Rania and model Jenna Hurt walk down the Red Carpet

Rania and Jenna pose backstage

Rania shows her design to the press

Posing with Oscar

I walked up the short set of stairs of The Complex in Hollywood’s Theater District, into the narrow hallways lined with people leaning against walls as they waited for their casting call. It is a small building containing several theatres and studios under one roof. I opened the door to my destination, where a set of bleachers were filled with serious, but welcoming students with their eyes set on the stage, ready to absorb some comic knowledge.

During a break, Khalil and Shrime exchanged a witty repartee as they discussed the premise of the workshop.  Their collaborative spirit, intent to create, and an apparent interest in paying their experience forward leave me inclined to coin them the Arab Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Did this develop out of a lack of opportunity?
Ryan: It developed because of the process of getting good roles.  We want to have at our hands a plethora of material, and in order for that to happen we have to be the ones to produce it.
Ronnie: We have to create for ourselves if we’re going to move into the position we want.
Ryan: [Middle Easterners] complain about stereotyping, but we can’t expect someone who grew up in Middle America to understand our experience.  We have to start doing our part.

What kind of advice do you have for people trying to get their foot in the door, either on or off stage?
Ryan: Keep moving,
Ronnie: If you’re a writer, keep writing. If you’re an actor, keep acting.
Ryan: Get a job that barely pays the bills so that you can stay hungry. Yea, stay thirsty.
Ronnie: Stay hungry, but not literally. (chuckling)
Ronnie: This business is not, and never will be easy.
Ryan: Don’t ever give yourself a time limit, which is actually something comedian, David Zucker, said that stays with me.
Ronnie (bantering): I’ve got an idea, but I’ll just wait a year to write it down.
Ryan: Also, everyone should be on actorsaccess.com. Networks do something called Diversity Showcase for their own casting, to promote a commitment to diversity.

Can people use their own material to audition?
Ryan: Some networks, like CBS for example, will allow your own material. But most give you the material for an audition. We actually had some people get representation after the ME Comedy Festival through this showcase, and one girl ended up testing for a pilot.

Ronnie and Ryan invited two sketch comedy pros, Jodi Miller and Kimberly Lewis, to lead the workshops — they were high energy, and hilarious to watch. Their crash course crammed all the comedic formulas and set-ups, providing insight into the genius behind the laughs. I had the opportunity to pick the two comic brains…

What do you consider the most challenging part of writing comedy?
Kim: The tendency to get in your own way by over-thinking things, getting stuck in your head, and critiquing or blocking yourself and your creativity as you go. I encourage my students to cultivate a sense of playfulness when they are going to write and perform comedy. One of my favorite quotes is, “Genius is the ability to call up childhood at will.” We all spend years putting on all kinds of armor to protect ourselves in the world, and then we have to try to strip that away as performers and writers to get back to that childlike sense of play. If you think about it, the comedians we love and admire the most are the ones having the most fun.
Jodi: Focusing on one main thing in the sketch. Many times people try to fit too many elements into a scene, which makes it somewhat confusing for the audience.  Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.

You crammed a lot into two days! Was it fun giving a crash course?
Kim: Yes, it was very fun. Learning comedy is really in the doing, not in the talking about it– writing, performing, and throwing material against the wall to see what sticks.
Jodi: It was a lot of fun teaching this class…I wish we had more time.  Still, I was very impressed with the work everyone did.  Some really funny sketches came out of this and I really hope they all continue to write more material.

They have undoubtedly been inspired to do exactly that.

The sketch workshop attracted, as the title suggests, “Middle Eastern” applicants. For all intents and purposes, the term here is applied culturally as opposed to geographically. About twenty participants made the cut, including Rachid Sabitri, an English actor of Morroccan origin who has done theatre, television, and film work for high-ranking networks such as HBO and the BBC. He is interested in pursuing Arab-Israeli relations in his writing — this workshop serves as a step forward in his work.

The first day wraps up with some reminders. Students are expected to write their own sketches by the next session. In an effort to quell their nerves, Khalil heeds a reminder that the goal of the experience is “to get to know each other, and be able to bounce ideas off one another. You are going to attract your kind of funny, so just write what you want.” Shrime emphasizes, “even if it sucks.”

If you’re in NYC, the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival is sponsoring a similar workshop this Sunday, March 14. Details here>>

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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.

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.

Over $3,000 were raised for victims of the earthquake in Haiti at the concert, held at The Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew in NYC on Sunday, February 28. The concert included an eclectic range of performances, in addition to the orchestra’s already diverse selection of songs. Their fluid transition from classic Arabic songs, to a rock tune with Tool cover band Right in Tool, and to West African trio Balla Kouyate was remarkable. And Maestro Bassam Saba’s transitions from flute to nay to oud topped it off.

Check out more photos from the event below…

Nagi Youssef blesses the concert with a prayer song

Balla Kouyate (balafon) and sister Taba (singing) move the crowd

Mariana Saba sings a cover of The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun”

Today, the term is used interchangeably, but whatever form it takes, when done well, it can be the embodiment of hip-hop at its finest — as proven here by The Narcicyst. In a packed Public Assembly (Brooklyn, NYC), a little over halfway through his set, the DJ’s equipment failed. Left with his mic, the stage, the following act Audiopharmacy’s spur-of-the-momentness and an eager crowd, he saved the day and showed us what freestyle is all about — creating a beautiful hip-hop moment. Watch the video, then leave a little freestyle of your own for us in the comment section…

STATS
Favorite Word: Most recently, “contraflow.”
Favorite Place to Write: Public Library
Coffee or Tea: Tea

1. What was the book that made you want to become a writer?
In college, I really liked a short story collection called Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill — she writes about sex, unappealing scenarios, and low self-esteem very interestingly, very bold.

2. What brings you more joy teaching or writing?
Writing. It’s not that I don’t like [teaching], it’s a lot of work and I don’t like having less time to write, but it is also rewarding.

3. Was writing a choice?
No, I felt it wasn’t a choice because there wasn’t anything else I knew how to do, or ability and talent. And I did write a lot,

it’s like exercise, you don’t really enjoy doing it, but you feel good afterwards — it’s such a wretched activity.

4. Towelhead was a very complex book, what was the process of writing that book like?
That was my first novel and I didn’t really know how to write a novel. I wrote 100 pages of it and then I threw away all those pages because I realized that the voice was wrong, my editor helped me find that out — I was trying to sound really literary with that version but it just wasn’t right, so I started over and started writing in this depressed teenage-girl way and that was much better. No writer sits down and decides, I want this to be complex, they just sit down and decide they want to tell a story.

You just have to tell the best story and the best story is a complex story. It helps to have some elements laid out in the beginning, and have a general idea of what you want but you have to really be able to surprise yourself. You’re the first audience member, so you have to be able to surprise yourself.

5. What can your readers look forward to next?
Another novel and a memoir, slowly but surely I’m trying to get them done. I really like writing screenplays and I’m interested in writing a television show.

6. What are the traits that make a good writer or storyteller?
Succinct, funny…you should be willing to let your stories be ugly, let ugly things happen. You should never be boring, people spend money to buy books, there’s nothing I hate more than buying book and then I can’t get through it, I feel like I should get a refund.

1. MC Rai “Clandestine”

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2. The Narcicyst – “One Thing"


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3. Omar Offendum – “The Flip”


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4. Jean Marie Riachi featuring Abir Nehme – “Ana Bhebak”


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5. Tony Khalife – “Alap – Eastern Wind”


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Let us and the artists know what you think by leaving a comment below…

OK. There’s really only one word I can use to describe this: Bonkers. If you haven’t heard of Nabil Elderkin, you’ve certainly seen his work (BEP’s “Mas Que Nada”, Mos Def’s “Supermagic” and more). And if you weren’t a fan of this song in it’s original form, my guess is you will be now — because Kanye went back in and took the music to a whole new level for this version. Sleepy Hollow meets the darker, colder sister of Sade’s “By Your Side” video set meets Nabil’s brilliant direction. In my dictionary, bonkers is beautiful.

The brilliance of this film is captured in its perfect juxtaposition of a world empowered by dreams to the harsh realities of life’s everyday struggles. Director Amin Matalqa carefully illuminates some of society’s greatest challenges.  He brings thoughtful attention to the heart-wrenching pain of domestic violence as well as to poverty’s disenfranchisement of a child’s right to education through forced labor. Additionally, he explores the intersections of different socioeconomic classes via the mediums of friendship and trust. Through the story of a pilot named Nour, the film relates the experience of enduring the cruel void of yearning for companionship without finding an individual with whom to share life’s joys. With an incredible level of sophistication and wisdom, the movie reflects on society’s misgivings and its effects on the inner depths of human emotion.

The film is elegant in every possible aspect—from the cinematography to the acting to the musical score—and its beautiful images will linger pleasantly in your mind long after it has stopped rolling. Matalqa captures the most precious of moments with his lens, those such as Captain Abu Raed sharing tea with the remembrance of his late wife on their rooftop terrace overlooking the cityscape of Amman cast in the tranquil light of dusk, or the nostalgic image of boys hanging liberated arms outside of a moving car window marveling as the forces of wind simulate the sensation of airplane wings taking flight, or the joyful laughter of children reveling in stories of adventure under a sun-splashed crystal blue sky backdrop amidst the stone facades of the old city, their eyes lighting up with visions that assuredly transcend the narrow horizons imposed upon them by the imbalances of society.

Ultimately, Captain Abu Raed is a film that reminds us of the true meaning of heroism. It lies not in the hollow glamour of modern day sensationalism, but rather in the often unheard footsteps of everyday people standing up for the integrity of what is right. Although the Abu Raeds of this world rarely bask in the glory of their greatness, this film may serve as a tribute to all of the incredible, yet humble people that enrich humanity with every day of their lives.

Captain Abu Raed is now available on DVD >>

In the meantime, check out the trailer…

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About the Author: Half-Korean, Half-Egyptian, and having lived and worked with inspiring children in Southeastern Africa and throughout Central and South America, Nader Kim El-Mallawany revels in the diverse richness of the human spirit that shines brightly throughout all reaches of our world.  With love for his family and brethren … and in hopes that justice, tranquility, and human kinship will prevail within our lifetimes … he is ever grateful for the celebration of life that art graciously enlightens upon us all.

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.

Comedian Baha Khalil is back at it again – this time giving us a taste of his guest segment on Dandana TV’s “3ala Zo2ak” show with Liza Elturk. “She approached me after one of my stand-up gigs and thought comedy would be a great addition to their already popular channel.” Apparently we weren’t the only ones who loved Baha’s live set.

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…

We learned of Said Durrah’s Louis Armstrong impersonation at the Big Brown Comedy Hour, but we didn’t know he also does quite the Smeagle impression. Audio coming soon?

Aaron Kader gets serious before closing the show with hilarity.

Special guest from Montreal — Eman warmed the crowd up. We look forward to seeing more of her.

A packed, mostly-on-time crowd of 1300+…

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)

Better Than an Oscar…
Although Mai Iskander’s Garbage Dreams is in the running for an Oscar in the category of best documentary film, she’s got something better; the Gates Foundation recently granted 1 million dollars to the NGO featured in Garbage Dreams. But we’re not saying an Oscar wouldn’t be nice…

Anuja introduced us to the gifted composer-trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, Seif Al-Din and his Music Without Borders comrades show BBC how creative they can get in the studio! Marwa insisted on throwing a litte DAM in the mix (one of the groups featured in Slingshot Hip-Hop). Sara talked with Farid Alhadi, creator of the ever-smooth and hilarious Birthday X spoof, “Firstday Fast.” And finally, we end with one of Seif’s favorites from the Bassam Saba Ensemble.

1. Ibrahim Maalouf – “Missin Ya’ (Night in Tunisia)"

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2. Groove Theory ft Talib Kweli – “Tell Me” (Music Without Borders Remix)


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3. DAM – “Kalimat (Words)”


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4. Farid Alhadi – “Firstday Fast”


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5. Bassam Saba Ensemble – “Nirvana”


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Turn it up! We hope you’ll like these tracks as much as we do. Let us and the artists know what you think by leaving a comment below…

A couple weeks ago, a packed Joe’s Pub saw a very special performance by the Bassam Saba Ensemble as they celebrated the release of their long-anticipated CD “Wonderful Land.” Here’s a taste of the kind of energy and spirit Bassam and his ensemble brought to the small — and perfect for intimate shows — NYC venue.

STATS:
Only one song for the rest of your life: I’d do a secret remix of a Fairuz song with a hip-hop rhythm, build on a Gustav Mahler symphony, and pretend I didn’t know it was a remix.
One thing you must take with you when you travel: My trumpet.
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be? A journalist.

1. Music runs in your family, and both your parents are musicians. What can you tell me about them and their influence on both your decision to become a musician and your sound?
My father is of course my main influence since he taught me how to play trumpet, how to improvise, and how to play Arabic music. He invented the quarter tone trumpet, which is the instrument I play the most today. Everything I compose is inspired by my father’s music. Arabic culture is what I’ve been raised in, and since I was born in Beirut I feel really close to my original culture. My mother is much younger than my father (he was born is 1940, she in 1957), so her culture is more about dance music (The Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc). Her generation was listening to this music in Lebanon, so she brought me modern and occidental music; this is probably as important to me as the rest. In 1988 she bought me my first disc, “Bad” by Michael Jackson. I never stopped listening to it.

2. Your family left Lebanon and you grew up in France. How did this impact your life both personally and musically?
We left Lebanon when I was a child, but I lived a big part of my life there, too. Until I was 16 we used to spend three to four months each summer in Lebanon, even during the war. I’ve seen terrible things in my country, and growing up in Paris has always felt like a huge privilege. It’s led to one of my philosophies, and I always use every single moment to try and live the happiest way possible. I’ve seen people sad and suffering for too long. I’ve seen people humiliating others. I’ve seen people’s houses completely burned. I can’t imagine my life like this. I believe that all of this has probably had some impact musically, but I can’t really say what. I feel that in my music there is something that carries happiness even if it can also be nostalgic. But I try to never be sad in my music—unless, of course, it’s for a soundtrack of a sad movie.

3. You recently performed as part of the NYC Winter Jazz Festival, which was your first-ever performance in New York City. What can you tell me about the experience?
It was really great. I was first disappointed because my band didn’t get their visas, so I had to come alone and play solo in front of professionals and friends who were going to listen to me for the first time, and in front of jazz lovers.

I’m not a jazzman, so it wasn’t easy, and when I started to play people were drinking beer, talking loud, laughing, etc. But suddenly everything stopped, and for the next 45 minutes people listened to me until the end with incredible attention. I was amazed. It was probably the first time an audience listened to me so carefully. I was really touched.

4. You’ve worked with some pretty big names, from Sting to Talvin Singh. Who are you hoping to work with in the future and why?
My dream would be to write music for movies, and my albums are composed with a soundtrack feel. I would also like to produce singers’ (pop, hip-hop, Arabic fusions, jazz) albums. I can’t really say any name since I’ve already worked with so many great people, but…

what I can tell you is that I’ve been meeting and playing with amazing musicians all over the world, totally unknown, and some of them are so talented that I wonder why they aren’t more famous than many famous people who really have nothing to do with art.

5. You compose all of your own music. What is your process like and where do you get inspiration?

When I compose I have only one rule—not to forbid myself anything—so I just do.

I record an idea, and if it sounds good, I keep it; if it doesnt, I erase it. Then I build things slowly until it starts to sound like music. If I like the music, I keep it, if I don’t, I put it on a hard disc and listen to it later. There’s really no concept to my albums, only music for music. My main influences are Arabic traditional singers and musicians, but also electronic, hip-hop, pop, Indian, African, jazz, and classical music.

6. You have two albums out (Diasporas and Diachronism) and are currently working on your third. What can people expect?
I’ll probably not (and hopefully never) do an album that people expect, simply because I don’t really know myself what I’m doing. I might know a few weeks before the music is finished, but even until the very end of the composing process everything can change. Most people I played my two albums for during the work on them didn’t recognize the music once it was released. What I can tell you is that Indian music will be certainly part of it, and hip-hop and traditional Arabic music, too.

Check out our review of his recent show in NYC >>

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About the Author: Anuja Madar is an editor at Frommer’s travel guides, where she specializes in the Middle East and Africa, and is constantly plotting ways to fill her passport’s pages and/or move to Morocco.

As Seen On…
Author Alia Malek’s wrist: a tattoo of the word “pen” in Nihad Dukhan’s contemporary Arabic style of calligraphy. For more of Nihad’s work, check his site out >> // 02.08.10