level where I feel that my qanun is an extension of my vocal cords, and most of the time while playing qanun, I sing the melodies I’m playing to feel it more.

2. It’s obvious music has always been part of your life — how has that made you who you are?
Music indeed has always been a very important part of my life. And since childhood it has been a major part of my identity.

Sometimes I imagine if I never found music, or music never found me, my life would have taken a very different path.

Music has cleared my soul, added happiness and confidence to my life. And it also opened up my mind to absorb diversity and look at things differently. And this has created a sort of sensitivity inside me towards any piece of art. Therefore, I’m very happy with the results.

3. What is the role of the qanun in Western music?
Qanun is a purely Eastern instrument in comparison to the violin, flute, or clarinet that are major instruments in both Eastern and Western music; being used in orchestra and the Arabic ensemble (takht sharki) as well. Before joining Berklee College of Music, I was focusing on learning Arabic music and going in depth to learn all the skills and knowledge in that deep ocean and only listening to other styles. After joining Berklee and getting exposed to all these different kinds of music, I felt it was a big loss not being aware that all those kinds of music existed, and this lack of information I believe is a problem that should be solved in Palestine. But now, I feel that Arabic music has made me unique and special. Qanun has a very special timbre that fits with different styles of music. And now at Berklee I’ve played with many different ensembles and styles such as South American, Middle Eastern, Turkish, Indian, Brazilian, French Folk music, African, Spanish Flamenco, Jazz, etc. Many professionals admire this merge.

4. Do you ever get homesick? And how do you deal with it?
Yes, of course I get this feeling and miss my family and my friends whom I spent special times with. During the day with all the work at school, I don’t even get the chance to think. But every night when I put my head on the pillow, I fly back home and remember all the great times with them. And the most critical times when I really need them around is when doing a great concert. I always feel that their seats are empty.

And I miss all the positive energy they give me. And I deal with this, with more hard work to make them proud.

5. What can we look forward to from you in the coming years?
Everyday I gain more knowledge, and I learn about new music and cultures.

I’m working as hard as I can to represent my culture and our rich music in the best possible way. And we will see where this will take me. I always enjoy surprises.

6. If you could compose a soundtrack for any movie, which would it be and why?
I would compose a sound track for a documentary about my country. There is a lot of sadness in my soul towards all the suffering, the terrible daily events and the world’s silence against peace…

STATS
First Hip-Hop Record: The Notorious B.I.G.’s Juicy
Movie: The Godfather Part 2
Favorite Rapper’s Favorite Rapper: Biggie

1. How did Re-Volt start?
The idea for Re-Volt came up when I first heard The Narcicyst and K’naan. I just connected with what they had to say and I asked myself, “Why cant I hear these songs on FM radio?” Since all radio stations play the same rotation of songs without exposing new talent and songs that have a message, etc…I decided to do something about it. So I started the “Re-Volt Radio” blog to introduce artists I find, talk about them, interview them and stream their songs on the site.

2. Why hip-hop? Do you have plans to expand into other genres?
Actually hip-hop is just a part of Re-Volt. Lately, the main focus is hip-hop, only because I got introduced to this movement and these artists that are of Arab backgrounds reflecting a good image about Arabia. But Re-Volt is and will be expanding into other genres that harbor good talents, new artists and fresh music. Also I not only interview the artists themselves, but the people who are documenting and supporting the movement.

3. What’s the best thing happening in Arab Hip-Hop right now?
Well, the recognition is high for sure. I mean The Narcicyst is opening for Talib Kweli. Arab Hip-Hop artists are releasing albums, Lowkey made it on TV and BBC Radio for an epic performance, so many good things are happening.

4. What’s the biggest challenge?
Promoting the artists in the Middle East. This is what Re-Volt wants to grow into. I want to be able to get all these guys to perform in the Middle East, and I find that very challenging because sponsors look for commercial and mainstream artists. It’s sad, actually. On another level, the challenge for the artists is to maintain their path and reach success yet stay humble and modest.

5. Who’s your favorite Radio/TV personality or show host?
I’m a basketball fanatic – I like the NBA presenters, I relate to them. I really like Mark Jackson – I love how passionate he gets during the game, being an ex-player himself.

6. Tell me about the mixtape…
The mixtape came together in an attempt to gather the Arab Hip-Hop artists into one single track mixed by DJ Lethal Skillz who actually is a big part of why this was launched. It includes top heads of the Arab Hip-Hop genre. I have been getting amazing feedback and we are trying to make it downloadable so that people can enjoy it and blast it in their cars and MP3 players. Big shout out to Lethal SKillz and all the artists in this movement.

Ultimately the mixtape was created to expose Arab and pro-Arab talents worldwide, elevate the sounds of the Arab mixtape culture, encourage the DJs to step their game up and to keep your ears busy with the good stuff!

Check out Re-Volt Radio and listen to The Real Arabic Hip-Hop Mixed Tape here >>

The Narcisyst ft. Shadia Mansour – “Hamdulillah“

1. How did you get into music?
I come from a musical family, so I grew up listening to the legends of the Arabic music world. I was always very political, so I used to go to protests and demonstrations and sing a capellas of Fairouz and Marcel Khalife songs. Then when I was 17, I met Eslam Jawaad and we collaborated on a song called “Beirut” — that was the first Arabic hip-hop track that I did. Then I joined the group he was part of that was called Arap, which consists of Cilvaringz and Salah Edin. I was the only female in the group at the time, and I combined the singing and the rapping together.

2. Do you strictly write conscious songs?
No, I don’t see myself under any category.

I have released conscious, political songs only because I felt like as an Arab at this point in time, there’s a duty, and I had to address certain issues. Because this is my life, it’s my experiences.

Before I got to the age where I was really starting to look at myself as an Arab, I wasn’t really thinking about trying to defend our culture, I was just proud. I was 16 when 9/11 happened — that made me feel more Arab than any time in my life, and after that I felt like I really had to make it known and claim back our culture and our tradition and our civilization.

3. Do you write/perform in English?
I started doing music in English, but I was always intrigued by the Arabic language. I’m the most fluent of my siblings and I was more connected — I spent a lot of time in Palestine when I was young, and I just felt I could express myself better in Arabic. I feel Arabic, I feel Palestinian. It sounds strange, but when I talk, I think in Arabic.

4. Who are your biggest influences in Hip-Hop?
I could always relate to Public Enemy. That’s always been my number one choice of music. Tupac, I could really relate to. Much respect to Biggie ’cause whenever we say Tupac we have to say Biggie, but to be honest I’m not into gangster rap. I would buy it, but I don’t feel I can relate — ’cause I’m not a gangster, I’m not from the street and everything else that comes with it. Tupac really focused on issues that were happening, and I really admired him for that. People like KRS-One — just teachers, educators…Lauryn Hill was one of my biggest influences — biggest biggest influences. In a way, actually, I’m glad she’s not making music right now, only because I feel like I wouldn’t want to know how the industry would try and mold her in terms of sound. I will play that [The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill] forever, and that’s how I like to remember her, that music is just timeless.

I’ve always loved hip-hop. I never called it old school, for me it’s real school. Something that had substance in it.

6. You’re independent — have you ever thought about going major?
I’ve thought about it and I’ve tried, but they wont sign me. They want me to wear the Nancy Agram dress instead of the Palestinian dress. I laugh at that, ’cause I’m too old for that type of propaganda. Even if I was under a label, I’m very particular about my kind of music.

We’re goin’ (FEN)TERNATIONAL with today’s video from Bad Brya, “On My Way.” The young Moroccan MC was born and raised in Amsterdam, Holland and was 23 when she released this video. In the summer of 2006, the video reached the #1 spot on the Moroccan video charts, where she also released an Arabic version. We recently included Bad Brya in this month’s FEN Five, if you haven’t checked that out yet, do it now >>

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“When I asked people what the heart of Cairo was, everyone gave me a different answer,” Hanafi says, “so I decided to start with my heart of Cairo.” Hanafi, who is half-American and half-Egyptian, designed her project partly in order to fulfill her desire to stay in Egypt for longer than her previous brief trips.

The city, Hanafi said, is usually experienced in a closed matrix determined by one’s regular habits. She breaks this routine through walks whose direction and duration is determined by the whim of another person. Each new walk begins where the last walk stopped. Cairo offers itself up to the walkers, people shouting “Welcome!” to those carrying a copy of Cairo Maps, and saying “sawarini” (take a picture of me) to those wielding a camera, both of which comprise Hanafi’s gear.

Like her walks, her pictures break the recurrent images of Egypt. She says most people returning to other countries carry conventional pictures of Egypt: those by the Pyramids, along the Nile, on a camel, and so on.

Hanafi sends her off-the-beaten-track images to friends in Chicago, almost all of whom have never been to Cairo before, and asks them to comment. In so doing, she takes them on an imaginary walk outside of their regular direction.

Once pushed out of their regular orbit, the city has surprises even for veteran Cairenes. Her walking cohorts are also asked to write about their experience; Hanafi does the same. Each of her walks — six so far — has been colored by the nature of the companion, says Hanafi. One companion who found Cairo a warm, welcoming place interacted with almost everyone and everything crossing her path, while another who found the city’s inhabitants intrusive interacted differently with the city.

With various impressions from walkers here and in Chicago, Hanafi will thus create an amalgam of a city that is rich and multifaceted. While unsure as to the exact end result, she hopes to publish the pictures and writings documenting her walks.

Having no set endpoint leaves every turn to the walker’s fancy. A quaint shop, an ornate wall-hanging, a faraway bridge, the presence of sun or shade, these become determinants of the path rather than deviations from a set route.

As I quiz Hanafi about her artistic project, in other subtle turns I also discover her beginnings as a poet, and glimpse into her mind where she complains, she remains all too often. “That is partly why I decided on this project,” she says, referring to her first walking project in her hometown Chicago, “I wanted to get out of my own head.” She wanted to overrun her mind, overwrought with the same ideas and thoughts, with new stimuli and sensations. Yet, she says, she finds she somehow still returns to similar themes in her work, but she adds, with a stroke of difference.

Hanafi says she perhaps has not been very articulate. “No, that is very articulate,” I answer without fully being able to convey that the moment she expressed her isolation was when I felt most connected to her.

We decide to stop on what we are informed is Muashasha Street, near Qadra Church (which Hanafi later finds dubiously translated as “Marginalized Church”). While it is close to the Ghamra metro station we crossed along the way, we come to an impasse that was bound to occur in Cairo: being unable to find oneself on Cairo Maps. Hanafi says she will figure out how to get here the next day somehow. To find your way around Cairo, you sometimes just need to follow your heart.

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About the Author: Chitra Kalyani is a Cairo-based freelance writer. This piece was originally published in The Daily News Egypt.

The film features an impressive roster of comedians, including Iranian-American Maz Jobrani, African-American Tommy Davidson, German-Welsh-American Whitney Cummings and Egyptian-American Eman Morgan, among others. With such a diverse set of perspectives and backgrounds, the jokes not only keep you laughing, but will keep you curious as to how each audience will react. For instance, Beirut, Lebanon was open to just about any joke about any topic, while in Dubai — politics, the royal family and religion are off limits.

Along with the footage from performances and interviews with the comedians, the film also gives us a personal look at Ahmed’s life and career. I won’t reveal too much, but his father alone is worth spending the time to watch the film.

We are left with a sense that comedy is pushing boundaries in the Middle East and allowing for otherwise uncomfortable conversations to take place. Together with its informative documentary structure, graphics, cinematography, and beautiful still imagery, Just Like Us is definitely a satisfying film to see.

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About the Author: Negin is a producer and fundraiser dedicated to using art and media to engage, interact, and influence broader change. Currently, she is focused on the production and distribution of film about and from the Middle East.

Ridwan Adhami does it again! After the success of their video for “Keep The Record On Play” it’s no wonder Outlandish came back to NYC to shoot “Let Off Some Steam” with Ridwan, too. FEN was behind the scenes on this one, and as good as it looked in the making, we think it came out even better. If this is a formula that repeats itself, we won’t be disappointed. Stay tuned for behind the scenes footage…

STATS
Place to compose: Airport lounge
Favorite Sound: Rain
Favorite Fruit: Newest favorite is mango


Kinan Azmeh’s City Band – “Merkin”



1. You’re working on several projects right now — tell us a little about each.
My City Band project, in which I am joined by a New York-based trio — Kyle Sanna, (guitar) John Hadfield (percussion) and Josh Myers (bass) — is my newest. We just performed at the Library of Congress and will be on our first European tour in November. It is an exciting project for me as

I am joined by very energetic players who have no boundaries, we are not preoccupied by what musical genre or geographical affiliation we belong to, therefore it is very fresh and exciting. The music itself borrows elements from Arabic music, jazz, and free improvisations.

In the meantime, I am completing film scores for three films, one American documentary, one Iranian feature, and one Syrian short. All this while I am also on tour releasing my newest album Complex Stories, Simple Sounds with Sri Lankan Pianist Dinuk Wijeratne (we just had our European launch at the Berlin Philharmonic).

Kinan Azmeh and Dinuk Wijeratne – “Ibn Arabi Postlude”

2. You studied physics/engineering  — how did you end up becoming a professional musician?
I actually did my undergrad in both, music and electrical engineering, so I never think of it as ‘I started’ and ‘I ended up.’ I think of everything you do as being an essential part of how you evolve. I am sure that if I spoke Russian some of the sounds of the language would find some way into my music. And I am sure my electrical engineering degree is there somehow while I’m creating my musical ideas. When I finished my undergrad I did not think twice before applying to music schools for my higher education. I was and still am very much obsessed with physics but I guess my music obsession is the same multiplied by a hundred. The transition was clear after winning the Nicolay Rubinstein music competition in Moscow when I was 21, it gave me enough self confidence and courage to pursue the thorny future that comes with music.

3. You have a very versatile playing style — what do you attribute that to?
I don’t believe in divisions of styles. While I do understand when people say classical music sounds different from jazz, rock, etc, I don’t really understand when people think that you can do either one or the other.

I like the idea of the diverse musician who maneuvers freely between seemingly contrasting worlds, music is music after all.

I got exposed to lots of different music growing up: I was classically trained in Syria, a country known for deep traditions in Arabic classical music, yet I was also exposed to jazz, rock, Eastern European folk and techno. Later on, I found myself using elements of these styles subconsciously. I love it when people come to me after a performance and say, ‘Was this piece inspired by such and such?’ Lots of the times they mention elements that I was not aware existed!

I never worry about to what genre this piece of music will belong, it is not up to me after all, the listener is the one who is creating the musical experience with his/her ears and brain, and it is only him/her who will have the power of associations.

5. Your piece, “Airports” is one of our favorites — please tell us the story behind it for our readers.

Having lived between New York and Damascus for the past 10 years, I have made JFK my main hub when I come to New York. Usually, in every airport in the world there are two lanes, a lane for visitors and a lane for citizens. Every time I land, I go to the visitors lane as I am on a visa, and when I show my Syrian passport, it is as if a third lane opens up and I am sent to a room on the side where I get questioned. This is the same room where I meet friends from Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Sudan, North Korea, etc. They keep you waiting for hours sometimes. After a few years of doing this I decided to start using my time creatively, and so I wrote “Airports.” I am always keen on playing this piece everywhere I go as a means of musical protest. I usually ask the audience to sing along and I dedicate it to all those people I meet in that famous room — people who do not have the means to protest from a stage like I am privileged to have.

6. If you weren’t making music — what would you be doing?
I would either be a chef in a little, tiny restaurant (where it is the chef who brings the food to the customers — you know, I still cannot let go of the show part!!), or a farmer.

For more on Kinan, visit www.kinanazmeh.com >>

DAM – “Kalimat (Words)”


STATS
Group Hangout: NYC
Best cook in the group: Tamer – “I’m the only one who can cook”
Favorite Rapper(s): Tamer – Lupe, Mahmoud – K’naan

1. Tell us about your humanitarian project and poetry teaching workshops.
We go to kids from broken homes and show them that we come from the same neighborhood, from the same situation, and that the world is bigger than where we live. Basically we go in and show them that they can write their own rhymes. We give them a word and everyone throws in their own word. Then you’re just rhyming ’cause when you drop 10 words, a few of them gotta rhyme. Then we show them that they can write it, then we teach them how to flow with it. And suddenly kids come to us with full songs, asking how they can record and where can we perform. When there are festivals, kids who didn’t know anything about hip-hop want to do shows.

2. How did Slingshot Hip-Hop affect your experience as artists?
We see Slingshot Hip-Hop as the degree. You suffer five years in college and you study and work hard and sometimes you’re just exhausted and you cannot go on, and suddenly Slingshot Hip-Hop comes along and it’s like ‘hey, here’s your degree man, here’s your marks, you’ve been doing well, we see your life.’

Not many people have the privilege to see their life and achievements documented. At some points you are so weak and suddenly you are watching yourself in a big film that makes you strong, so it just gives you the feeling that you can get over it.

And it really opened the door for us in the USA. Ever since Jackie dropped Slingshot Hip-Hop, we’ve been doing two or three tours a year. We’ve been big in Europe and the Middle East, but it really opened the door to America and Canada.

3. What can fan look forward to next?
The next album! We’re working on it, were halfway. It’s gonna be very different, we are working with very big artists, like Rachid Taha, and we have Trio Gibran — three brothers from Nazareth who play the Oud. The album will be very musically creative. It’s very different from the first album where we are just throwing words; now we are storytelling.

4. If there was just one thing you want people to know about Palestine/Palestinians, what would it be?
Ashab haq. People with cause.

5. Favorite on-stage moment?
Mahmoud – in the Basque Country, we performed with Farmin Maragoza, and there was like 50,000 people. It was a really good experience.

Tamer – My favorite moment is when people get the punch lines and start laughing and whispering. I love punch lines. So when I work hard on them and people respond immediately, I appreciate that.

6. Writer/Scholar Reza Aslan was in Israel a couple of weeks ago — upon his return he said, “as depressed as I was about the two-state solution prospects, I couldn’t help but notice that the most popular hip-hop act in Israel was a Palestinian group called DAM.” What do you guys have to say about that?

Whenever you are popular that’s good. I would say that we’ve been noisy. Nobody gave a damn about destroying the houses in our town, so they never came to document it. So I invited the top celebrities of Israel to the neighborhood for a bus tour, that dragged at least eight of the top media over there. So we know how to make buzz — when you speak with full confidence with a cause it creates buzz.

I appreciate that, it makes me proud. A lot of times, you just say ‘damn what am I doing? Am I doing it right?’ And when you hear stuff like that, it’s not money, it’s not a prize, it’s not an Oscar, it’s just just a compliment. When you hear that youre like ‘cool’.

Simona Abdallah

1. How were you introduced to playing the tablah (darbuka)?
There are always so many weddings and parties to attend as an Arab, and it was during these weddings that the percussion player would fascinate me. It’s so little, yet so powerful — so many tones and beats. I started to play at around 14 years, and always listened to classical Arabic. It was a bit difficult with my upbringing to go out much, so I learned to play what I heard in my room.

2. How much did your choice of instrument have to do with shaping your identity?
I had to follow my dreams even if it was going to be rough. I asked myself what would be the worst thing to happen? People are going to talk? When I have interviews with Danish media, I have to explain how my family didn’t allow me to play. But I really don’t care, because people will talk no matter I do.

If I was married and had children, people were still going to talk. That’s how it is for an Arab girl. Today I’m very thankful to have this life, which I had dreamed of.

3. Is there a genre of music you would be curious to pair with the tablah?
I love old, classic Arabic music like Um Kulthoum.  I’m all for an Um Kulthoum remix done from a whole new perspective. Also remixes of the old songs by Abdel Haleem and the Rahbani Brothers. Originally, this is what inspired me — a love for mixing the traditional with the New Age beats and sounds. I’m curious about mixing anything with Arabic rhythms.

People want to be safe, and I say do something new, and just put it out there. Many cultures might identify with what they hear.

I also love to play with different musicians that have been playing jazz. A few days ago, I played with a oud player and a double bass/contra bass. It sounded so jazzy and special with just the three of us playing. I’m checking out electronic, indie, and ambient but that will take a little time. I love to get a piece of every culture, because there’s beauty in each culture.

5. What is Missing Voices?
After playing in public for five years, A Danish Muslim woman called me and said she’s starting a project. Even though I hate to use religion in what I’m doing, because it’s a private thing for me, she said she was collecting women who can play concerts all over the world to be an inspiration for Middle Eastern women. This includes concerts and workshops to help other women follow their dream. We have toured the UK and Holland, and will be in the Middle East, Sweden, and Norway this summer. It’s all about motivating women since there are often cultural preventions that keep them from believing in themselves. Whenever you hear about women from the Middle East, it’s always about how they’re victims. Missing Voices tries to be a role model, and help others reach goals in the process.

6. What has been the most interesting venue that you’ve played so far?
I have been part of the Middle East Peace Orchestra, which is a mix of Jews, Christians, and Palestinians playing for peace. One of my most unforgettable gigs was when we played for the Queen of Denmark. That was so much fun! We played, and then there was a reception where we all had to face her. We’re not allowed to stand to our back to her, or the prince, so there she was right in front of us!

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About the Author: Born and raised in Southern CA, Lana Daoud can find herself at home just about anywhere. She has a degree in History with a minor in Middle East Studies, and is currently a fellow of NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership For Change based in Los Angeles. Home is where the next great experience lies, heart belongs to her nieces, roots are in Palestine.

“Reach Out”

“Reach Out (Club Mix)”

Download “Reach Out” >>

Photo Courtesy Noor El Deeb

He lives, breathes, writes, draws, talks and walks the walk of artist. I met him in the newsroom of Egypt Today Magazine, where we both once worked as full-time staff writers…and part-time doodlers. This is when I first saw his artistic genius. So when I heard he was putting on his first exhibition titled “Three” opening April 21st at Studio 14 in Cairo, Egypt — all I could say was, “it’s about time.” It’s with great joy that I introduce you to my friend and artist Hassan Hassan.

Hassan grew up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — “which [is] actually not what a lot of people would imagine,” he says. “It was a great experience going to British school there, having so many different cultures right at my door step — with the Brits, the Lebanese, Americans and people from all walks of life in the Arab world.” As to how it influenced him, he says, “You don’t have many options outside of a certain routine growing up in the Gulf, so you get kind of into different things: cartoons, magazines, books, anything you can get your hands on.” You might want to keep that in mind as you check out his gallery of work (media used: markers, pens, pencil, acrylic, watercolor, poster paint, and even one with coffee and green tea…)

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1. What do you feel is the purpose of art? Or the artist?
Anything that has beauty in it is art. Personally, I hate forcing feelings and emotions on people, especially when it comes to art. Defining things is usually when they lose their meanings.

Art’s only purpose is inspiration and beauty can’t be defined.

As for the artist, it depends on the artist. I don’t have a message, I like to see what people get from it on their own without my input.

2. What inspires you?
Everything. Television shows, music videos, fashion magazines, clothes, moods, feelings, coffee, jokes. I love to think that you can get inspiration from anything and everything. I don’t like to limit myself.

3. Do you enjoy writing or drawing more?
They’re different. Writing is my vocation, its never been a creative process for me — but a job that requires creativity. Drawing has always been a kind of escape, to give myself the ability to kind of go into myself and just zone out. If i had to choose, it would be drawing for sure…I’m better at it.

4. Would you ever consider illustrating a cartoon?
A cartoon? Probably some hot chick that takes over the world and has some weird Russian name like “Lucrecia.” But it’s something I’ve always considered, I always wanted to write and illustrate a graphic novel. Something along the lines of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, in the sense of it being biographical. I’d love to have a fun little book that shows that Arabs aren’t all terrorists, and I think we need to start doing that in media — fashion, music, celebrity, art I think that’s much more enlightening of a community than a BBC documentary.

5. How long does it usually take you to finish a piece?
It depends. I’m mad fast with pencils and pens and can finish things off pretty fast. Painting is very time consuming and I don’t have the patience, but the outcome is always worth it. But I tend to do things fast so I don’t have the luxury to sit and second guess them. Once you over think the process, you’ve lost it.

6. What can Hassan Hassan fans look forward to next?
Hopefully a lot. I’d love to have my own fashion line, something basic and everyday rather than couture, t-shirts and sweats — that kind of thing. Honestly, would love to branch out and work in all kinds of design.

The thing about art is that it can be interpreted in so many different ways, so the sky’s the limit. I’m going to reach for the sky I guess.

For more on Hassan’s work, visit his facebook page >>

STATS
Black & White or Color: Color
Now playing: Bob Dylan
Favorite Photographers: Michael Ackerman, Rebecca Norris Web, Giorgi Pinkhassov

1. What’s the first picture you ever took?
The first picture I took was in university when I started taking my photography course — our first assignment was to go out and approach random people on campus and ask them if we could take a headshot of them. It was an absolutely horrible set of pictures. I didn’t know what I was doing, it was awkward, the people’s expressions were awkward — it was actually so bad that I was assigned to go out and re-do it.

2. Do you see the world differently through the lens?
Yeah, because I’m really looking for certain things like the color, the movement and the light. If I don’t have my camera, those things will pull my attention, but

when I’m looking through the lens I’m in a completely different zone.

3. What’s the longest you’ve gone without taking a picture?
I used to have to take at least one picture on a daily basis because of my practice as a newspaper photographer. Every single day [I was] out there taking a picture of something. And then when I became a freelancer, it was a lot more about me initiating the work and projects that I wanted to do. So it could be a month that I go without a picture that I’m taking seriously and intensely, that’s intended for something.

See more of Laura’s “Four Seasons in One Day” gallery >>

4. What’s your favorite thing to photograph?
People. In the last year or so, I’ve really been focusing more on women. I’ve developed this interest in photographing women’s issues — like the project on the veil, and I just recently photographed something in India that was about the widows of farmers that were committing suicide.

5. What’s one place or event you can’t wait to photograph?
I would really love to photograph some kind of conflict or war situation. I’d love to be there to witness it first hand and document it in pictures. For a very long time, that’s really what I wanted to do. I stopped dreaming of that because I realized maybe I’m not so emotionally prepared for it, but if the opportunity comes my way, I’d take it. The other thing I’ve always wanted to photograph is fashion, like New York Fashion Week or something like that. I’d love to do that, that would be fantastic.

6. Has anyone ever confronted you/complained for taking their picture?
Yeah it happens all the time. And typically, from my experience, it’s always someone that you’re not even photographing that comes up to you and complains. It sounds really strange, but usually I’m pointing my camera in one direction and somebody that’s behind me comes up and says, “Why are you taking a picture”?

Normally, I don’t ask people for permission to take their picture before I take it because if I do, then the picture will completely change. Whether they like it or not, they become very conscious of me and my presence. So I usually try to smile at the person and give them some kind of recognition like ‘yeah I’m taking a picture of you’ but I’ll just leave it kind of open ended.

See more of Laura’s “Four Seasons in One Day” gallery >>

For more of Laura’s work and to purchase prints, visit her website >>

Here, on their newest track “Said Guevara” they make a tribute to the outstanding Palestinian intellectual and humanist, Edward Said. “This electronic audio-collage mixes the voice of the late Edward Said with excerpts from Che Guevara’s 1964 speech at the United Nations,” say 303. “Edward Said and Che Guevara, in very different ways, pushed for the universal values of justice, freedom, equality and most importantly solidarity between peoples of the world in standing up united against injustice.”

With perfectly chosen quotes from Edward Said’s profound speeches, overlapped by Che Guevara’s distinct and purposeful voice, on a beat that makes you want to run alongside, cheering the two heroes on as they “disentangle truth from propaganda.”

Even Najla Said is feeling the track. “The audio clips of Edward Said and Che Guevara, when put together, create an incredible message of solidarity, which as my father would say, is the greatest form of love that human beings can show,” she says. “My dad was an incredible and captivating speaker, and in his absence we are left not only without his inspirational words but without his humor, candor, and the accessibility of his message. For those who have a difficult time reading his very academic books, his speeches can serve the same rousing purpose.”

To download this track and other free tunes, visit Checkpoint 303’s website >>

STATS
Favorite Scent: Sea Water
Best Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs, Baked Beans, Orange Juice & Coffee
First Movie: Peter Pan

1. What makes a film worth making?
Film-making is essentially storytelling. Generally speaking, a film is worth making when you find a compelling story to tell, whether it be character-based or plot-driven.

As a director who interprets another writer’s script, I find it essential to be able to connect with the story on some level. This connection could be with something as broad as the underlying theme of the story itself, or with something as specific as a character or even a moment.

2. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you while making a film?
While shooting Alla Fein, my thesis film at the New York Film Academy, the camera operator accidentally broke wind right in the middle of a take. It was towards the end of a relatively tense and dialogue-heavy scene. We had already shot quite a few takes and the actors were getting tired. As soon as they heard the sound, the actors actually paused for a split second and then tried to carry on with the scene. Everyone in the room heard it and tried to pretend that nothing had happened while holding their laughter back, but I couldn’t resist.

The cast and crew then went on a laughing spree and although it took another couple of takes before they managed to regain composure, it definitely helped relieve some of the day’s stress.

3. How did the story for Clean Hands, Dirty Soap come to you? Did you approach Adam or did he find you?
Adam and I are childhood friends. We’d already worked on a couple of projects together before and were searching for a new concept for a short film. We were at his place re-watching True Romance and when it ended, we both commented on how much we loved the mood of the film, particularly the chemistry between Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. Adam suggested a story that is based around the day-to-day life of a bathroom attendant, which I instantly found interesting. We proceeded to shoot ideas back and forth until we came up with a treatment.

4. How long have you been making films and how did you get into it?
I have been in the field for over eight years now. While pursuing my Bachelors degree at the American University in Cairo in Economics, I happened to take an elective course in Film History. Throughout the course, I was exposed to a lot of different films that I never had the opportunity to see prior to that. Some of them were brilliant. It was very refreshing to watch films that were not contemporary, mainstream Hollywood blockbusters. The one that absolutely stood out for me was Francois Truffaut’s Les 400 Coups. After watching it, I decided to minor in Film. I graduated from AUC in 2002 and got a job at a local production company — Misr International Films. I worked there for a couple of years, mainly as an editor, then traveled to New York to attend the Film Directing course at NYFA. The whole experience there was incredibly rewarding, and I came out of it with my first short film — Alla Fein. Fortunately, the film had a good run on the festival circuit, which gave me the required momentum to pursue further independent projects such as Clean Hands, Dirty Soap.

5. What can we look forward to next? Where can we see your film(s) next?
Adam and I are currently developing a feature-length script, which we hope to finish throughout 2010. Clean Hands, Dirty Soap is still showing at various international film festivals, and should be available for viewing online by the end of the year.

6. If you could work with any actor, who would it be and why?
I can’t say that there is one particular actor I would like to work with over all others. I think it would have to depend on the script and the nature of the role. Although, after recently watching Inglourious Basterds, I believe Christoph Waltz could probably interpret any role thrown at him — in any language.

The film becomes vivid and stunning in its simplicity — Fanous makes each shot count (see gallery) in this 25 minute reel. And Mourad’s story about Hadi is refreshing — his inner monologues verge on poetry, giving dimension to the often overlooked, avoided bathroom attendant who becomes self-actualized after an unlikely visit one night to a seedy cabaret finds him cast under the spell of a superstitious belly dancer Nour, played by Farah Youssef. The center of many a lewd reproach, she too longs for more than her bleak future can promise. But you’ll have to watch for yourself to see what happens when Hadi and Nour meet.

Clean Hands, Dirty Soap has claimed the Jury Prize in the Egyptian National Film Festival and Best Short Film Award in the San Francisco Arab Film Festival, among others. The film will be available online soon and fans can look forward to Fanous and Mourad teaming up again for an upcoming feature.

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Yasmin Mahrous

STATS
Favorite movie: I like so many, but have to watch one twice for it to be a favourite
Designer: Tom Ford
Board game: I don’t like games

1. From where do you draw your inspiration and motivation?
Designing and sketching are primary motivations for me as a fashion designer. And that’s because it’s the creative aspect of running this business. Everything around can inspire me, but usually art wins.

2. You have the afternoon off, or better yet, the day. What do you do for kicks?
Spend it with friends and family. But when you’re a fashion designer, you usually don’t get any time away.

3. Music is an important backdrop in the creative fields. Who or what style of music do you like for a working soundtrack?
I love all types of music. But for a working environment, I prefer lounge music. It’s incredible how well my partner Stephen knows music. He is starting to produce and mix. So I think we’ll be involved in music soon. Frame will be both fashion and music.

4. 2009 was a fine year for Frame Fashion, and with an awesome response to your Spring/Summer 2010 collection in Toronto. What can we expect from you in 2010?
This week, we’ll be doing the Fall/Winter 2010 look-book photo shoot. It’s my favourite collection. We’re using a new fabric company, and the fabric is awesome. The fabric actually inspired a couple of the designs. In Fall/Winter 2010 we’re dedicated to merging vintage and contemporary style with fine art to get a sense of timeless fashion.

5. Your day just crashed, and you have deadlines and events that can’t wait. How do you recover? Or whom do you call for a pep-talk and emotional support?

Usually you don’t have time to talk to anyone for emotional support in this industry. You have to stay focused, and supervise everything yourself.

And it’s great that we are a two partner design team, so when someone can’t deal with a certain situation the other one steps in and helps.

6. Where is your favorite city for fashion: both on the street and on the runway?
Milan is the best.

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About the Author: Pete Willows is a Canadian freelance writer. He has lived and worked in Egypt, The United States, New Zealand, the Sudan and Canada. He currently lives in the Toronto area with his family.

STATS:
Arial or Helvetica: Helvetica!!!
Favourite Arab dialect: Egyptian, like Nour El-Sherif speaks it.
MAC or PC: Forever Mac!

1. Can you take us through the process of putting together a font?
It starts with an idea that you would sketch out on paper or on a computer. You decide what the design brief is, and go ahead and turn that idea into a typeface that fits the brief. This includes a lot of drawing and redrawing letterforms, and a long process of testing the typeface to see how it works in text. The final phase is font production where the typeface is generated as a working font software.

2. Being a “font maker” isn’t really the usual thing to do, so I’m curious, how did it all begin?
We had an amazing teacher, Samir Sayegh, who gave an Arabic Typography class in university. He got me interested in this topic and I very quickly developed a strong desire to draw Arabic letters. It’s a very small niche, but very fulfilling.

3. How does it feel to be the creator of a font, something people will use day in and day out and will show up on posters, papers, etc?
It’s immensely gratifying. I get a lot of amazing emails from people who love my fonts. It seems that this often overlooked domain touches peoples’ hearts on a very deep level. You wouldn’t expect it, but it’s true.

4. If you had to choose your favourite font, which one would it be, and why?

Of my fonts, it’s a tie between Koufiya, Frutiger Arabic, and Palatino Arabic. Of others it would be Adobe Arabic.

5. Do you feel that the Arab world will ever appreciate typography the same way they appreciate Arabic calligraphy?
If it were done well, then definitely, yes.

6. Where would you ideally like to see your work?
Somewhere far and unexpected. It’s always a jolt when you recognize your own typeface being used. I usually want to go stand next to it and start telling people that it’s mine. Thankfully, I don’t do that.

For more on Nadine and her fonts, visit her blog >>

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About the Author: Danah Abdulla was not born in Canada but has lived here since the age of two. A Palestinian with a degree from the University of Ottawa in something other than Engineering (Mass Communications, minor Commerce), she lives in Toronto where she works as a Digital Cultivator for a big advertising agency. She’s a freelance writer and a blogger. She likes to doodle, read, make jokes, and dance.

Watch as the one and only, Wonho Chung, fluidly alternates between Korean to Arabic to English, from song to jokes to impersonating a dubbed soap opera and…his mother. Now, THAT is an entertainer. If you agree, leave a comment below…

STATS:
Languages: Arabic, English, Vietnamese, French, and Korean
Laces or Velcro: Velcro, retro
Favorite seasoning: Anything that’s fatty

1. Who are you? Really.

I think deep down inside I’m a Jordanian, with a Korean face. I’m your normal everyday guy, who was given the opportunity to do stand-up, and I didn’t know that I had it in me.

The moment I started doing jokes and people took them warmly, I figured maybe I should give this a shot. And I did. And I was just in the right place at the right time, with the right amount of preparation when someone gave me an opportunity.

2. You were chosen by the Axis of Evil team to be the pseudo-North Korean even though you’re South Korean, what was that like?

It was a dream because I was, and still am a huge fan of the Axis of Evil so when I was approached to actually be part of their tour, it was surreal.

Pretending to be North Korean while I’m South Korean wasn’t a big deal to me because I was given an opportunity. Obviously for the Axis guys they couldn’t find a North Korean that was funny, so they settled for a South Korean that was funny (I hope) and who speaks Arabic.

3. There’s no doubt that people get surprised when they find out you speak Arabic. Any particularly funny situations you’ve been through as a result?
This one is not quite a surprise, but I was boarding a plane in Malaysia, heading to Dubai, and at the gate everybody looked Far East Asian. So there was this gentleman in front of me, sitting at the gate with his wife, he had the whole [traditional dress], she was wearing a veil, very, very conservative… They thought nobody understood what they were saying, so they were talking about their honeymoon which they spent in Malaysia, and ALL the details. Use your imagination. And I was sitting there thinking “Oh my God!” This is almost like voyeurism, you know.

4. Do you ever pretend that you don’t understand Arabic?
Many times. It depends. I use it to my advantage. Like if I go to buy a pair of shoes, and if I start speaking in Arabic, I know the guy is gonna stop me and be like, “How do you know Arabic? Where are you from? How?” It’s 15 – 20 minutes lost when I just want to buy shoes, so I would use English then. If I’m in Egypt and kids are running after me and saying [in Arabic] “Buy from me,” I just go, “What? I don’t speak Arabic.” So you just use it to your advantage, the more you have the more you can play with.

5. If you could put together an audience of your favorite people and/or comedians, who would be the top ten people on the list?
Russell Peters has been one of my favorite comedians for a very long time, so I feel very blessed that I get to share a stage with him. I would have loved to have met Ella Fitzgerald. I’m a huge jazz lover. Josh Groban is one of my favorite singers. I’m classically trained, vocally. But for an audience? Because I do stand-up comedy in Arabic…, my audience ideally would be anyone who speaks Arabic.

6. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Facial hair. I’ve always wanted to grow a goatee.

Check out this video of Wonho on the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour >>

(Interviewed by Lina Ejeilat in Amman, Jordan)