Levant-focussed label Souq Records gathered together five DJs and producers to “re-interpret five electronic folk songs” extracted from Monologue, the debut album by Syrian singer/songwriter and composer Yousef Kekhia. “The task was a challenge, for Kekhia’s songs are deeply personal, kindled by his post-Syrian civil war experiences. Niklas Paschburg,...
Tag Archives: Syria
This Corona stuff really sucks ey! Since we might all be bound by borders for a while, we’d like to come together and share some happiness in the shape of a playlist or mix! In the next days and weeks, check out Safe & Sounds, where we will figuratively introduce you...
There’s no doubt that, since last time we met them two years ago, the Nakhleh brothers have grown up, changed and arguably matured. Musically, they sound like two different people. As much as TootArd, the group they founded in Majdal Shams (their hometown on the Golan Heights) in 2010, sounds...
![Album Review: TootArd – Migrant Birds [Glitterbeat Records; May 2020]](http://www.rhythmpassport.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/tootard-migrant-birds-335x335.jpg)
Tootard is one of my favourite bands, their combination of Middle Eastern tonalities: the maqqam scales, with Caribbean reggae and western funk and disco – is not only original, but innovative. Migrant Birds is their third studio album, out on the hit churners Glitterbeat Records. The brother duo Hasan and...
Now that the element of surprise has worn off and Omar Souleyman has become a global star, he is able to reach people and let them dance all over the world. And now we can’t avoid explaining why you should wear your comfiest shoes and join him for his upcoming...
There are some musical experiences that you absolutely should not miss at any cost. Maybe they won’t change your life, but they will surely give you a different perspective of the world and its multifaceted soundscapes. A TootArd gig is one such experience. First of all, for a quite evident...
Politics is intrinsic to the Golan Heights landscape. The region, disputed by Syria and Israel since the mid-1960s, lingers in an unresolved state, which influences its people’s everyday life, culture, and music. That is why, even if you do not want to be meddled and muddled with politics, you inevitably...
Some events have the gift to happen in the right place and at the right time. Maybe they were planned months in advance, but when they finally occur they give a different meaning or shine a new light on current events. That’s what happened at Southbank Centre on the day...
Sometimes you can’t believe your eyes. It’s hard to explain how certain musical styles can cross physical and cultural borders and spread around the world. For instance, Omar Souleyman’s performance at Camden’s Koko (part of Convergence Festival) was just such an experience, bringing together one-thousand five-hundred people to dance for an hour to...
One of the reasons why we love music so much is because it helps people to deal with tragedies and sorrow through a positive and proactive approach. That’s why we can’t do anything else but push you to go to Koko on the 16th of March and get wild enjoying Omar...