Syrian oud master Rihab Azar was born in the Syrian city of Homs. She grew up in a musical family. Her father, luthier Samir Azar,…
Brilliant Syrian Oudist Rihab Azar
Tag: Syrian music
Rewinding Honor: Syrian Cassette Archives Earn WOMEX 2025 Professional Excellence Award
From the 1970s through the early 2000s, cassettes served as Syria’s principal medium for music and spoken word. The Syrian Cassette Archives, founded in 2018…
Jawa, Keepers of Venerable Aleppo Sufi Traditions
Jawa – Last Breaths from Aleppo (Muziekpublique, 2023) Multinational ensemble Jawa plays transfixing music that is rooted in Sufi practices. Indeed, Jawa is dedicated to…
An Introduction to the Kanun, the Versatile Plucked Zither
The kanun, also referred to as qanun, is a type of stringed musical instrument that holds an important place in traditional Middle Eastern and North…
Syrian Music Preservation Initiative to Present Love and Loss: Traditional Music of Syria at Carnegie Hall
The Syrian Music Preservation Initiative (SMPI) will commemorate its fifth anniversary with an evening of classical music from Syria, entitled Love and Loss. The event…
Middle Eastern Band Danûk Release New single ‘De Çêkin’
Danûk, a musical collective comprised of exiled Middle Eastern musicians, has recently released the second single entitled ‘De Çêkin’ from their highly anticipated debut album…
Middle Eastern Band Danûk Unveil Lead Single, “Axir Zemana”
Danûk, a collective of Middle Eastern musicians who were forced into exile, have announced their debut album, Morîk, set to release on May 19, 2023,…
Artist Profiles: Syrian Kurdish band Danûk
In the midst of a chaotic period in Istanbul, Danûk emerged in 2015. The group, consisting of graduates from Syria’s finest music and fine arts…
Sufi Ensemble Jawa Reveals ‘Last Breaths from Aleppo’ Music Video
The Jawa ensemble has released a music video titled ‘Last Breaths from Aleppo.’ The rich musical Sufi tradition has been transmitted orally in Aleppo, Syria,…
Interview with Qanun Master Maya Youssef
Acclaimed Syrian qanun (hammered dulcimer) player Maya Youssef recently released a new album titled “Finding Home” that reached number one at the Transglobal World Music…