Old land, new music
CREATIVES: MUSICIANS FROM FAR-AFIELD
From Palestinian hip-hop to Egyptian electro and Lebanese blues-rock, artists from the Middle East are making inroads into Europe as witnessed at the latest Printemps de Bourges festival in France.
The latest edition of the annual music event in central France features artists from the Middle East as diverse as edgy Palestinian rappers DAM to Asaf Avidan, the Israeli folk singer with the high-pitched, androgyous voice.
The artists selected for the festival’s 39th edition show the “dazzling and extremely creative scene” in the contemporary Middle East, said Elodie Mermoz, who was involved in programming.
Mermoz said the rising interest in Middle Eastern artists went hand-in-hand with the eruption of the Arab Spring.
Islam Chipsky, an energetic keyboardist from Egypt played down the significance of the Arab Spring on his music – part of the growing Electro Shaabi genre that combines traditional Arab forms with Western instruments.
Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila, who bring together rock with traditional Arab vocals and violin, were also warmly recieved.
The group have a loyal following in the Middle East, despite lyrics that touch on sensitive topics such as homosexuality, and are poised to tour Europe.
But some artists from the Middle East are unconcerned about tradition. Sary Moussa, a Lebanese electronic musician who goes by the stage name RadioKVM, said: “Like plenty of Lebanese, I’m a mix of all the cultures around me, including on television. I come up with a synthesis of all of this culture and I don’t necessarily feel a need to be recognisably Arab,” he said. –